Positive Psychology Lab

Welcome to the Positive Psychology Lab at the University of Central Florida. The Positive Psychology Lab is housed in the Department of Psychology.  The Positive Psychology Lab is currently the only psychology research lab housed among the regional campuses and is housed at the Valencia West and Southlake UCF Campus. It is the newest research lab exclusively for undergraduate students and began in the fall semester of 2016.

Research in the Positive Psychology Lab brings to light the scientific study of human flourishing and an applied approach to optimal functioning.  Our research emphasis is placed on the scientific research of positive psychology and its applications with regard to topics such as human strengths, happiness, gratitude, flow, optimism and hope, wisdom and courage, positive affect, resilience, coping, friendship and love, positive psychology in organizations, clinical psychology and psychotherapy, and positive development across the lifespan.

The goals of the Positive Psychology Lab are three-fold: (1) to expand upon the growing field of research in Positive Psychology by illuminating the things that give life meaning and purpose, and (2) to help alleviate human suffering by emphasizing ways human strengths and virtues can be used to aid people to reach their highest potential and flourish, and (3) to promote, encourage, and enhance undergraduate research opportunities among psychology students at UCF.

Much of the historic focus of psychologists and instructors in the field of psychology was on psychopathology. Since, World War II, psychology has turned its focus almost exclusively on various mental maladies and how to “fix” them.  Very little attention has been paid to healthy functional human experience.   Positive psychology began as a new scientific sub-discipline of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association.  Seligman uses the following definition to define the field, “Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

The Positive Psychology lab is an excellent addition to UCF’s undergraduate opportunities for research and scientific exploration of the field.  Because positive psychology explores the strength based life affirming side of the field, as opposed to the negative pathology or disordered side, students will have a full introduction to an exciting new area in psychology that could impact both their professional and personal life direction.

 

Director:

W. Steven Saunders, Psy.D. is the director of the Positive Psychology Lab.  He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of Florida and a member of the faculty in the Department of Psychology at UCF.  Dr. Saunders earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida.  He earned a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology Services from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.  He earned his Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, IL.  Dr. Saunders began his career with the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Prisons as a Clinical Psychologist in 1998.  While there, he was instrumental in developing the FREE program, a re-entry program for inmates re-entering society after long prison sentences.  The FREE program used innovative and creative Positive Psychology techniques to assist inmates in leading pro-social, successful lives.  Many of the techniques and philosophy of FREE were integrated nationwide into the Federal prison system.

Dr. Saunders studied Depth Psychology, Dream work, and Clinical Psychology at the C.G. Jung institute in Switzerland during the summer of 2001.  He began his private practice in 2005 and began his faculty appointment at UCF in 2007.  Dr. Saunders research interests are in Positive Psychology and Forensic psychology.  He lives in Clermont, FL with his lovely wife and has two grown sons who continue to bring light into his life.