Positive Psychology

The third edition of Positive Psychology is an accessible introduction to this rapidly growing field.
It covers all major positive psychology topics including wellbeing, character strengths, optimism, gratitude, savouring, flow, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, creativity, giftedness, wisdom, growth mindset, grit, self-esteem, self-efficacy, adaptive defence mechanisms, functional coping strategies, positive relationships, and positive psychology interventions. Positive Psychology retains all of the features that made previous editions so popular, including:
- Learning objectives
- Accounts of major theories
- Reviews of relevant research
- Self-assessment questionnaires
- Self-development exercises
- Chapter summaries
- Key term definitions
- Research questions for student projects
- Essay questions for student assignments
- Personal development questions for student exercises
- Relevant web material
- Further reading
This new edition has been completely updated to take account of the exponential growth of research in the field.- It will prove a valuable resource for students and faculty in psychology and related disciplines including social work, nursing, teaching, counselling, and psychotherapy.
This edition also provides access to online teaching resources.

Alan Carr is professor and founding director of the clinical psychology doctoral training programme at University College Dublin and has a clinical practice at the Clanwilliam Institute, Dublin. He has produced over 25 volumes and 300 papers and presentations in the areas of positive psychology, clinical psychology, and family therapy. His books include Positive Psychology and You, Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology, Handbook of Adult Clinical Psychology, Handbook of Intellectual Disability and Clinical Psychology Practice, and Family Therapy: Concepts, Process and Practice. He has worked in Canada and the UK and now lives and works in Ireland. Power point slides to support teaching the material in this book are available at https://www.ucd.ie/psychology/resources/positive_psychology_carr/

1. Positive psychology and wellbeing; 2. Goals and strengths; 3. Gratitude, hope and optimism; 4. Savouring, flow, and mindfulness; 5. Emotional intelligence; 6. Giftedness, creativity, and wisdom; 7. Positive self; 8. Positive relationships; 9. Positive psychology interventions