Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths / Edition 2

by Ryan M. Niemiec, Danny Wedding

Overview

For educators, practitioners, researchers, and everyone striving for personal growth and a fulfilling life! This completely revised edition of a classic in the field provides a unique way to learn about positive psychology and what is right and best about human beings. Positive Psychology at the Movies now reviews nearly 1,500 movies, includes dozens of evocative film images, and is replete with practical aids to learning. Positive psychology is one of the most important modern developments in psychology. Films brilliantly illustrate character strengths and other positive psychology concepts and inspire new ways of thinking about human potential. Positive Psychology at the Movies uses movies to introduce the latest research, practices, and concepts in this field of psychology. This book systematically discusses each of the 24 character strengths, balancing film discussion, related psychological research, and practical applications. Practical resources include a syllabus for a positive psychology course using movies, films suitable for children, adolescents, and families, and questions likely to inspire classroom and therapy discussions. Positive Psychology at the Movies was written for educators, students, practitioners; and researchers, but anyone who loves movies and wants to change his or her life will find it inspiring and relevant Watching the movies recommended in this book will help the reader practice the skill of strengths-spotting in themselves and others and support personal growth and self-improvement. Read this book to learn more about positive psychology - and watch these films to become a better person!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780889374430
Publisher:	Hogrefe Publishing
Publication date:	05/31/2013
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,180,582
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.20(d)

Table of Contents

About the Authors ii

Dedication v

In Memoriam vii

Foreword to this Second Edition viii

Foreword to the First Edition ix

Preface x

Acknowledgments xiii

Section I Introduction and Background 1

1 Introduction 3

Section II Character Strengths at the Movies 27

The Virtue of Wisdom and Knowledge 29

2 Wisdom and Knowledge I: Creativity and Curiosity 31

3 Wisdom and Knowledge II: Judgment, Love of Learning, and Perspective 54

The Virtue of Courage 83

4 Courage I: Bravery and Perseverance 85

5 Courage II: Honesty and Zest 108

The Virtue of Humanity 131

6 Humanity I: Love 133

7 Humanity II: Kindness and Social Intelligence 151

The Virtue of Justice 177

8 Justice: Teamwork, Fairness, and Leadership 179

The Virtue of Temperance 215

9 Temperance: Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, and Self-Regulation 217

The Virtue of Transcendence 259

10 Transcendence I: Appreciation of Beauty/Excellence and Gratitude 261

11 Transcendence II: Hope and Humor 285

12 Transcendence III: Spirituality 310

Section III PERMA at the Movies 333

13 Positive Relationships 337

14 Achievement, Positive Emotions, Engagement, and Meaning 348

15 Mindfulness and Resilience 361

Section IV Conclusion 371

16 Conclusion and Future Directions 373

Appendices 377

Appendix A Exemplars in Positive Psychology at the Movies 379

Appendix B The Positive Psychology Film Awards 380

Appendix C Positive Psychology Movies for Children, Adolescents, and Families 381

Appendix D Positive Psychology Shorts 383

Appendix E Questions for Classroom, Therapy, and Movie Group Discussions 385

Appendix F Positive Psychology Movie Clips 386

Appendix G Syllabus of a Positive Psychology Course That Uses Movies 387

Appendix H Website Resources: Movies, Positive Psychology, and Character Strengths 390

Appendix I 100 Years… 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies 391

Appendix J Positive Psychology Movies: Films That Portray and Inspire Character Strengths 393

References 409

Film Index 443

People Index 459

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Howard A Fox, MA (Fielding Graduate University)
Description: This instructional book on positive psychology delivers the concepts, research, and practices through the lens of a movie camera as a means of fostering an understanding of the practice. The previous edition was published in 2008.
Purpose: The authors provide an introduction to the concepts that comprise the positive psychology field, then discuss the ways in which the specific character strengths of positive psychology have been portrayed in the highlighted movies. The authors base their work on the six virtues and 24 character strengths introduced by Peterson and Seligman in their book, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification (American Psychological Association, 2004). The objective is to help readers recognize the character strengths that they are interested in and be inspired toward self-improvement; to provide practitioners examples as a learning tool; to aid researchers in their continuing study of positive psychology; and to help all readers to view movies in a more refreshing way.
Audience: The audience includes practitioners in positive psychology, researchers, students, and other practitioners such as coaches and leadership development professionals. Both authors are established scholars and educators in the field of positive psychology.
Features: In the first section, the authors provide an overview of positive psychology, a discussion of character strength, and a short synopsis of current signature strength research and practice. They conclude this section with a description of the criteria used to include the films in the book. Section II, which comprises the bulk of the text, represent a virtue and character strength combination. Each chapter includes the key concepts and new relevant research about the virtue and character strength, as well as an introduction and explanation of how the film (including specific scenes) is representative of the virtue and character strength. Section III, new to this edition, introduces readers to areas that extend beyond the character, but are recognized by positive psychology as being necessary for overall well-being. The criteria for inclusion in this section are that the topic contributes to well-being, is pursued for its own sake, and can be measured independently. This section also contains suggestions for future research. The book also includes 10 appendixes that serve to establish a more thorough grounding between positive psychology and films.
Assessment: I found this to be a valuable book. As a business consultant and leadership coach, I continually look for ways to help my clients increase their awareness of their leadership style, and how their personality and sense of self informs this awareness. The use of films and clips (including examples from television) are a valuable tool. I have already shared this book with my peers, and look forward to so seeing how it evolves. This edition adds new films, chapters, and appendixes, as well as additional research to support the ideas presented and a more thorough description of how the character strength relates to the character(s) in the film.

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