Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures

What does Western science know about the relationship between individual well-being and cultural trends? What can learn from other cultural traditions? What do the recent advancements in positive psychology teach us on this issue, particularly the eudaimonic framework, which emphasizes the connections between personal well-being and social welfare?

People grow and live in cultures that deeply influence their values, aspirations and behaviors. However, individuals in their turn play an active role in building their own goals, growth trajectories and social roles, at the same time influencing culture trends. This process, defined psychological selection, is related to the individual pursuit of well-being People preferentially select and cultivate in their lives activities, interests, and relationships associated with optimal experience, a state of deep engagement, concentration, and enjoyment. Several cross-cultural studies confirmed the positive and rewarding features of optimal experience. Based on these evidences, this book offers a new perspective in the study of human behavior. Highlighting the interplay between individual and cultural growth trajectories, it conveys a core message: educating people to enjoy engagement and involvement in activities that can be relevant and meaningful for social welfare is a premise to foster the harmonious development of human communities, and the peaceful cohabitation of cultures.

Emphasizes the role of individuals as active agents in shaping their cultural environment. Promotes both individuals own development and culture complexity. Contextualizes the study of individual well-being within the broader perspective of social empowerment and cultures' cooperation. Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Antonella Delle Fave, MD specialized in Clinical Psychology, is professor of Psychology at the University of Milano, Italy. Her studies concern optimal experience and individual psychological selection, that is the lifelong process of differential replication and cultivation of activities and competencies. Her cross-cultural studies have produced the largest international data bank on these topics. On the basis of research findings, she has developed and supervised intervention projects in the domains of health and education, disability and social maladjustment. She is author of 120 articles and chapters in peer-reviewed books, author/editor of 10 books and 2 special journal issues, member of several Editorial Boards and Boards of Reviewers. She is presently President of the European Network of Positive Psychology (ENPP) and member of the Board of Directors of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA).

Klappentext
Studies on well-being derive from two main perspectives: hedonism and eudaimonism. The former emphasizes the human search for pleasure and satisfaction while the latter focuses on fulfillment of one's true nature that includes both self-actualization and commitment to socially shared goals. Operating under the eudaimonic approach, Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures uses recent advancements in positive psychology to explore the connections between personal well-being and social welfare. People grow and live in cultures that deeply influence their values, aspirations and behaviors. However, individuals in their turn play an active role in building their own goals, growth trajectories and social roles while at the same time influencing culture trends. This process, known as psychological selection, is related to the individual pursuit of well-being. People preferentially select and cultivate in their lives activities, interests and relationships associated with optimal experiencea state of deep engagement, concentration and enjoyment. Several cross-cultural studies confirm the positive and rewarding features of optimal experience, and based on these evidences this book highlights the interplay between individual and cultural growth trajectories, ultimately conveying the core message that educating people to enjoy engagement and involvement in activities that can be relevant and meaningful for social welfare is a premise to foster the harmonious development of human communities and the peaceful cohabitation of cultures. Interest in eudaimonia has grown rapidly, especially in the past five years. Given this book's emphasis on the role of individuals as active agents in shaping their cultural environment and in promoting both their own development and cultural complexity, it fills a unique place in the increasing demand for studies in the field. Aimed at researchers and students in Psychology, Education, Health and the SocialSciences, it is useful for anyone interested in the promotion of individual happiness and well-being.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Part I Theory and methods.- Chapter 1: Hedonism and eudaimonism in positive psychology.- Chapter 2: Biology, culture and human behavior.- Chapter 3: Psychological selection and optimal experience.- Chapter 4: Instruments and methods in flow research.- Chapter 5: The phenomenology of optimal experience in daily life.- Chapter 6: Optimal experience and meditation: Western and Asian approaches to well-being.- Part II Applications.- Chapter 7: Optimal experience across cultures.- Chapter 8 Work: A paradox in flow research.- Chapter 9: Free time: an opportunity for growth, recreation, or stagnation.- Chapter 10: Relationships: safe harbor for flow explorers.- Chapter 11: Education, learning and cultural transmission.- Chapter 12: Optimal experience and religious practice.- Chapter 13: Acculturation and optimal experience.- Chapter 14: Flow and health: a bio-psycho-social perspective.- Chapter 15: Psychosocial maladjustment and mimetic flow.- References.- Epilogue.