Positive Psychology Syllabus (Fall 2000)

Psychology 262
Positive Psychology
Martin Seligman
Fall 2000

We will meet every Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. in room 305 on the 3rd floor of 3815 Walnut St. Each student will co-lead one of the classes. Each student will write a short weekly paper about their best thought or questions about the readings and prepare a final portfolio.

There are no examinations. Grades will be based on the complete portfolio, leading your class, and class participation, plus any extra papers you choose to write, as well as listserv participation.

Class / Date	Topic	Primary Source
1) 9/13/00	Introduction
2) 9/20/00	Well-Being	PH 1 - 5, AP pp. 5 -14
3) 9/27/00	Traits	PH 6 - 10, AP pp. 34 - 43
4) 10/4/00	Optimism	LO 1 - 5
5) 10/11/00	In the Realms	LO 6 - 11
6) 10/18/00	Changing Pessimism	LO 12 - 15, AP pp. 44 - 55
7) 10/25/00	Heritability of Happiness	H 1 - 9, AP pp. 15-23
8) 11/1/00	Techniques through Time	H 10 -16
9) 11/8/00	Flow	F first half, AP pp. 89-98
10) 11/15/00	Flow	F second half
11) 11/29/00	Non Zero	W first half
12) 12/5/00	Non Zero	W second half, AP pp. 56-67

Primary Source Reading

The Pursuit of Happiness (PH)
David G. Myers. Avon (originally Aquarian)

Learned Optimism (LO)
Martin Seligman. Pocket Books, 1991

Flow (F)
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Harper and Row, 1991

Happiness (H)
David Lykken. Golden Books, 1999

Non Zero: The Logic of Human Destiny (W)
Robert Wright, Pantheon, 2000

The American Psychologist, 2000, 55, Number 1. (AP)