section_path: Causes and achievement methods/Positive psychology
section_name: Positive psychology
paragraph_text: Positive psychology
  
  Since 2000 the field of positive psychology, which focuses on the study of happiness and human flourishing rather than maladjusted behavior or illness, expanded drastically in terms of scientific publications. It has produced many different views on causes of happiness, and on factors that correlate with happiness, such as positive social interactions with family and friends.
  
  These factors include six key virtues:
  
  1. Wisdom and knowledge, which includes creativity, curiosity, love of learning and open-mindedness.
  
  2. Courage, which includes bravery, persistence, integrity, and vitality.
  
  3. Humanity, which includes love, kindness, and social intelligence.
  
  4. Justice, which includes leadership, fairness, and loyalty.
  
  5. Temperance, which includes self-regulation, prudence, forgiveness, humility, patience and modesty.
  
  6. Transcendence, which includes religious/spirituality, hope, gratitude, appreciation of beauty and excellence, and humor.
  
  In order for a virtue to be considered a key strength in the field of positive psychology it must meet the demands of 12 criteria, namely ubiquity (cross-cultural), fulfilling, morally valued, does not diminish others, be a nonfelicitous opposite (have a clear antonym that is negative), traitlike, measurable, distinct, have paragons (distinctly show up in individuals' behaviors), have prodigies (show up in youth), be selectively absent (distinctly does not show up in some individuals), and is supported by some institutions.
  
  Numerous short-term self-help interventions have been developed and demonstrated to improve happiness.