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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Theses/Dissertations

Positive psychology

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Qualitative Study Of Public Policy Affecting Public University Students: How Positive Psychology May Lessen Racism, Russell F. Peck Feb 2024

Qualitative Study Of Public Policy Affecting Public University Students: How Positive Psychology May Lessen Racism, Russell F. Peck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racism, racial inequity, and racial violence, including micro-aggressions (slurs and fearful glances) are endemic in modern American society. Finding ways to eliminate or at least mitigate racism and racial violence is important, not only for public safety but also to ensure equality, fairness, and social harmony among every stratum of American society. The purpose of this study was to determine if teaching positive psychology in Boston, Massachusetts (MA)-area university college classrooms helped improve race relations. The primary research question involved determining factors that create racism and racial violence in society. The second research question was about if an education policy …


Improving Veterans’ Psychological Well-Being With A Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercise, Clara Im Adkins Dec 2020

Improving Veterans’ Psychological Well-Being With A Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercise, Clara Im Adkins

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The demand for therapeutic services and effective counseling interventions aimed at rehabilitating veterans has increased exponentially over the past thirty years. Veterans with PTSD symptoms experience several problems including, relationship issues, lower life satisfaction, suicidal ideation, isolation, and comorbid diagnoses. Current research on veterans diagnosed with PTSD suggests integrating wellness and strength-based approaches aimed at developing positive psychology characteristics into clinical services for veterans. Gratitude is a core construct in positive psychology and has been practiced in cultures all over the world. Gratitude journal interventions have been proven to increase well-being, positive affect, social relationships, optimism, life satisfaction, and lower …


Inspiring Awe In The Outdoors: A Mechanistic And Functional Analysis, Joel Agate Aug 2010

Inspiring Awe In The Outdoors: A Mechanistic And Functional Analysis, Joel Agate

All Dissertations

The past decade has seen a movement within the field of psychology in which positive emotions have been emphasized as an important key to improved quality of life. The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions indicates that such emotions may provide enduring reservoirs of personal strength and may broaden thought-action repertoires, opening people`s minds to new possibilities. One emotion that has begun to receive some attention among positive psychologists is awe. While little is known about this emotion, researchers and scholars have indicated that natural and outdoor environments are common settings in which people experience awe. The purpose of this study …