Book Review
Applied Positive Psychology: Integrated Positive Practice.
Book Title: Applied Positive Psychology: Integrated Positive Practice.
Authors: Tim Lomas, Kate Hefferon and Itai Ivtzan
First Published: September 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4462-9863-3 (pbk)
Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
Dr Tim Lomas, Dr Kate Hefferon and Dr Itai Ivtzan are lecturers at the University of East London (UEL) on the MSc course in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP). They are active researchers at the forefront of the rapidly advancing Positive Psychology (PP). They have previously published numerous papers, books and book chapters on various aspects of PP.
PP is a young and rapidly evolving branch of psychology that has captured lots of interest, attention and (not surprisingly) criticism. The authors were encouraged by the interest shown by the public and professionals and decided to clarify some of the grey areas of PP that have been the source of some of the previous criticisms or confusions. First, they defined PP as “the science and practice of improving well-being”. So, the book is designed to provide a comprehensive array of tools that can be used to promote well-being.
Before I go into the aspects of the book that I like and those that I wish were different, let’s explore the book's content. The book is arranged into eight chapters that makes it straightforward to use. It’s indeed a very informative and interesting book for people who are keen to know about PP. It goes much deeper and further than many other books that discuss happiness or well-being in a somewhat abridged format.
The book starts with an introduction to the authors’ multidimensional approach to well-being. Here, they have used Ken Wilber’s Integral Framework and Bronfenbrenner’s experimental ecology to develop a new multidimensional model called ‘LIFE’. The LIFE model is used as a conceptual map for their discussion throughout the book. I particularly like the motto that they proposed for PP: ‘to make life better. They expanded this moto and presented PP as a form of praxis or applied discipline, applicable to the mind and the body and as a way of life for individuals and organisations and communities. Therefore, the following chapters are each dedicated to one of these areas.
Chapter two explains the differences between consciousness, awareness and attention. It describes a range of meditation-based practices and interventions centred on cognitive restructuring and designed to create meaning.
Chapter three sketches the multidimensional LIFE model and explores the neural correlates of well-being, including the use of neuro-feedback. This chapter also discusses the importance of the health of our nervous system and the value of exercise. Intriguingly, they introduce artistic ways (e.g., dance and music) of using our bodies to enhance well-being.
A critical account of the importance of the socio-cultural dimensions of the PP is the main theme of chapter four. This chapter also includes thorough descriptions of the levels of the ‘LIFE’ model and offers exciting new ideas for Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) that apply to each level or area of the model.
A lifespan chronosystem approach to positive development forms the next chapter (chapter five) that runs through topics such as pregnancy, birth and early infancy in connection to well-being. The authors reviewed the role of parents and the importance of secure attachment for future adjustment and wellbeing. Here, they also talk about positive education and offer suggestions for interventions that help positive youth development. They continued this chronological approach throughout the lifespan and finally introduced the idea of positive ageing (one of my favourite topics in PP).
Chapter six focuses on positive organisations, where they used the ‘Job Demands-Resources’ (J D-R) model to explore psychological drivers of engagement, work stressors, and the issue of control. They have taken workplace well-being to a broader socio-political and economic domain and discussed the importance of leadership. They also introduced the notion of authentizotic organisations (workplaces with positive climate) in creating organisational values that support the wellbeing of their employees.
Religion and spirituality are covered in chapter seven, where they discussed the relevance of such beliefs to well-being and, for that matter, to PP. They explored the Buddhist roots of meditation to maintain important but overlooked aspects of its philosophy that lead to a new PPI. The same approach is applied to exploring the Hindu roots of Yoga. They also briefly discussed the potential contributions of all other religious or spiritual traditions to PP.
The final chapter is dedicated to values, morals and ethics relevant to PP. They discussed the importance of an ethical framework in other professional disciplines and explored what positive psychology practitioners can learn from the fields of counselling and psychotherapy. An interesting question in this chapter is if or should PP practitioners call themselves ‘positive psychologists’. This leads to supervisory, reflexivity and personal development within the profession, and I believe it’s an important step towards formal professional accreditation and licensing that I hope to see happen as soon as possible.
You can now see the comprehensive scope and depth of vision that is employed in writing this book. It’s an accumulation of the best ideas in various relevant disciplines modified to form a practical and colourful landscape for PP.
What I most like about the book is the integrative concept that presents PP as a practical tool for making lives better. This, in fact, is a historical landmark in the development of PP. It gives PP the scope and the substance that the discipline needed to show its true potential in making lives better, both at the level of individuals and at the level of wider arenas of family, workplace and communities.
I also like the format of the book that is designed as a textbook. This makes it particularly useful for MAPP students, other researchers and academics who wish to use the book to reference the latest developments in PP. However, this format is also what I believe is a limiting factor for the book. A textbook is not very useful for the general public, and the fact that this book is painting the most complete and practical picture of PP makes it crucial for the public to have access to, in a more useable format. I hope the authors can find enough time to publish a revised version suitable for the public.
The other potential improvement, I believe, could apply to chapter seven, where the authors briefly discussed the potential contributions of other religions to well-being. This book is published and used in an environment where there are many more followers of Judaism, Islam and other significant minority religions. Hence, I wish the authors could have included more details of the potential contributions to well-being by those other more widely practised religions in our society. I know this is a huge undertaking and I hope other researchers can soon fill the gap.
Overall, I believe this is an excellent book that makes a great contribution to PP and will remain one of the important steps in the developmental history of positive psychology. Enjoy reading and using it.