Positive Psychological Capitals in Learning Contexts

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Positive Psychological Capitals in Learning Contexts: A Chinese Indigenous Psychology Approach. Ming-Ni Lee. 1 and Li-Li Huang. 2*. 1. National Dong Hwa ...
Positive Psychological Capitals in Learning Contexts: A Chinese Indigenous Psychology Approach Ming-Ni Lee1 and Li-Li Huang2* 1 National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan, R.O.C. 2 National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C. *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Abstract With regard to the issue of life-challenging events, past research has focused mostly on the importance of adjustment and preventing the negative consequences due to unwelcoming obstacles. In contrast, the potential positive self-transformation that might arise from such transition has not received enough attention. Positive psychology (with emphasis on the bright, positive side of human nature) has been increasingly valued by contemporary Western researchers and applied in educational and business settings as well [1]. Moreover, recent research has also suggested the approach to defining a comprehensive construct of internal qualities for positive human existence—positive psychological capitals [2]—instead of the focus merely on the individual’s traditional economic capitals (e.g., financial status), human capitals (e.g., knowledge and education level), or social capitals (e.g., social network and support) in the past. In comparison with this trend in the West, systematic investigation of related psychological and educational issues within Chinese culture is still rather sparse in the current stage. Also, it remains an open question whether the so-called positive psychological capital appears as a different construct and even contains other implications for Chinese culture than those defined in the West. The objective of this study was to explore the dimensions of positive psychological capitals within the Chinese learning context and their relationships with challenging events in university life among a population of university students in Taiwan. One hundred university students were the participants (38% males, 62% females, mean age = 20.9 years) of this study, and in total, 440 descriptions of life-challenging events and corresponding positive psychological capitals (e.g., mindfulness, forgiving, Ren/forbearance [3], hope [4], etc.) were reported. The results of this study provided fundamental knowledge about the construct and content of positive psychological capitals critical for overcoming difficult situations during university life. The implications of this study, especially from the approach of Chinese indigenous psychology, will be further discussed.

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Key References Seligman, M. E. P., and Csikszentmihalyi, M., Positive psychology: An introduction, American Psychologist, 55, 2000, pp. 5-14. Luthans, F., Luthans, K. W., and Luthans, B. C., Positive psychological capital: Beyond human and social capital, Business Horizons, 47(1), 2004, pp. 45-50. Huang, L.-L., Cheng, W.-J., and Hwang, K.-K., Pathways toward voicing: Ren (forbearance) and self-transformation in the context of vertical relations, Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies, 29, 2008, pp. 3-76. Luo, Y.-C., Huang, L.-L., Lin, Y.-C., and Hwang, K.-K., The duality of hope: The development and validation of a new scale, Chinese Journal of Psychology, 52(3), 2010, pp. 265-285.

Keywords: Learning, Positive Psychological Capital, Chinese Indigenous Psychology