Psychology has long been enamored of the dark side of human existence, rarely exploring a more positive view of the mind. What has psychology contributed, for example, to our understanding of the various human virtues? Regrettably, not much. The last decade, however, has witnessed a growing movement to abandon the exclusive focus on the negative. Psychologists from several subdisciplines are now asking an intriguing question: "What strengths does a person employ to deal effectively with life?" The Handbook of Positive Psychology provides a forum for a more positive view of the human condition. In its pages, readers are treated to an analysis of what the foremost experts believe to be the fundamental strengths of humankind. Both seasoned professionals and students just entering the field are eager to grasp the power and vitality of the human spirit as it faces a multitude of life challenges. The Handbook is the first systematic attempt to bring together leading scholars to give voice to the emerging field of positive psychology.

Handbook of positive psychology

Background: There is increasing international interest in the concept of mental well-being and its contribution to all aspects of human life. Demand for instruments to monitor mental well-being at a population level and evaluate mental health promotion initiatives is growing. This article describes the development and validation of a new scale, comprised only of positively worded items relating to different aspects of positive mental health: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Methods: WEMWBS was developed by an expert panel drawing on current academic literature, qualitative research with focus groups, and psychometric testing of an existing scale. It was validated on a student and representative population sample. Content validity was assessed by reviewing the frequency of complete responses and the distribution of responses to each item. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the hypothesis that the scale measured a single construct. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Criterion validity was explored in terms of correlations between WEMWBS and other scales and by testing whether the scale discriminated between population groups in line with pre-specified hypotheses. Testretest reliability was assessed at one week using intra-class correlation coefficients. Susceptibility to bias was measured using the Balanced Inventory of Desired Responding. Results: WEMWBS showed good content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the single factor hypothesis. A Cronbach's alpha score of 0.89 (student sample) and 0.91 (population sample) suggests some item redundancy in the scale. WEMWBS showed high correlations with other mental health and well-being scales and lower correlations with scales measuring overall health. Its distribution was near normal and the scale did not show ceiling effects in a population sample. It discriminated between population groups in a way that is largely consistent with the results of other population surveys. Testretest reliability at one week was high (0.83). Social desirability bias was lower or similar to that of other comparable scales. Conclusion: WEMWBS is a measure of mental well-being focusing entirely on positive aspects of mental health. As a short and psychometrically robust scale, with no ceiling effects in a population sample, it offers promise as a tool for monitoring mental well-being at a population level. Whilst WEMWBS should appeal to those evaluating mental health promotion initiatives, it is important that the scale's sensitivity to change is established before it is recommended in this context.

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The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): development and UK validation

A review of 13 years of research into antecedents of university students' grade point average (GPA) scores generated the following: a comprehensive, conceptual map of known correlates of tertiary GPA; assessment of the magnitude of average, weighted correlations with GPA; and tests of multivariate models of GPA correlates within and across research domains. A systematic search of PsycINFO and Web of Knowledge databases between 1997 and 2010 identified 7,167 English-language articles yielding 241 data sets, which reported on 50 conceptually distinct correlates of GPA, including 3 demographic factors and 5 traditional measures of cognitive capacity or prior academic performance. In addition, 42 non-intellective constructs were identified from 5 conceptually overlapping but distinct research domains: (a) personality traits, (b) motivational factors, (c) self-regulatory learning strategies, (d) students' approaches to learning, and (e) psychosocial contextual influences. We retrieved 1,105 independent correlations and analyzed data using hypothesis-driven, random-effects meta-analyses. Significant average, weighted correlations were found for 41 of 50 measures. Univariate analyses revealed that demographic and psychosocial contextual factors generated, at best, small correlations with GPA. Medium-sized correlations were observed for high school GPA, SAT, ACT, and A level scores. Three non-intellective constructs also showed medium-sized correlations with GPA: academic self-efficacy, grade goal, and effort regulation. A large correlation was observed for performance self-efficacy, which was the strongest correlate (of 50 measures) followed by high school GPA, ACT, and grade goal. Implications for future research, student assessment, and intervention design are discussed.

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Psychological correlates of university students' academic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The authors propose a model of the prosocial classroom that highlights the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence (SEC) and wellbeing in the development and maintenance of supportive teacher–student relationships, effective classroom management, and successful social and emotional learning program implementation. This model proposes that these factors contribute to creating a classroom climate that is more conducive to learning and that promotes positive developmental outcomes among students. Furthermore, this article reviews current research suggesting a relationship between SEC and teacher burnout and reviews intervention efforts to support teachers’ SEC through stress reduction and mindfulness programs. Finally, the authors propose a research agenda to address the potential efficacy of intervention strategies designed to promote teacher SEC and improved learning outcomes for students.

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The Prosocial Classroom: Teacher Social and Emotional Competence in Relation to Student and Classroom Outcomes:

(2004). TARGET ARTICLES: 'Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Findings, and Implications' Psychological Inquiry: Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 197-215.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/info/20447229

Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Findings, and Implications

https://depts.washington.edu/uwcssc/sites/default/files//hw00/d40/uwcssc/sites/default/files/The%20Schutte%20Self%20Report%20Emotional%20Intelligence%20Test%20(SSEIT)_0.pdf

Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence.

