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Activity Funded

The Psychology of Positive Development Research Center

Centro de Investigação em Psicologia para o Desenvolvimento

Reference
UIDB/04375/2020
Project Start Date
2020-01-01
Project End Date
2024-12-31
Principal Investigator
Funding Program
Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017/2018) - Financiamento Base

Abstract

10.2 Summary in English for general dissemination purposes Background: Positive indicators of mental health result from complex interactions across multiple dimensions. It is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms of these interactions, and the current state of knowledge will benefit significantly from a thorough investigation of these interactions. As is highlighted by our name, the Psychology Research Center for Positive Development [CIPD], our Research Unit has a particular interest in advancing current knowledge in the field of positive development. Objective: Our overall objective is to conduct research activities that contribute to advancing knowledge on development and positive functioning, including subjective well-being. Research strategy: CIPD adopts an integrative approach to understanding positive development. This is reflected in several aspects of our research unit including the paradigmatic approach, our adopted conceptual frameworks and methodologies, the nature of results, and their implications for society. Organization of the Unit: Our current team comprises 16 integrated researchers, 7 collaborators, and 2 PhD students. Participants: Our participants are individuals (of all ages) that differ in terms of psychosocial functioning. Expected results: CIPD research activities are expected to lead to significant contributions at different levels: more high-quality international publications, internationalization, contribution to advanced training, increased participation in conferences and seminars, organization of dissemination of knowledge, and a greater degree of knowledge transfer to societal practices. Implications: Our activities have implications for theoretical understanding and societal practices. These will help foster the conditions necessary for positive development, at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. 10.3 Summary in English for evaluation Background: The “traditional focus on symptoms treatment (ranging from psychopharmacology to psychotherapy) rather on the causes of dysfunctions fail to promote healthy functioning” and “promotion of mental care appears to be more effective than mental illness care” (Cloninger et al., 2010, p.165). We therefore need to better understand how to effectively promote positive functioning in individuals. Such knowledge requires a multisystem transdisciplinary approach and an integration of knowledge in behavioural sciences. Positive functioning and mental health result from complex interactions of biological, social and psychological influences. Psychobiological organizations refer to dynamic interactions between reactive dispositional emotional tendencies and higher order cognitive self-regulatory processes. Psychobiological personality organizations are strong causal antecedents of mental health (from wellbeing to psychopathology), and of several lifelong outcomes (health, wealth, education, and causes of death). Objectives: Our main goal is to understand the common and unique pathways to wellbeing as it applies to more or less healthy individuals. Positive functioning, mental health and wellbeing are strongly predicted by self and identity, and higher-order self-regulatory sociocognitive processes (personal agency mechanisms at intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal levels). As well as higher-order personality organizations, we need to understand the intermediate psychobiological organizations (e.g. values and virtues) occurring at the level between higher-order sociocognitive psychobiological organizations and processes, such as those promoted by psychoeducational (social/emotional skills) and therapeutic interventions. Research Strategy: Our strategy relies on an integrative approach (psychobiological, longitudinal and multilevel) to describe components and mechanisms underlying positive development/wellbeing, including the communalities and specificities involved in both high and low vulnerability individuals. We will address several of the main challenges in current research: To focus on positive indicators of functioning[1] using a multidisciplinary and integrative approach[2] and psychobiological and integrative frameworks[3] in order to identify the underlying psychobiological processes and mechanisms[4] in individuals with different developmental and functioning characteristics[5]. This will enable us to identify and describe the communalities and specificities of interaction mechanisms occurring between multilevel variables[6] using translational/applied[7] person- and variable-centered[8] and cross-cultural approaches[9]. Unit Organization and groups: Our current team comprises 23 integrated and 7 collaborating researchers, 2 PhD students, organized into 5 groups: Group 1:Building on ongoing research, we are; a) investigating the longitudinal associations between dimensions of personality and wellbeing, and the mediating role of values and virtues in non-clinical adults; and b) testing the concurrent and convergent validity of two alternative frameworks of emotional dimensions of personality in predicting subjective wellbeing. Group 2:We will continue with longitudinal studies on the impact of school-based promotion of social and emotional skills, in non-clinical samples, at different levels of functioning. Group 3: Continuing the ongoing study of psychobiological predictors of changes in wellbeing in psychiatric patients, and in individuals with substance-abuse and additiction conditions Group 4: Study of associations among personality dimensions, narrower socio-cognitive processes of values and virtues, and positive functioning/wellbeing in prisoners. Group 5: Engagement and person-centered schools. A longitudinal project “School effects on the changes on student engagement with school over time”. We also aim to model school effects on the changes on wellbeing over 6 years. This group is working on the development of an index for the level of person-centeredness in schools. Methodology: The testing of theoretically-derived models requires using longitudinal (both short-term and long-term), and multilevel designs (interactions between individual and contextual dimensions), linear/variable-centered and non-linear/person-centered approaches; and mixed designs (quantitative and qualitative). Participants: We need to better understand the relations between positive development and vulnerability, and are conducting studies with individuals from clinical populations, individuals presenting psychiatric conditions, and individuals in prisons. Expected results: By describing the longitudinal interactions mechanisms between integrative psychobiological organizations and other dimensions, we expect to contribute to knowledge on the role of socio-cognitive processes (such as values and virtues) in predicting positive functioning and development. This will allow for more international publications of the RU, internationalization, better contributions to advanced training, further participation and organization of scientific conferences, and a promotion of knowledge and technology transfer (supporting schools and health services in promoting a positive development in all individuals). Implications: These studies will have implications for policies aimed at improving social and human capital indicators, and at diminishing inequalities in health and education. 1) Informing educational policies about how schools can systematically promote positive development in students). 2) Informing models of systematic treatment selection and mental health care systems on how to match patients’ personality characteristics with interventions, leading to more positive therapeutic outcomes and thus contributing to the development of person-centered mental health care services and person-centered schools.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade Lusíada Porto Centro de Investigação em Psicologia para o Desenvolvimento (ULP CIPD)
  • Fundação Minerva - Cultura - Ensino e Investigação Científica (FMinerva)

Funding 172.050,00 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

172.050,00 €