The Critiques and Criticisms of Positive Psychology: A Systematic Review

Course overview

Course Description: This course on the critiques and criticisms of positive psychology examines the major scholarly challenges leveled against one of the fastest-growing branches of modern psychological science. Participants will explore a systematic review of 32 peer-reviewed records that identified 117 unique criticisms, organized into six overarching themes: improper theorizing, methodological weaknesses, pseudoscientific practices, lack of novelty, decontextualized ideology, and commercialization. The course provides clinicians with a rigorous, evidence-based foundation for critically evaluating positive psychology frameworks, interventions, and assessment tools before applying them in practice. This course about positive psychology is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of critical evaluation of positive psychology theory, research, and practice. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Authors: van Zyl, Gaffaney, van der Vaart, Dik, and Donaldson Learning Objectives: This course will provide a professional with detailed information about the major criticisms and critiques of positive psychology as a discipline. Specifically, the practitioner will: Identify the six overarching themes of criticism directed at positive psychology. Evaluate the methodological limitations of positive psychology research and apply this critical knowledge when selecting evidence-based interventions in clinical practice. Analyze the ethical and social implications of positive psychologys neo-liberalist ideological framework and identify practice strategies that address these limitations with culturally competent and systems-informed care. Citation: van Zyl, L. E., Gaffaney, J., van der Vaart, L., Dik, B. J., & Donaldson, S. I. (2024). The critiques and criticisms of positive psychology: A systematic review. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(2), 206-235.