China Embraces Positive Psychology

China is embracing Positive Psychology as a way to remain culturally intact and centered on community rather than the more Western ideal of profit. Psychologist Kaiping Peng, the founder of the Program for Advanced Study in Psychology, wealth is dominating the minds of many younger Chinese.

Peng says, “We want to switch the focus in China from the gross domestic product to happiness, from the culture of competition to the common good. We are seeking to correct that imbalance by spreading the science of happiness in China.” Given the dramatic increase in suicide and crime in the country, including the recent knifings of young children, a shift in focus may be necessary to preserve the peaceful culture.

To help introduce more people to the benefits of positive psychology, Peng, representing the Berkeley-Tsinghua Program for Advanced Study in Psychology, hosted a positive psychology conference that was largely supported by the Chinese Communist Party and attracted academics from around the world.

Explains Peng, “Many people in China feel uncertain about the future. We want to do more than just talk about depression and mental illness. We want to figure out how to improve people’s emotional outlooks and bring the wisdom of Buddhism and other religions to the scientific study of happiness.”

It is important, says Peng, to begin “paying more attention to student’s good character and beautiful souls, and on positive cognitive processing, positive emotional experiences, and positive social behaviors, so that students can become positive, healthy people.” Chinese officials are using positive psychology to improve education and plan to focus on the youth of the country, giving teachers additional tools.  Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China hosted the conference August 13-15.