Clinical psychology has historically been motivated by a desire to lessen suffering in people. Studies on psychological discomfort and dysfunction have outnumbered those on positive psychological functioning by a wide margin. However, since the positive psychology perspective was presented by Martin Seligman, Seligman, and Csikszentmihalyi in 1999 and 2000, there has been a greater emphasis on promoting positivity.
Clinical psychologists have quickly recognized the relevance of this new viewpoint, and there are now several psychometric instruments that they can add to their toolbox for assessment. Clinical psychology research and practice now place a greater emphasis on promoting normal positive functioning as a result of positive psychology, creating questions about how to evaluate the positive in a clinical setting.
Although the emphasis on positive functioning has gained more attention recently, it has a long history that dates back to William James' writings on healthy-mindedness and more recent work in humanistic psychology, including Rogers' emphasis on fully functioning, Maslow's concept of self-actualization, Jahoda's positive definitions of mental health, and work in the field of stress. Although positive functioning is not new, clinical psychology has never fully incorporated it. Clinical psychology has traditionally focused on evaluating different types of distress and dysfunction for research and clinical purposes. Although this makes sense in light of clinical psychology's practitioner objectives and research agenda, it necessarily only shines a small spotlight on the human experience.
Adopting positive functioning metrics is crucial for clinical psychology for two reasons.
Clinical psychology has always been interested in well-being. However, adopting psychiatric terminology has unintentionally constrained itself to a specific definition of well-being, which is the absence of distress and dysfunction. Thus, adopting positive functioning serves to enlarge the clinical psychology field's scope consistent with the field's original objectives.
Adopting positive functioning as a goal may help us improve our ability to identify and treat distress and dysfunction because research suggests that happiness protects against future psychopathology and relapse and that the absence of positive traits like gratitude predicts impaired well-being even after adjusting for the presence of negative traits like neuroticism and other clinical variables.
Clinical psychologists have traditionally had "a stronger commitment to elaborate theories of failure than to elaborate explanations of success." If we are to shift our perspective, we must understand that much of the best work done in counseling rooms is to enhance clients' strengths rather than to address their faults. As much as it is concerned with reducing subjective distress and dysfunctional functioning, positive clinical psychology is also interested in comprehending and enhancing subjective well-being and efficient functioning.
Clinical psychology that is based on the principles of positive psychology rather than the illness ideology rejects the following: (1) pathologizing and classifying people and their experiences; (2) presuming that so-called mental disorders originate from an individual rather than from their interactions with other people and the larger culture; and (3) holding that knowing our flaws and weaknesses is more crucial than knowing our strengths.
Positive psychology-based psychological evaluations and clinical interventions will not differ from those based on the sickness ideology as much in the "how?" as in the "what?" The primary distinctions between assessments and interventions do not lie in their strategies or tactics. Instead, they are in the areas of psychological functioning that the assessment concentrates on and the types of adjustments to psychological functioning that interventions are meant to promote. When doing a positive psychological evaluation, it is important to consider a person's strengths and assets and their weaknesses and deficiencies. Strategies and approaches for evaluating strengths and assets will frequently take inspiration from those that have been successful in evaluating human flaws and limitations.
Following are the major elements of positive functioning assessment
Assessment of Creativity − For more than a century, psychologists and educators have been interested in and perplexed by the concept of creativity. Researchers are learning to identify essential characteristics shared by numerous types of creativity; nonetheless, a clear definition of creativity remains elusive, and its measurement remains difficult. The Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scale (K-DOCS) revealed high psychometric properties, with internal consistency coefficients ranging from 0.83 to 0.86 and test-retest reliabilities ranging from 0.78 to 0.86. In addition to discovering a clear five-factor structure for the test, additional evidence of validity was discovered in domain scale correlations with Big Five personality dimensions, which were theoretically sound. For example, Openness to Experience correlated significantly with all creativity domains except Mechanical/Scientific Creativity.
Assessment of Emotional Intelligence − The prominent American Psychologist E. L. Thorndike was the first to suggest a probable combination of emotional and intellectual variables. Thorndike talked of three types of intellect in a brief essay for a wide readership published in Harper's Magazine: abstract, mechanical, and social. Using novel kinds of assessment, such as the MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test). This test has 141 items that produce a total emotional intelligence score and two Area scores, four Branch Scores, and eight Task scores. The entire MSCEIT score is called Emotional Intelligence (EI). This score has a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. These conventional criteria are also applied to the two Area scores (Experiential and Strategic) and the four Branch scores (Perceiving, Facilitating, Understanding, and Managing).
Assessment of Optimism − Another interesting topic for psychometric study and evaluation is optimism. This notion is typically considered as one extreme of a bipolar continuum, optimism-pessimism. The cliché about the glass of water being half-full to the optimist and half-empty to the pessimist captures the disparity between the two extremities of the spectrum. The updated Life Orientation Test is the most extensively used instrument. This is a fascinatingly basic scale with six scored items and four "filler" items (10 items total). On a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), respondents indicate their level of agreement with the items.
Assessment of Sense of Humor − Humor is a wide concept with several definitions. Humor might refer to the material's properties. Humor can be useful and harmful when used to bring people together. The Coping Humor Scale was created to determine the extent to which people report utilizing humor to cope with stress. The CHS consists of seven items comparable to "When things get heated, I search for something amusing to say" or "I think humor is a good method to deal with issues." These items are graded on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) (strongly agree). No neutral point exists on the scale, so the respondent must choose a side.
Physical Health: Taking care of one's physical health through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and regular check-ups with a healthcare provider can help promote overall well-being and improve functioning.
Mental Health: Maintaining good mental health through practices such as therapy, mindfulness, and stress management can help individuals better cope with the challenges of daily life.
Relationships: Having positive relationships with friends, family, and loved ones can provide a sense of support and belonging, which can improve overall functioning.
Personal Growth and Development: Setting and working towards personal goals, whether in the form of educational or career pursuits or personal interests and hobbies, can promote a sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.
It is important to note that normal positive functioning is a dynamic process that can change over time and across different life stages. Factors such as age, life events, and mental health conditions can all impact an individual's ability to function positively.
Overall, normal positive functioning is a holistic concept that encompasses various aspects of an individual's life, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being, personal growth, and relationship with others. It is an ongoing process that requires effort and attention but can lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
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