ABSTRACT

A randomized wait-list control study examined the effects of two positive psychology interventions (PPIs) on 300 families across six countries. A systems approach was used to design the PPIs and to interpret the impact of these upon family happiness. A system is an interconnected set of elements (e.g., the people, practices, rituals, and resources of a family) that are coherently organized around a common purpose (e.g., family functioning). System approaches recognize that individuals are influenced by the environments within which they are situated and as such move beyond interventions that target individual change to look at triggering relational change. Families who undertook the PPIs were significantly happier at post-test compared to pre-intervention levels and compared to the wait-list control families. This study suggests that introducing positive practices (e.g., strength spotting) into a family may act to change the system elements and, thus, change family outcomes. System theory and Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory are used to explain the results.

摘要

一项随机的等待名单控制研究检查了两种积极的心理干预措施（PPI）对六个国家300个家庭的影响。系统方法用于设计PPI并解释这些对家庭幸福的影响。系统是一组相互关联的要素（例如，家庭的人，惯例，仪式和资源），这些要素围绕一个共同的目的（例如，家庭功能）一致地组织。系统方法认识到个人受其所处环境的影响，因此超越了以个人变化为目标的干预措施，而是着眼于触发关系变化。与干预前的水平以及与等待清单的对照组相比，进行PPI的家庭在测试后的满意度更高。这项研究表明，在家庭中引入积极的做法（例如力量发现）可能会改变系统要素，从而改变家庭结局。系统理论和弗雷德里克森的扩建理论被用来解释结果。