Martin Seligman talks about psychology -- as a field of study and as it works one-on-one with each patient and each practitioner. As it moves beyond a focus on disease, what can modern psychology help us to become?

Psychologist Angela Duckworth studies the traits that allow us to stick to our goals — and she chose four great talks that explore other facets of how human beings behave.

These TED Talks will help you conjure up massive amounts of gratitude.

How to be happier at work? Start by focusing on happiness -- not, surprisingly, on work. We learned this fun fact from Shawn Achor's TED Talk. So we asked Achor to choose some more talks he loves, about making work and life a happier place.

In this humorous and thought-provoking talk at TEDxBellevue, Mike talks about "The Power of Appreciation." As Mike discusses, there is an important distinction between "recognition" and "appreciation." Leaders, teams, organizations, and individuals who understand this distinction can have much more impact, meaning, and productivity in their live...

Martin Seligman is the founder of positive psychology, a field of study that examines healthy states, such as happiness, strength of character and optimism.

Shawn Achor is the CEO of Good Think Inc., where he researches and teaches about positive psychology.

In her book "The Power of Meaning," Emily Esfahani Smith rounds up the latest research -- and the stories of fascinating people she interviewed -- to argue that the search for meaning is far more fulfilling than the pursuit of personal happiness.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi contributed pioneering work to our understanding of happiness, creativity, human fulfillment and the notion of "flow" -- a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play and work.

Philip Zimbardo was the leader of the notorious 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment — and an expert witness at Abu Ghraib. His groundbreaking work in the field of psychology explored the nature of evil, heroism and more.

Aala El-Khani explores the needs of families affected by war and displacement and develops resources that support the mental health of children and their caregivers to promote current and future wellbeing.

Laurie Santos studies primate psychology and monkeynomics -- testing problems in human psychology on primates, who (not so surprisingly) have many of the same predictable irrationalities we do.

Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for...

About this event: At this TEDx Yuehai St Annual Conference, we invited industry leaders from home and abroad to share their wonderful perspectives from multiple angles, including professional singers, stage design, architecture, self-media communication, emotional exploration, personal growth, Chinese traditional culture, positive psychology, etc., allowing us to...

When anxiety rears its head, we often just want it to go away. Clinical psychologist David H. Rosmarin asks us to consider instead the positive role anxiety can play in our lives, sharing four practical steps to transform it from your enemy into your ally.

The key to success at work is being happy -- not the other way around, says Shawn Achor (TED Talk: The happy secret to better work). To learn more about his positive philosophy of the workplace, meet the people who laid the groundwork for his thinking, in this list of must-read books and articles on happiness. Learned Optimism Martin E. P. S...

Per Espen Stoknes weaves together psychology and economics in imaginative ways, often revolving around our human relationships to the natural world and to each other.

Today's experts often overwhelm parents and guardians with alarming warnings of treacherous roads ahead for their children, sometimes turning dedication into anxiety and obsessiveness. Instead of chasing trends, psychiatrist Mathilde H. Ross recommends trusting your instincts — and picking up a surprising source of simple, positive guidance on b...

TED Studies, created in collaboration with Wiley, are curated video collections — supplemented by rich educational materials — for students, educators and self-guided learners. In Understanding Happiness, expert explorers of the mind chart our understanding of how happiness is created and cultivated. Their insights challenge our most basic cultu...

About this event: We love the stories, we love to dream. But how many of us dared to write his own story and live his own dream? How to make a dream becomes a story? This is about you. This is about creating bond connections with your own strengths and goals. Dream big, and smile. Be positive and be the first to believe in you. Be the first to smile when overcomi...

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says happiness and success are rooted in a trait most of us disregard: the way we orient toward the past, present and future. He suggests we calibrate our outlook on time as a first step to improving our lives.

Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad. In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials. Then he talks about the flip side: how easy it is to be a hero, and how we can rise to the challenge.

About this event: TEDxNewHaven is designed to inspire people and make them happy. Over the course of the day, our speakers explored “The Art and Science of Happiness” from different angles. Topics were drawn from a diverse set of disciplines, ranging from positive psychology, entrepreneurship, education, politics, media, culture, technology and art. By combining ...

Why does a failure seem to stick in our minds so much longer than a success? According to social psychologist Alison Ledgerwood, our perception of the world tends to lean negative, and reframing how we communicate could be the key to unlocking a more positive outlook. In this sharp talk, Ledgerwood shares a simple trick for kicking negative thin...

Narcissism isn't just a personality type that shows up in advice columns; it's actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists. But what causes it? And can narcissists improve on their negative traits? W. Keith Campbell describes the psychology behind the elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement of narcissists. [Direc...

"We think we have to be successful, then we'll be happier. But the real problem is our brains work in the opposite order," said Shawn Achor in his charming, immensely popular TED Talk from TEDxBloomington, "The happy secret to better work.” Achor is the CEO of consulting firm Good Think, which conducts research on positive psychology and helps p...

After watching the collection of talks on Understanding Happiness, read a thoughtful recap of the major points in this TED Study, and learn where experts believe things are headed. Positive psychology: The wrap-up The field of positive psychology has already helped us to better understand happiness. As Martin Seligman explained, traditional psyc...

What makes you speak up -- or not -- when you see something you know is wrong? Memory scientist Julia Shaw explains the psychology of those who witness workplace discrimination and harassment -- and shares actionable steps companies can take to support and amplify their voices.

Often people make decisions that are not "rational" from a purely economical point of view — meaning that they don't necessarily lead to the best result. Why is that? Are we just bad at dealing with numbers and odds? Or is there a psychological mechanism behind it? Sara Garofalo explains heuristics, problem-solving approaches based on previous e...

In the 20th century we added an unprecedented number of years to our lifespans, but is the quality of life as good? Surprisingly, yes! Psychologist Laura Carstensen shows research that demonstrates that as people get older they become happier, more content, and have a more positive outlook on the world.