Positive Psychology

Welcome to PSYC A227 Positive Psychology! This is a two-semester, ten-credit, middle-level course in the Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Psychology Studies (BSSCHPS).

This course intends to introduce the scientific study of positive psychology and its applications in everyday life. It will cover the major theoretical foundations of positive psychology, the applications of positive psychology in life and the implications for established institutions in the community.

PSYC A227 is delivered using a custom textbook, supplemented by a Study Guide, online multimedia components and face-to-face learning sessions.

Course aims

PSYC A227 Positive Psychology aims to provide you with a critical understanding of:

• the basic concepts and theories of positive psychology;
• the research and applications of positive psychology; and
• the merits and limitations of positive psychology in contributing to human well-being.

Course learning outcomes

Upon the completion of PSYC A227 Positive Psychology, you should be able to:

• explain the basic concepts and theories of positive psychology;
• describe and analyse the research that has been conducted, and the applications that have been adopted in various topics in positive psychology;
• discuss the practices for promoting psychological well-being and character development; and
• examine critically the merits and limitations of positive psychology in contributing to human well-being.

In this custom textbook approach, different learning modules have been carefully selected by the course team from two textbooks on positive psychology and organized into a single volume specifically designed for PSYC A227 students. By incorporating the latest editions of book chapters, exercises and self-tests, the custom textbook will provide you with comprehensive coverage of the major theoretical perspectives and research methodology in positive psychology.

In addition to the custom textbook, you will be working through the course using an HKMU-produced Study Guide. The Study Guide leads you along your study pathway unit by unit, providing commentary on each textbook chapter and supplementary self-learning and self- assessment opportunities.

The third main point of reference for learning resources during the course is HKMU's Online Learning Environment (OLE). There, you will have access to multimedia materials such as the introductory video, and you will be able to discuss topics with other students and your tutor on the course discussion board. This course is further supported by regular face-to-face meetings in the form of tutorials and day schools.

Introductory video

To start off, you should watch the introductory video forthe course in the ePubversion of this Course Guide or on the OLE. Then turn tothe Study Guide for further guidance through the course.

The custom textbook

The title of the custom textbook is PSYC A227 Positive Psychology. The chapters are selected from the following textbooks:

• Compton, W. C. and Hoffman, E. (2019). Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
• Lopez, S. J., Pedrotti, J. T., and Snyder, C. R. (2018). Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

The Study Guide will indicate at which point you should read each chapter of the custom textbook.

The Study Guide

The Study Guide sets out your study pathway through the custom textbook and other course learning resources. It serves several functions. First, as no textbook is able to cover all aspects of positive psychology perfectly, the Study Guide will fill the gaps where necessary. Second, it serves as a guide to the textbook chapters, helping you to organize major ideas with tools like tables and diagrams. Third, it contains activities and self-tests to facilitate your learning and revision. You'll therefore need to keep it by your side as you work through the course.

The Study Guide is divided into ten units. The titles of the units and the custom textbook chapters they will cover are set out in the following table.

E-Library E-Reserve readings

In the Study Guide, you may be instructed to read articles in the E-Library E-Reserve. To read these items, go to the University's E-Library homepage and click on 'E-Reserve'. Log in, click 'Accept/Agree' on the Copyright Restrictions page, fill in the 'Course Code' box, and click 'Search'. Alternatively, you may access the readings via a hyperlink in the online course materials.

The Online Learning Environment (OLE)

A dedicated area for PSYC A227 students has been set up in HKMU's OLE. You will need to log on regularly to the OLE to access the course discussion board and online learning components.

Face-to-face support

You will be supported throughout the course by regular face-to-face meetings in the form of tutorials and day schools. Basically, every unit will be covered by a tutorial while three day schools will be arranged around the beginning, middle and end of the course. Details of the dates and times of these sessions can be found in the Course Schedules page of the OLE.

This course is designed to assist you in moving easily from the stated objectives, through the study units, readings and materials to the assignments. During the course, you will have your progress assessed both formally (through summative assessment) and informally (through formative assessment).

• Formative assessment includes various activities, self-tests, and online discussions that you will undertake while working your way through the study units, textbook and readings.
• Summative assessment consists of five assignments, of which Assignment 5 is required. The best three scores out of Assignments 1 to 4 would be counted towards the course grade.

There is no examination for this course.

Assignments

Your performance is assessed by continuous assessment, taking up 100% of course grade.

There are five assignments which ask you to write essays to apply concepts and techniques acquired during the course.

• Assignments 1 to 4: Each of these assignments is worth 25%. The  best three scores out of the four assignments will be counted towards the course grade, with a total weighting of 75%.
• Assignment 5 (required, worth 25%): The score of this assignment will be counted towards the course grade. Non-submission will result in a score of zero.

How to submit assignments

You must use word processing software (such as Microsoft Word) to prepare the assignments. The Assignment File gives you details on how to present and submit your assignments. Please refer to the OLE Assignments → General Information section. Please also read the Student Handbook for HKMU's policy on late assignments. Assignments must reach your tutor by the due date shown on the presentation schedule (available on the OLE). If, for some good reason, you are unable to submit your assignment on time, you should, before the due date, ask your tutor or Course Coordinator for permission to submit it late. In general, you are expected to submit your assignments via the OLE. Assignments will be returned to you, marked and with commentary, as soon as possible.

Please note that there is no extension of the due date for the final assignment. For more information, please refer to your Student Handbook.

The following table gives a general overview of the course structure. It suggests the amount of time you should allow for completing units and provides a broad schedule for you to plan your work. This estimation includes time for reading the units and custom textbook, completing activities, self-tests and assignments, and attending tutorials and day schools.

PSYC A227 aims to introduce the scientific study of positive psychology and its applications in everyday life. Unlike the self-help tips that you may have come across, positive psychology builds on rigorous research and makes conclusions and suggestions that are scientifically sound. After studying this course, you may gain some clearer answers to the question of what a good life is, and how one can build a better one. This knowledge can be beneficial on a personal level, and can also help you to have a positive influence in institutions and the community.