The Power of Positive Thinking in 1955. Meyer writes that "The Power of Positive Thinking" provides partial awareness to the limitations of the readers but does not supply the necessary self-confidence to overcome those limitations. He proceeds to compare Peale to a con man saying that the problem with Peale lies in the “paltriness of the confidence he preached. He did not really try to fool you into thinking you could do much, or be much, or live much. He did not make you aware of greater heights any more than of greater abysses.” Psychologist Martin Seligman, former APA president and founder of positive psychology,
Divergent thinking an interesting long-term study as it would help parents and teachers identify this behaviour (or lack thereof) in children, specifically at an age when it can be reinforced if already displayed, or supported if not yet displayed. In a study at the University of Bergen, Norway, the effects of positive and negative mood on divergent-thinking were examined. In this study, nearly two hundred arts and psychology students participated, first by measuring their moods with an adjective checklist before performing the required tasks. The results showed a clear distinction in performance between those with a self-reported positive versus negative mood: A