Compare the contemporary field of positive psychology with traditional humanistic psychology.
Humanistic psychology is a branch of psychology which emphasizes on the study of the whole behavior of a person. The humanistic psychologists study human behavior by observing their activities and also by analyzing why the person is enacting that ways.
Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths of a person that enables him to thrive and sustain in the world. This research field was developed based on the belief that people want to lead meaningful lives, fulfill their wishes to cultivate their best talent in themselves, and enhancing their personal life experiences.
The positive psychology is developed on same lines as is for traditional humanistic psychology. Both stress on the exploration of positive attributes of a human being. Positive psychology focuses on strengths and virtues of a person along with study of disorders and health. Both the studies believe that it is the mental health status of the individual which decides his mental disorders.
However, both psychological studies have some dissimilarity too. These include the following:
1. Ontology: Here, the human nature and behavior is conceptualized based on the potentials and well-being of the person.
2. Epistemology: It follows research strategies for the empirical studies.
3. Practical philosophy: It particularly focuses on the goals and strategies adopted for achieving dreams. This philosophical divide when pursued separately, helps to understand and promote human potentials in a much better way.