Positive Psychology and Positive Education

Joint British Academy/British Psychological Society Lecture 2009

Professor Martin Seligman

 5.30pm, 29 SEPTEMBER 2009
Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

Creating and measuring well-being, beyond simple economic metrics, have become increasingly important in recent years. Positive psychology is the study of four modes of ‘happiness’ – positive emotion, engagement, meaning and positive relationships. Each of these is separately measurable and each can be learned, and the efficacy of positive interventions that teach each of these modes is reasonably well documented, particularly in schools. In this lecture, Professor Seligman will discuss some of the major interventions and how to deliver them, suggesting that, in the coming decade, psychology will supplement its venerable task of treating mental illness with a new focus on positive education.

About the Speaker

Professor Seligman is an American psychologist who is a best-selling author of self-help books. A world-renowned authority on depression and abnormal psychology, he is known for his work on the theory of ‘learned helplessness’. He is the director of the Positive Psychology Center and the Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychology. He was previously the Director of the Clinical Training Program in the department. Professor Seligman was elected President of the American Psychological Association in 1998. In 2009, he was the inaugural winner of the Academy’s Wiley Prize in Psychology.

Joint British Academy and British Psychological Society Lecture 2009

This lecture series began in 2001 when the Academy held a lecture to mark the centenary of the British Psychological Society.

Attendance

5.30-6.30pm, followed by a reception. Registration is not required for this event. Seats will be allocated on arrival. Please note this lecture will be held at Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