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Positive Psychology
A positive worldview is less associated with privilege than expected
A new study from The Primals Project shows that counter to public perception, positive beliefs about the world are a poor indicator of a person’s background.
Six tips for a happy holiday season
Positive Psychology experts share their advice for boosting well-being this holiday season.
Multidisciplinary panel highlights role of the arts in human flourishing
At a panel event held Saturday, Oct. 22, Penn leaders from the arts and humanities, nursing, psychology, and neuroscience gathered to discuss the role of the arts in healing and flourishing.
The language of loneliness and depression, revealed in social media
By analyzing Facebook posts, Penn researchers found that words associated with depression are often tied to emotions, whereas those associated with loneliness are linked to cognition.
Where political views and fundamental beliefs intersect
Research from The Penn Primals Project debunks the idea that conservatives think the world is more dangerous than liberals, findings with implications for future research and productive political debate.
What beliefs shape our minds?
Jer Clifton of the Positive Psychology Center developed a framework to study primal world beliefs, our most fundamental sentiments about the world as a whole. Now, he’s ready for everyone to discover what their primal world beliefs are.
Do art museums prioritize visitor well-being enough?
Research from the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project in Penn’s Positive Psychology Center reveals that the people working in these institutions want to see greater emphasis on human flourishing, but they feel ill-equipped to make it happen.
‘In These Times’ explores the intricate riddles of life through art
Episodes 6 and 7 of the latest season of the OMNIA podcast explore how art like music and dance have been the pulse of social movements, and how individual artistic experiences impact mental health and well-being.
How a brain tumor helped a cyclist change his life
In 2019, Chris Baccash was diagnosed with a a slow-growing malignant brain tumor. In 2021, after completing a grueling 100-mile cycling race up the Rockies, he started graduate school at Penn for a master’s degree in positive psychology.
Art museums plant seeds of human flourishing
Researchers from the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project in the Positive Psychology Center at Penn have found that art museums are associated with wide-ranging benefits to human health.
In the News
What to do when you feel like giving up: Experts share secrets to restoring hope
Karen Reivich of the School of Arts & Sciences recommends identifying which core positive emotion is quintessentially “you” and finding small ways to feel that every day.
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From burden to blessing: the benefit of reframing empathy
A 2020 study by researchers from Penn and Georgetown University found that changing how a situation was framed impacted empathic and prosocial responses to another person in distress.
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Here’s how to boost your daily happiness in only three minutes
A 2005 study by Martin Seligman of the School of Arts & Sciences found that writing down three good things that happened at the end of each day led to long-term increases in happiness and decreases in depression.
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Here’s how to boost your daily happiness in only three minutes
A 2005 study by Martin Seligman of the School of Arts & Sciences found that writing down three good things that happened at the end of each day led to long-term increases in happiness and decreases in depression.
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How your beliefs shape reality
Jer Clifton of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses how beliefs shape reality and how to use that knowledge to live a happier and more harmonious life.
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Many differences between liberals and conservatives may boil down to one belief
Research by Jer Clifton and postdoc Nicholas Kerry of the School of Arts & Sciences suggests that the main difference between the political left and right is the belief that the world is inherently hierarchical.
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