Positive Psychology: Resilience Skills

This course is part of Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization

Instructor: Karen Reivich, Ph.D.

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

2,317 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

2,317 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Understand the protective factors that make one resilient
Describe thinking traps and how they undercut resilience
Make use of non-cognitive strategies that decrease anxiety
Create a buffer of positivity that boosts resilience in stressful situations

Skills you'll gain

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Assessments

4 assignments¹

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Taught in English

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This course is part of the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization

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There are 4 modules in this course

Learn how to incorporate resilience interventions into your personal and professional life with Dr. Karen Reivich. In this course, you are exposed to the foundational research in resilience, including protective factors such as mental agility and optimism. Several types of resilience interventions are explored including cognitive strategies; strategies to manage anxiety and increase positive emotions such as gratitude; and a critical relationship enhancement skill. Throughout the course, you will hear examples of individuals using resilience skills in their personal and professional lives. Suggested prerequisites: Positive Psychology: Martin E. P. Seligman’s Visionary Science, Positive Psychology: Applications and Interventions and Positive Psychology: Character, Grit & Research Methods.

In this module, you will learn the definition of resilience and understand the protective factors that make one resilient. You will differentiate between helplessness and mastery orientations, and understand the thinking styles underlying each. You will summarize major outcomes of optimism, and the mediators of those outcomes, as well as assess your own levels of optimism, using a questionnaire. Finally, you will hear about personal and organizational outcomes of optimism, and will be able to apply these concepts to your own life.

What's included

13 videos6 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

13 videos Total 103 minutes

1.1 Welcome and Overview of the Course 4 minutes
1.2 Definition of Resilience and Foundational Research 5 minutes
1.3 Variables that Contribute to Resilience 13 minutes
1.4 Barbara Bradley Hagerty on Resilience in Midlife 7 minutes
1.5 Jennifer Loredo and Resilience Stories 12 minutes
1.6 Introduction to Optimism and Optimism Definitions 8 minutes
1.7 Benefits of Optimism 13 minutes
1.8 What Optimists Do Differently 13 minutes
1.9 Optimism Activity: Pursuit of Happyness Video 13 minutes
1.10 Organizational Highlight: Sam Presti on Optimism 2 minutes
1.11 Organizational Highlight: Maureen Rush 2 minutes
1.12 Personal Highlight: Lucy Hone 7 minutes
1.13 Summary of Week 1 and Preview of Week 2 2 minutes

6 readings Total 97 minutes

Biography of Karen Reivich, Ph.D. 1 minute
Assignments, Grading and your Resilience Journal 1 minute
Optional Reading: The Resilience Factor 30 minutes
Module 1 Lesson 1 - Optional Readings 20 minutes
Optimism Questionnaire 5 minutes
Module 1 Lesson 2 - Optional Readings 40 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Module 1 Quiz 30 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Pursuit of Happyness: Optimism in Action 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

Optimism Activity 10 minutes

In this module, you will learn about thinking traps and how they undercut resilience. You will learn about five common thinking traps and identify which you are prone to, in addition to the effects of those styles of thinking. You will practice Real-Time Resilience, a strategy to challenge non-resilient thinking. Finally, you will hear about personal and organizational outcomes of optimism, and plan how to apply these concepts to your own life.

What's included

8 videos2 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

8 videos Total 61 minutes

2.1 Thinking Traps Introduction 7 minutes
2.2 Definition and Demonstration of Thinking Traps 20 minutes
2.3 Detecting Patterns in Yourself, Activity: Trying Thinking Traps on for Size 3 minutes
2.4 Personal Examples of Thinking Traps: Why We Need a Skill to Address Them 4 minutes
2.5 Changing non-resilient thinking: Real-time Resilience 14 minutes
2.6 Real-time resilience Activity 8 minutes
2.7 Organizational Highlights: Emma Judge & Maureen Rush 2 minutes
2.8 Summary of Module 2 and Introduction to Module 3 2 minutes

2 readings Total 45 minutes

Module 2 Lesson 1 - Optional Reading 15 minutes
Module 2 Lesson 2 - Optional Reading 30 minutes

1 assignment Total 15 minutes

Module 2 Quiz 15 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 25 minutes

Thinking Traps Scenarios 15 minutes
Real Time Resilience Activity 10 minutes

In this module, you will learn the definition of catastrophic thinking and identify the effects it has on physiology, attention and contingency planning. You will experiment with several non-cognitive strategies to decrease anxiety, including Deliberate Breathing. You will be introduced to the Broaden and Build theory of positive emotions, and will be able to describe the effects of positive emotions on resilience. Finally, you will relate research and examples of gratitude to your own life and develop a plan for a gratitude practice.

