Evaluating Positive Psychology Interventions at Work: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Abstract Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) in the workplace aim to improve important outcomes, such as increased work engagement, job performance, and reduced job stress. Numerous empirical studies have been conducted in recent years to verify the effects of these interventions. This paper provides a systematic review and the first meta-analysis of PPIs at work, highlighting intervention studies explicitly aligned within the theoretical traditions of positive work and organizations (PWO). We draw from streams of PWO, including positive organizational scholarship (POS), positive organizational behavior (POB) and positive organizational psychology literature (POP) to evaluate PPIs at work. The meta-analytic findings from 22 studies showed that the five workplace positive psychology interventions had a small positive effect on improving desirable work outcomes (g = .25), and a small to moderate effect on reducing undesirable work outcomes (g = −.34). Thus, this paper provides valuable insight on the effectiveness of PPIs at work and future directions for scholars and practitioners.

Grit within the Context of Career Success: a Mixed Methods Study Abstract Grit has been shown to predict success in several achievement-related domains but had not been studied in the career context. This mixed methods study examined whether grit predicted career success and explored the role and relevance of grit in career success for gritty, successful working adults. Four hundred twenty-three adults participated in the quantitative phase and provided survey responses to the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S), the Career Satisfaction Scale (CSS), a career status measure, and salary information. Quantitative data were analyzed using correlational analysis, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression. In this study, the correlational analysis showed that grit did not predict career success. Multiple regressions demonstrated that grit did not significantly add to any of the models using age and gender as covariates. Five individuals from the quantitative phase agreed to participate in the qualitative phase and were invited based on their top quartile scores on the Grit-S and CSS. Individual interviews served as the qualitative data collection method, and text data were analyzed using principles of positive psychology as a theoretical framework. Findings suggest that although gritty, successful participants perceived grit as necessary for their career success, they did not think it was sufficient. Participants named luck, opportunity, and networking as more important than grit in their success.

SEARCH: A Meta-Framework and Review of the Field of Positive Education Abstract This paper presents a data-driven, meta-framework to support evidence-based decisions for researchers and practitioners when designing, investigating and implementing positive education interventions: the SEARCH framework. SEARCH was developed through a two-stage process. Stage one comprised a large-scale bibliometric review and thematic grouping of topics based on natural language processing of over 18,403 positive psychology studies. Stage two involved action-research with ten schools testing the practical validity of the wellbeing themes identified in stage one with educators. The result of these two stages identified six overarching pathways to wellbeing that formed the SEARCH framework: 1) strengths, 2) emotional management, 3) attention and awareness, 4) relationships, 5) coping and 6) habits and goals. The aim of this current review paper was to examine the existing educational and psychology literature for evidence of whether each SEARCH pathway has been found to successfully foster student wellbeing. Seventy five peer-reviewed studies (total student N = 35,888) were reviewed from North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Results demonstrate the value and applicability of the SEARCH framework. The comprehensive review conducted in this paper is then used to discuss current gaps in positive education research as well as present the utility of SEARCH as a framework to support positive education science and practice.

The Longitudinal Stability and Predictive Capability of Positive and Negative Self-Schemas in a Multi-Informant Study of Child and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction Abstract Research has established that negative self-schemas are potent risk factors for depressive symptoms among children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether positive self-schemas provide unique information about children and adolescents’ depressive symptoms and their well-being. Further, examining the stability of cognitive content during this developmental transition is also relevant. Informed by positive (clinical) psychology and cognitive-developmental frameworks, this study examined a) the longitudinal stability of children and adolescents’ self-schemas and b) the prospective associations of positive and negative self-schemas to children and adolescents’ depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in a community sample of 139 children and adolescents (Mage = 11.20, SD = 1.21) and their parent/guardian. Results provided preliminary evidence that negative and positive self-schemas exhibit stability over time. Positive self-schemas also predicted unique variance in children and adolescents’ depressive symptoms, above and beyond negative self-schemas. Only negative self-schemas were uniquely associated with children and adolescents’ life satisfaction over time. These results suggest there may be utility in incorporating positive self-schemas into models of child and adolescent depression. As well, these results may provide important information regarding appropriate timing for the prevention of child and adolescent depression and bolstering of well-being.

Towards a Positive Psychology of Buildings and Workplace Community:the Positive Built Workplace Environment Abstract Positive psychology has produced useful research findings that can offer insights into the psychological factors that promote flourishing in peoples’ personal life and in workplace settings. However, there has been little work explicitly linking positive psychology constructs to the physical built workplace environment. This paper explores the notion of a positive psychology of workplace buildings and introduces the concept of the Positive Built Workplace Environment (PBWE). We explore the links between the physical attributes of well-designed sustainable contemporary workspaces, performance and well-being and the humanistic values central to the positive organisational enterprise. Given the rise in the use of activity-based flexible offices and coworking spaces this is an area where positive psychology can make important contributions. Using a qualitative case study approach we explore the lived experience of people who work in physical and psychological environments that stimulate and support innovative, agile and collaborative workplace cultures. Five key categories emerged from the interview data: The impact of the physical environment on performance, engagement and gratitude; the role of values-based leadership in extending the utility of activity-based working; expressions of purpose, pride and well-being; issues in making a transition to a new way of working; and how physical spatial change can be a facilitator of corporate cultural change. We present three models that may be of use in exploring the PBWE from a positive psychology perspective: 1) the Positive Built Environment Scale which uses Self-determination Theory as a means of measuring the psychological aspects of the PBWE; 2) an adaptation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a psychological framework with which to evaluate the physical aspects of the PBWE; and 3) a theoretical model of the relationships between the constructs in this paper. As the nature and pace of work evolves, we hope that our paper helps further develop our understanding of how to develop positive workplace environments that support organisational and individual development in a sustainable, humanistic fashion.

