Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19
Positive psychology is “the scientific study of what goes right in life” and “what makes life most worth living” (Peterson, 2006). Focusing on what is right with people is increasing being successfully applied to the world of work thus creating work settings which provide the greatest satisfaction amongst workers and where people, teams and organisations flourish and thrive. This course considers how the application of positive psychology theory and models can help overcome organisational challenges such as change management, motivation and effective leadership.
Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
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Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
Co-ordinators |
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In exploring current challenges which impact on workplace performance and productivity, students will consider how insights from positive psychology to understand and evaluation these challenges for organisations.
The main tenets of positive psychology theory include:
We will consider how the PERMA model can help increase resilience by increasing positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment.
We will analyse the strengths-based approach and consider its advantages and disadvantages. We will reflect on the value of allocating work-based tasks on the basis of strengths and what impact this has on performance and productivity.
We will consider how developing psychological capital can help us to respond to challenges and develop problem-solving skills and the role that developing and sustaining high quality connections in the workplace can play in collaboration and problem-solving, for instance. We will analyse the positive psychology approaches to leadership and explore their effectiveness in informing and overcoming key workplace challenges such as organisational change.
We will also explore emotional intelligence and how it helps individuals and leaders to understand their own emotions and those of others. It will also explore how to develop emotional intelligence and the role it has in developing leaders.
The course will also explore the use of the appreciative inquiry approach which advocates asking questions and being able to envision the future in order to foster positive workplace relationships. We will reflect on learned helplessness (Seligman and Maier, 1967) whereby individuals engage in a behaviour pattern involving a maladaptive response characterised by the avoidance of challenges, negative affect and the collapse of problem-solving strategies when obstacles arise and the impact this has in the workplace performance.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Weeks | 9 | Feedback Weeks | 12 | |
Feedback |
Feedback will be delivered online on all summative assessments. |
Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
---|---|---|
Factual | Analyse | To be able to analyse the effective application of positive psychology models to overcome organisational challenges. |
Factual | Apply | To describe and apply positive psychology models to solving organisational challenges. |
Factual | Apply | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Apply | To understand the psychology of emotional intelligence and how it can be applied to develop organisational leaders. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the work-related traits and characteristics associated with positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the role of strengths, virtues and appreciative inquiry. |
Factual | Understand | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand key psychological challenges organisations face. |
Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 | ||
Feedback |
Feedback will be delivered immediately online on all summative assessments. |
Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
---|---|---|
Factual | Analyse | To be able to analyse the effective application of positive psychology models to overcome organisational challenges. |
Factual | Apply | To describe and apply positive psychology models to solving organisational challenges. |
Factual | Apply | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Apply | To understand the psychology of emotional intelligence and how it can be applied to develop organisational leaders. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the work-related traits and characteristics associated with positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the role of strengths, virtues and appreciative inquiry. |
Factual | Understand | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand key psychological challenges organisations face. |
Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Weeks | 2,4,6,8,10 | Feedback Weeks | 3,5,7,9,11 | |
Feedback |
Feedback will be delivered online on all summative assessments. |
Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
---|---|---|
Factual | Analyse | To be able to analyse the effective application of positive psychology models to overcome organisational challenges. |
Factual | Apply | To describe and apply positive psychology models to solving organisational challenges. |
Factual | Apply | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Apply | To understand the psychology of emotional intelligence and how it can be applied to develop organisational leaders. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the work-related traits and characteristics associated with positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the role of strengths, virtues and appreciative inquiry. |
Factual | Understand | To understand key psychological challenges organisations face. |
Factual | Understand | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
There are no assessments for this course.
Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Weeks | 48 | Feedback Weeks | 51 | |
Feedback |
Similar to first attempt, with existing pass mark carried forward so that resit is only needed for failed element(s). |
Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
---|---|---|
|
Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
---|---|---|
Factual | Apply | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand key psychological challenges organisations face. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the work-related traits and characteristics associated with positive psychology. |
Factual | Apply | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Apply | To describe and apply positive psychology models to solving organisational challenges. |
Factual | Analyse | To be able to analyse the effective application of positive psychology models to overcome organisational challenges. |
Factual | Understand | To understand and apply the main tenets of positive psychology. |
Factual | Understand | To understand the role of strengths, virtues and appreciative inquiry. |
Factual | Apply | To understand the psychology of emotional intelligence and how it can be applied to develop organisational leaders. |
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