Positive Psychology and Master Resiliency Training
Sheldon and King (2001) state that positive psychology is “nothing more than the scientific study of ordinary human strengths and virtues” (p. 216). In other words, it is the science how people can live well and be strong. For that reason, positive psychology serves as the core of Master Resiliency Training (MRT) in the U.S. Army. Just as positive psychology focuses on identifying the elements that enable individuals to flourish (Fredrickson, 2001), MRT enables leaders in the Army to demonstrate and teach the skills that soldiers need to overcome obstacles and face challenges with determination, commitment and the ability to succeed. As Gen. Casey (2011) puts it, “the Army is leveraging the science of psychology in order to improve our force’s resilience” (p. 1). This paper will show that Sergeants Major can use positive psychology in general and MRT in particular to teach mental and emotional toughness to the soldiers in their units so that they in turn can face a variety of difficulties that may affect them (from substance abuse to dealing with sexual assault) with grace, determination and focus, surmounting them to maintain a good life.
What is Positive Psychology?
Positive psychology focuses on what motivates people to succeed. It looks at the sources of inspiration that make individuals want to reach up toward the light and hold onto the good. Positive psychology is the essence of the concept of “chicken soup for the soul”—it is the idea that people need to surround themselves with positive inputs to resist the negative distractions and oppressive feedback that can stymie their potential. It is the approach of basic psychology, in so far as psychology focuses on how to help human beings be happy and at peace (Sheldon & King, 2001).
The way to achieve this happiness and peace is through the cultivation of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001). And the way to cultivate positive emotions is through the development and cultivation of resources that people can use to ward off anxiety, stress, depression, anger—anything that can come along to hold one back. The resources most commonly utilized to assist in this process are mental toughness, which comes by way of conditioning; commitment to an ideal, which can be fostered through habit and virtue; and mindfulness, which can come by way of meditation (Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Pek & Finkel, 2008). Sergeants Master can help soldiers develop their mental toughness, commit to an ideal, and strengthen their mindfulness by implementing MRT.
MRT
Through MRT Sergeants Master learn the skills and methods needed to train their soldiers how to be resilient. The...
References
Casey Jr, G. W. (2011). Comprehensive soldier fitness: A vision for psychological resilience in the US Army. American Psychologist, 66(1), 1.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American psychologist, 56(3), 218.
Fredrickson, B. L., Cohn, M. A., Coffey, K. A., Pek, J., & Finkel, S. M. (2008). Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of personality and social psychology, 95(5), 1045.
Reivich, K. J., Seligman, M. E., & McBride, S. (2011). Master resilience training in the US Army. American Psychologist, 66(1), 25.
Sheldon, K. M., & King, L. (2001). Why positive psychology is necessary. American Psychologist, 56(3), 216.
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