Moving On and Moving Up in the World

Huffington Post:

As the forward-thinking science of positive psychology enters its second decade, the study of well-being is evolving both inside and out. This past July, at the Second World Congress on Positive Psychology in Philadelphia over 1200 attendees from over 62 countries gathered to present new research and pose important challenges facing this young field. President of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) Antonella Delle Fave of the University degli Studi di Milano, addressed the importance of cultural relevance as to what is valued and meaningful, and pointed to challenges positive psychology has faced in looking beyond the western perspective. “There is no universal definition of the good life,” says Delle Fave.

Indeed, the science of positive psychology has risen to the challenge. Neuroscience is helping to inform research on brain/body response and cross-cultural studies are leading to a more global lens. For example, mindfulness and inner-harmony are recognized as important health measures and helpfulness and autonomy are considered central to thriving, whether the culture is individual (like the USA) or collective (like South Korea).

Research methods are also broadening. For example, the use of natural data reported from a person’s daily life is gaining interest, as is the use of social media to gather moment-to-moment information. Large-scale collaboration is enabling scientists to gather vast amounts of research and arrive at ways to improve lives at warp speed. Much more intriguing, life-extending data is expected in the near future.

Read the whole story: Huffington Post