The Impact of an Integrated Gratitude Intervention on Positive Affect and Coping Resources Abstract Gratitude interventions are an emerging focus in clinical work. Consistent with theories of positive emotions, research needs to examine the effects of gratitude on different wellbeing outcomes after a positive experience. To this end, the current study examines the effects of a gratitude intervention on positive emotions and coping resources (resilience and coping self-efficacy) after a positive experience. Forty-eight university students completed a positive experience exercise and were then randomly assigned to either a gratitude or control task. Results revealed a significant interaction effect, such that individuals in the gratitude intervention group reported higher levels of positive emotions (at time 3) compared to the control group. This finding supported the hypothesis that gratitude maintains positive emotions resulting from a positive experience. Our findings also revealed a significant main effect of condition on resilience and coping self-efficacy. Specifically, the gratitude intervention group reported higher levels of resilience and coping self-efficacy compared to the control group. These findings support the hypothesis that gratitude interventions employed after a positive experience impact coping resources. The results are further discussed in terms of gratitude being an effective upregulation strategy.

People’s Motives to Participate in a Positive Psychology Intervention with Email Support and Who Might Benefit Most? Abstract There is growing evidence that positive psychology interventions (PPIs) are effective in enhancing mental well-being and reducing depressive symptoms. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the motives of people to seek such PPIs. This study qualitatively identifies help-seeking motives and quantitatively examines which motives relate to client satisfaction, adherence and an impact on mental well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms. We analyzed 123 introductory emails of people with suboptimal levels of mental well-being who assigned to a comprehensive 9-week PPI with email support, of which its efficacy was investigated in a randomized controlled trial. Results showed that 49% mentioned mainly suffering-related motives (i.e. distress and stressful events/circumstances) and 51% mentioned mainly growth-related motives (i.e. mental well-being and developing resources). Hardly any motive was significantly related to beneficial outcomes, albeit developing resources and suffering were positively—though weak—correlated with adherence. The present study indicates that this PPI was effective for a broad audience, namely for those with suffering-related and with growth-related motives. This finding underscores the great relevance of PPIs to reach people who might be at risk for future mental disorders who otherwise do not seek help.

Positive Work: A Multidimensional Overview and Analysis of Work-Related Drivers of Wellbeing Abstract Scholars are beginning to better appreciate the wide range of work-related ‘drivers’ of wellbeing (i.e., the ways in which work may promote or hinder employees’ wellbeing). This paper brings a multidimensional perspective to bear on this topic by providing a multidimensional overview of these drivers, together with an analysis of how they may actually ‘drive’ wellbeing. The paper is in two parts. Part 1 briefly summarises the drivers, highlighting key theories and interventions. Part 2 then brings a multidimensional analysis to bear on the drivers, doing so by focusing on one driver in particular (‘managing emotions’) as a case study. This driver is analysed through the prism of a multidimensional model of the person (the Layered Integrated Framework Example). It is hoped that, in future, similar analyses can consequently be undertaken for the other drivers. The paper therefore offers a generative research agenda for exploring how to better enable people to flourish at work.

Program Logic Modelling and Complex Positive Psychology Intervention Design and Implementation: The ‘Resilient Futures’ Case Example Abstract Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and programs differ markedly in implementation quality. Lower quality implementation is associated with interventions that include multiple components (or PPIs), are delivered across multiple layers (individual, workgroup/classroom and organisation/school) or agency sites, and include cohorts with heterogeneous or complex needs (e.g., trauma). This paper collectively refers to these interventions as ‘complex PPI’s’ or ‘complex programs’. Drawing upon the implementation science literature, we argue that logic modelling represents a method to guide the design and implementation of ‘complex’ interventions. We describe a growth-focused logic model and implementation methodology (titled intentional practice) that operationalises positive psychology outcomes and processes to support program developers to achieve a balance between fidelity and adaptation. The Resilient Futures program, developed by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Wellbeing and Resilience Centre, is described as a case example of the approach. This program represents a large scale and multi-site implementation of a resilience and wellbeing skill-building program for 850 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with heterogeneous needs. The case study describes how logic modelling and intentional practice consolidated early theory building work to operationalise the intervention at the program level, but also to support multi-site nuancing and translation of the program to individual sites and agency/youth needs. The article argues that logic modelling offers a flexible and evidence-based method for program designers, facilitators and researchers to design and implement complex PPI’s or programs. Key considerations for utilising logic models are offered.

More than Shared Love: Does Sharing a Passionate Activity with a Romantic Partner Strengthen the Relationship? Abstract The Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 756–767, 2003) suggests the existence of two types of passion: harmonious (HP) and obsessive (OP). Previous research in positive psychology has shown that passion can be oriented toward activities, as well as romantic partners, and that both are important for people’s well-being and relationships. The purpose of the present research was to integrate these two areas of passion by examining how one’s type of passion for a joint activity and for a romantic partner influences the experience of positive and negative emotions during the joint activity, and its impact on the strengthening of the relationship. Results from a path analysis (N = 205) revealed that HP for the joint activity and for the romantic partner both positively predicted the experience of positive emotions during the joint activity that, in turn, positively predicted the strengthening of the relationship. Conversely, OP for the joint activity and for the romantic partner both positively predicted the experience of negative emotions during the joint activity that, in turn, negatively predicted the strengthening of the relationship. These findings suggest that these two domains of passion make an important and unique contribution to romantic relationships.