ANTS And POTS: Do They Change Lives? Students Perceptions on the Value of Positive Psychology Concepts

https://studentsuccessjournal.org/ Volume 11 (1) 2020 https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v11i1.1461 ANTS and POTS: Do They Change Lives? Students Perceptions on the Value of Positive Psychology Concepts Vikki Walters CQUniversity, Australia Trixie James CQUniversity, Australia Abstract Positive psychology provides a different perspective to that of traditional psychology. There is a growing research base of scientific study to validate the significance of this psychological approach in people’s lives. Enabling courses have an increased number of students utilising them as an alternative pathway to gain access to university. These courses have an important structural role in the development and up-skilling of students to assist with a positive transition into undergraduate studies. The Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) course offers a unique unit of study which introduces students to positive psychology as a means for students to develop the psychological resilience required on the student learning journey. Positive Learning for University (PLU), takes students on a personal and academic journey where they learn about theories that underpin positive psychology and can apply strategies to themselves personally and to their role as students. This article looks at three concepts that students found most beneficial: positive thinking, signature strengths, and resilience and considers why these resonate with students. Keywords: Mental health; positive psychology; adult learners; optimism; enabling education. Introduction Enabling programs, such as the Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEP) course offered by CQUniversity Australia, are pathway/transition courses with the key focus on up-skilling and preparing students for the academic rigors they will experience at the undergraduate level of university. The Positive Learning for University (PLU) unit is one of 12 units offered in the STEPS course. Students are introduced to the theories that underpin positive psychology and taught concepts that can be applied to enhance their student journey and meld into the wider context of their life outside the education system. The goal of the unit is to enhance their psychological well-being and teach them concepts that will positively impact on their educational journey. Using the tenets of positive psychology, this unit aims to develop a student’s strengths, capacity and virtues rather than focusing on their weaknesses (James & Seary, 2018). Through the application of learned techniques, students are empowered to change their focus from a negative ‘all or nothing’ approach to a more positive outlook. The unit considers proactive solutions and strategies which challenge the mould of the ‘victim’ paradigm and may assist with making the learning journey more meaningful (James & Seary, 2018). The PLU unit consists of 11 teaching modules and covers 23 core concepts, all of which include examples and exercises for the students to undertake. This unit is not based on developing an academic This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. As an open access journal, articles are free to use with proper attribution. ISSN: 2205-0795 46 © The Author/s 2020 Volume 11 (1) 2019 Walters & James skillset for university, but rather focuses on developing strategies that allow a more optimistic mindset and encourages transferable skills to improve their mental health, well-being and self-efficacy. This article reports on the findings from a research project that investigated which of the 23 concepts the students felt had been most useful for them in both their academic journey and personal lives. Literature Review Today’s society has a way of fearmongering and cultivating inflammatory negative reactions. It has become a cultural epidemic and social media is constantly bombarding the viewers with falsehoods and agendas. In addition, mental health issues appear to be increasing with what seems to be a high number of people being diagnosed with mental illness. The National Mental Health survey found that 20 per cent of the Australian population suffers a mental disorder with a significant portion being those aged 16-34 years (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). Further to this, the Mental Health Foundation (2014) shared that one in six adults has been diagnosed with a common mental illness at some stage of their lives. An interesting finding comes from the Australian Medical Students’ Association [AMSA] (2013) who found that “psychiatric illness is associated with lower educational achievement, decreased employment, lower incomes and lower standard of living” (p.2). Stallman (2010) found that university students displayed significantly higher distress levels (83.9 per cent) compared to the general population (29 per cent). Crawford, et al., (2016) suggest that this is an indication that university students are an ‘at risk’ population for mental health difficulties and therefore interventions and preventative approaches are required. Depression and anxiety are an endemic part of student life, but it is the student’s own perception of what constitutes a fail in their minds that increases the likelihood of depression becoming a diagnosable disorder rather than a passing phase of academic life. Positive psychology is based on the foundational work of Martin Seligman whose vision was to shift the main focus of psychology from human malfunctioning towards human strengths and optimal functioning (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). When positive psychology was first introduced as a new branch of psychology, the overarching goal was for psychologists to acknowledge that traditional psychology had in fact neglected its core mission of curing mental illness due to focussing predominately on client’s ailments and mental problems instead of helping them to lead more productive and fulfilling lives and identifying and nurturing high talent (Linley et al., 2006). Csikszentmihalyi and Csikszentmihalyi (2006) claim that the perspective of positive psychology “is intended as a corrective both to the value-free stance of experimental approaches … and to the exclusively pathology-oriented views that have permeated much of clinical psychology” (p. 5). What this means is that unlike traditional psychological therapy, positive psychology exponents ask what is right in a client’s world rather than what is wrong in it. The subtle shift in focus allows the client to identify positives rather than dwelling on the negative factors. However, it is important to recognise the important role that the negative situations in life have on a person’s ability to grow and develop. Resilience can only be learnt through overcoming obstacles; strategies can only be applied to aspects in life that require help. As Leontive (2006) shares, All of the negative has some roots in us and in the structure of our lives, as does the positive. We cannot solv (...truncated)