_____ 1. I know when to speak about my personal problems to others. _____ 2. When I am faced with obstacles, I remember times I faced similar obstacles and overcame them. _____ 3. I expect that I will do well on most things I try. _____ 4. Other people find it easy to confide in me. _____ 5. I find it hard to understand the nonverbal messages of other people. _____ 6. Some of the major events of my life have led me to re-evaluate what is important and not important. _____ 7. When my mood changes, I see new possibilities. _____ 8. Emotions are some of the things that make my life worth living. _____ 9. I am aware of my emotions as I experience them. _____ 10. I expect good things to happen. _____ 11. I like to share my emotions with others. _____ 12. When I experience a positive emotion, I know how to make it last. _____ 13. I arrange events others enjoy. _____ 14. I seek out activities that make me happy. _____ 15. I am aware of the nonverbal messages I send to others. _____ 16. I present myself in a way that makes a good impression on others. _____ 17. When I am in a positive mood, solving problems is easy for me. _____ 18. By looking at their facial expressions, I recognize the emotions people are experiencing. _____ 19. I know why my emotions change. _____ 20. When I am in a positive mood, I am able to come up with new ideas. _____ 21. I have control over my emotions. _____ 22. I easily recognize my emotions as I experience them. _____ 23. I motivate myself by imagining a good outcome to tasks I take on. _____ 24. I compliment others when they have done something well. _____ 25. I am aware of the nonverbal messages other people send. _____ 26. When another person tells me about an important event in his or her life, I almost feel as though I have experienced this event myself. _____ 27. When I feel a change in emotions, I tend to come up with new ideas. _____ 28. When I am faced with a challenge, I give up because I believe I will fail. _____ 29. I know what other people are feeling just by looking at them. _____ 30. I help other people feel better when they are down. _____ 31. I use good moods to help myself keep trying in the face of obstacles. _____ 32. I can tell how people are feeling by listening to the tone of their voice. _____ 33. It is difficult for me to understand why people feel the way they do.

Emotional Intelligence Scale

This study explored the relationship between the frequency of use of specific motivational teaching techniques and satisfaction of students with their psychology courses. One hundred and thirty-five university students rated the level of use of specific teaching techniques used in psychology courses they had completed and indicated their overall satisfaction with their psychology courses. Higher student ratings of frequency of use of motivational teaching strategies were related to more student satisfaction. The specific motivational teaching techniques that were significantly related to satisfaction spanned nine categories ranging from providing a model of interest in learning to relating course content to student interests. Among the specific motivational teaching techniques significantly related to student satisfaction were expressing interest in facilitating student learning, showing warmth and empathy, giving interesting assignments, praising students for good effort, and providing prompt, constructi...

Use of Motivational Teaching Techniques and Psychology Student Satisfaction

Four studies identified new, fundamental psychological characteristics of romantic relationships and collected evidence on the reliability and validity of scores on measures of these characteristics. In Study 1, 257 individuals in romantic relationships listed eight self-chosen words describing their current romantic relationship, generating a total of 79 descriptors. In Study 2, 530 other adults rated their romantic relationship on each of the 79 descriptors. Exploratory factor analysis using half the participant ratings indicated the ratings contained four interpretable factors: How secure, exciting, caring, and stressful the relationship is. Confirmatory factor analysis with the remaining participants showed a moderately good fit for this new four-factor model. Converting the factors into scales led to four nine-item scales. Study 3 (N = 89) showed scores on the Secure, Exciting, and Caring scales were associated with scores on measures of logically related components of love and with relationship satisfaction. Study 4 (N = 58 couples) showed that across all four scales ratings had significant intraclass correlations with independent partner ratings on the same scale. The study also showed significant associations between scale scores and both positive and negative affect and life satisfaction. The results of the studies provide initial evidence of reliability and validity for the new scales.

Development and Initial Validation of the Four-Factor Romantic Relationship Scales

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of university instructors meeting individually with students early in a term to discuss the students’ career goals and plans and how those may relate to the course. Two psychology instructors set up individual 15-minute meetings with students. Evaluation of the meetings involved evaluation questionnaires anonymously completed by the students. Responses from students in a psychology course at a public university in Australia (N = 29) and students in psychology courses at a private university in the USA (Ns = 21 and 28) indicated that almost all students who attended a meeting thought that the meeting helped establish rapport with the instructor and that the meeting provided them with useful information. The evaluation results suggest that meeting individually with students in courses leads to benefits for the students and is feasible, at least with classes of fewer than 30 students. Meeting Individually 3 The Value of Meeting Individually with Students Early in a Term Clinical psychologists have often stated the importance of establishing rapport with psychotherapy clients and building a therapeutic alliance (Martin, Garske, & Davis, 2000; Sharf, Primavera, & Diener, (2010). Rapport tends to develop when a therapist listens attentively and shows interest in the welfare of the other person, thereby creating the potential for greater mutual understanding and future positive interactions based on trust, interpersonal comfort, and shared goals (Martin et al., 2000; Rogers, 1995). Educators too have noted the importance of establishing rapport (e.g., Buskist & Saville, 2001; Lowman, 1995) as part of what might be called building an educational alliance with students. There may be many ways for psychology instructors to establish an educational alliance with students in a course. This article is about the value of a rare instructor behavior that appears to have never been evaluated: Meeting individually with students soon after the start of a term. We hypothesized that an instructor’s meeting individually with undergraduate students would contribute to establishing rapport and provide students with valuable information. The meetings involved discussing with the students their career goals and plans and how these relate to the course. Method

Lena E. Hall

Papers

Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence Scale

Use of Motivational Teaching Techniques and Psychology Student Satisfaction

Development and Initial Validation of the Four-Factor Romantic Relationship Scales

The Value of Meeting Individually with Students Early in a Term.