The Moral Self: Obedience, Learned Helplessness and Positive Psychology

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The Moral Self Obedience, Learned Helplessness
and Positive Psychology
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Department of Social RelationsHarvard University

• Formed in 1946
• Interdisciplinary Social and Clinical
  Psychology, Social Anthropology and Sociology
• Gordon Allport (Social Psychology)
• Henry Murray (Head of Harvard Psychological
  Clinic)
• Clyde Kluckhohn (social anthropologist)
• Talcott Parsons (sociologist)

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Stanley Milgram (1933-1984)
(1974)
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German Jewish Philosopher, Hannah Arendt, had
been imprisoned and then fled Germany for the
US. Attended Eichmanns trial in 1961, wrote
updates of the trial in the New Yorker, later
published as a book.
(1963)
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Milgrams Shock Machine
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Obedience Experiments 1961
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Milgrams Experimental Conditions Obedience
Studies of 1961

• Remote Condition (heard but couldnt see learner)
  65 compliance
• Voice Feedback Condition (vocal complaints get
  me out of here ) 62.5 compliance
• Proximity Condition (learner right next to
  teacher) 40 compliance
• Touch-Proximity Condition (teacher put learners
  hand on electric plate to shock) 30 compliance

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• The social psychology of this century reveals a
  major lesson Often it is not so much the kind of
  person a man is as the kind of situation in which
  he finds himself that determines how he will
  act.
• Milgram, as cited in Blass, p. 101

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Ethics in Human Experimentation

• 1973, APA Ethical Principles in the Conduct of
  Research with Human Participants
• 1975, Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare new
  regulations on human subject researchmandatory
  review by an institutional review board (IRB),
  committee created to ensure well-being of
  subjects, and informed consent.

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Learned Helplessness- Martin Seligman (1967)
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Positive Psychology

• Seligman, Martin E. P. (1991). Learned Optimism
  How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.
• Seligman, Martin E. P. (1993). What You Can
  Change and What You Can't The Complete Guide to
  Successful Self-Improvement.
• Seligman, Martin E. P. (2002). Authentic
  Happiness Using the New Positive Psychology to
  Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.

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Martin Seligman Director, Positive Psychology
Center, Prof. Psychology University of
PennsylvaniaPresident of APA, 1998

• Happiness
• positive emotion
• or pleasure
• b) engagement
• c) meaning

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CSV Character Strengths and Virtues (Peterson
Seligman, 2004)

• Wisdom and Knowledge creativity, curiosity,
  open-mindedness, lover of learning, perspective
• Courage authenticity, bravery, persistence, zest
• Humanity kindness, love, social intelligence
• Justice Fairness, leadership, teamwork
• Temperance forgiveness, modesty, patience,
  self-regulation
• Transcendence appreciation of beauty,
  excellence, gratitude, hope, humor religiousness.

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Harvard's crowded course to happiness 'Positive
psychology' draws students in droves More than
800 students fill the lecture hall for Tal
Ben-Shahar's 'Positive Psychology' at Harvard
this semester. By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff
March 10, 2006 CAMBRIDGE -- The most popular
course at Harvard this semester teaches
happiness. The final numbers came in this week
Positive Psychology, a class whose content
resembles that of many a self-help book but is
grounded in serious psychological research, has
enrolled 855 students, beating out even
Introductory Economics. Every Tuesday and
Thursday at 1130 a.m., students crowd into
Sanders Theatre to learn about creating, as the
course description puts it, ''a fulfilling and
flourishing life," courtesy of the booming new
area of psychology that focuses on what makes
people feel good rather than the pathologies that
can make them feel miserable.
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Exercises

• Daily Gratitude Journal every night write down
  at least five things that made or make you happy
  things for which you are grateful.
• Meditating on Happiness
• Mapping Lifecharting time doing activities, and
  how much meaning or pleasure taken from it
• Setting Self-Concordant Goals-those we pursue out
  of deep personal conviction or strong interest
  ones choice, linked to self-expression
• Happiness Board set up a group a people that
  will check in with you, to see if your own goals
  and keep you accountable
• Letters of Gratitude to those in your life that
  have had a positive impact

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Sentence Completion

• The things that make me happy are
• To bring 5 more happiness to my life
• If I take more responsibility for fulfilling my
  wants
• If I bring 5 more integrity to my life..
• If I were willing to say yes when I want to say
  yes and no when I want to say no
• I am becoming aware

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because positive psychology bridges the ivory
tower and Main Street, advice given by positive
psychologists whether in book form, in
lectures, or on a website- can sometimes sound
like the advice that self-help gurus offer.
Tal Ben-Shahar, Happier, p. xi.
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January 17, 2005