What's included

14 videos4 readings1 assignment1 peer review2 discussion prompts

14 videos Total 115 minutes

3.1 Introduction: Catastrophizing and the Relationship of Anxiety to Resilience 7 minutes
3.2 Dr. Baime: Effects of Anxiety on Our Bodies 5 minutes
3.3 Demonstrations of Several Styles of Catastrophizing 10 minutes
3.4 Triggers of Catastrophizing 7 minutes
3.5 Introduction to three Different Ways to Manage Anxiety 13 minutes
3.6 Dr. Park: Deliberate Breathing to Manage Anxiety 6 minutes
3.7 Dr. Baime: A Mindfulness Approach to Anxiety 7 minutes
3.8 Positive Emotions Broaden 9 minutes
3.9 Positive Emotions Build Resources 7 minutes
3.10 Gratitude Research 15 minutes
3.11 Gratitude Skill: HTGS 6 minutes
3.12 Designing a Gratitude Practice: Team Collage 10 minutes
3.13 Organizational Highlights: Sam Presti, Maureen Rush & Carolyn McIntyre 11 minutes
3.14 Summary of Module 3 and Preview of Module 4 2 minutes

4 readings Total 70 minutes

Module 3 Lesson 1 - Optional Reading 10 minutes
Activity: Challenging Catastrophic Thinking Part 1 15 minutes
Activity: Challenging Catastrophic Thinking Part 2 15 minutes
Module 3 Lesson 2 - Optional Readings 30 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Module 3 Quiz 30 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Design a Gratitude Practice 60 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 20 minutes

Positive Emotion Photos 10 minutes
Hunt the Good Stuff 10 minutes

In this module, you will identify your own character strengths using a well-validated questionnaire. Next, you will describe how to use your character strengths in stressful situations to increase resilience by creating a buffer of positive emotion. Additionally, you will learn the research on active constructive responding, and identify their predominant responding style with important people in their lives. Finally, you will hear examples of inculcating resilience into organizations, and plan how to incorporate resilience strategies into your personal and professional lives.

What's included

9 videos3 readings1 assignment3 discussion prompts

9 videos Total 95 minutes

4.1 Background and Definition of Signature Strengths 15 minutes
4.2 Activities: Developing Character Strengths and VIA Conversation 5 minutes
4.3 Using Character Strengths to Navigate an Upcoming Challenge 16 minutes
4.4 Shadow Side of Character Strengths 10 minutes
4.5 Introduction to ACR 7 minutes
4.6 ACR Role Plays 16 minutes
4.7 Activity: ACR Patterns 15 minutes
4.8 Inculcating Resilience in an Organization: Emma Judge and Sam Presti 8 minutes
4.9 Course Summary 2 minutes

3 readings Total 60 minutes

Values in Action (VIA) Survey 10 minutes
Activity: Response Style Patterns 10 minutes
Module 4 Lesson 2 - Optional Readings 40 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Module 4 Quiz 30 minutes

3 discussion prompts Total 30 minutes

VIA 10 minutes
Using Character Strengths to Navigate an Upcoming Challenge 10 minutes
Applying Resilience to Your Life 10 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(448 ratings)

Karen Reivich, Ph.D.

University of Pennsylvania

2 Courses 139,095 learners

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University of Pennsylvania

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Reviewed on Sep 18, 2017

Dr. Reivich is a terrific presenter. She provides frequent and useful summaries, is clearly passionate about the subject, and has organized the content in a very logical, easy-to-follow manner.

Reviewed on Sep 23, 2018

Excellent! There was some common sense here, but plenty of new data and tools anyone can use in both their personal and professional life. A must for every human who wants to get the most out of life.

Reviewed on Oct 6, 2023

I gain the understanding of resilience, optimism, and related concepts. The course teaches valuable knowledge and tools to enhance psychological well-being and adaptability in the face of challenges.

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