Educational psychology and psychological literacy in higher education : developmental and cultural aspects of racial diversity

Positive psychology has been defined as the scientific study of the conditions and processes that contribute to the flourishing or optimal functioning of people, groups, and institutions (Gable & Haidt, 2005). An underlying premise of this science is that mental health is more than the absence of mental illness and therefore it is valid and important to enhance well-being and cultivate positive emotions (Keyes, 2007). Noble and McGrath (2008) claim that many of the components of positive psychology are not new; however, Linley and Joseph (2004) believe that it is a useful umbrella term that has the potential to unite a range of related but disparate directions in theory and research about what makes life worth living. Positive psychology can be differentiated from previous "positive" approaches in psychology because it is firmly grounded in empirical research (Seligman, 2007).