Positive Psychology: A Clinical Behavior Analytic Perspective

Abstract

Psychology has focused too much on reducing symptoms of distress and ameliorating behavioral problems rather than attending to the rewarding, engaging, and good side of human life. This article offers a radical behavioral view of some of the epistemic issues relevant to the design of this new area of research, and it proposes a rapprochement between humanistic and behavior analytic psychology. Examples drawn from both humanistic and behavior analytic research are given to illustrate the utility of a deterministic view for a generative science of positive psychology and to offer an alternative conceptualization of control. The article considers how to design environments that evoke positive behavior from those within them and how to give individuals the skills to control their own behavior and circumstances in ways that will maximize their quality of life.