Criticism of Positive Psychology
Some major criticisms of positive psychology include:
– Some findings, especially in early years of positive psychology, are misleading, overstated, and invalid
– There may be ethnocentric and cultural biases for Western cultures and against non-Wester cultures
– Too much emphasis is put on cross-sectional survey and self-report data
– Positive psychology puts too much importance on individuals and lack the focuses on communities, organizations, groups, and interpersonal relationships
– Positive psychology is not a real study of the optimistic aspects, but merely a different version of the Pollyanna personality type [11]
Positive Thinking versus Positive Psychology
Many people often confuse positive positive psychology with positive thinking and use both term interchangeably. However, they are actually different. In general, positive thinking is a way of thinking at life from a more positive perspective. It focuses on an optimistic attitude to become better. On the other hand, positive psychology is a scientific area that studies optimism and positive aspects of human psychology. It aims at thought patterns and behaviors that may result in better and happier lives. Positive thinking is actually an important part of positive psychology. [12]
