Bringing both theory and real-world applications of positive psychology to life!

This revision of the cutting edge, most comprehensive text for this exciting field presents new frameworks for understanding positive emotions and human strengths. The authors show how to apply psychological science to improve schooling, the workplace, and cooperative lifestyles among people. Well-crafted exercises engage students in applying major principles to their own lives, and more than 50 case histories and comments from leaders in the field vividly illustrate key concepts.

Key Features

- Personal Mini-Experiments help students apply the practice of positive psychology to their daily lives. This Second Edition includes new experiments, such as “ Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone” and “ Emotions in a Cultural Context.”
- Life Enhancement Strategies offer methods of change that can be implemented quickly and easily to help readers attain greater connections with others, pursue meaning in their lives, and experience increased life satisfaction.
- Integrated case studies illuminate key concepts and reveal how positive psychological phenomena occur in the real world

New to This Edition

- Presents latest research on topics such as hope, courage, altruism, and more
- Offers new examples and reflections on relevant current events, such as research and statistics regarding the effects of the U.S. economy on decreasing rates of volunteerism
- Provides broader explorations of culture, with special consideration given to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, generation, nation of origin, and socioeconomic status
- Discusses new applications of mindfulness in a variety of populations and new research elucidating the relationships between the concept of hope and other positive constructs

The password-protected Instructor Teaching Site can be accessed at www.sagepub.com/snyder2einstr.

This is an ideal core text for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses in Positive Pshychology or Applied Psychology

Preface Remembering C. R. Snyder's Legacy of Hope
I: LOOKING AT PSYCHOLOGY FROM A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE
Welcome to Positive Psychology Eastern and Western Perspectives on Positive Psychology Classifications and Measures of Strengths and Positive Outcomes
II: POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY IN CONTEXT
Developing Strengths and Living Well in a Cultural Context Living Well at Every Stage of Life
III: POSITIVE EMOTIONAL STATES AND PROCESSES
The Principles of Pleasure: Understanding Positive Affect, Positive Emotions, Happiness, and Well-Being Making the Most of Emotional Experiences: Emotion-Focused Coping, Emotional Intelligence, Socioemotional Selectivity, and Emotional Storytelling
IV: POSITIVE COGNITIVE STATES AND PROCESSES
Seeing Our Futures Through Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and Hope Wisdom and Courage: Two Universal Virtues Mindfulness, Flow, and Spirituality: In Search of Optimal Experiences
V: PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Empathy and Egotism: Portals to Altruism, Gratitude, and Forgiveness Attachment, Love, and Flourishing Relationships
VI: UNDERSTANDING AND CHANGING HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Balanced Conceptualizations of Mental Health and Behavior Interceding to Prevent the Bad and Enhance the Good
VII: POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Positive Schooling Good Work: The Psychology of Gainful Employment The Me/We Balance: Building Better Communities
VIII: A POSITIVE LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF PSYCHOLOGY
Going Positive
References

Author Index

Subject Index