2003;229-249.

Toward a taxonomy of human strengths: Career counseling's contribution to positive psychology.

Mark L Savickas

UIID-AD: 2136

Abstract

During his term as president of the American Psychological Association, Martin E. P. Seligman identified "building human strength" as psychology's forgotten mission. Seligman asserted that, because of neglect, fundamental questions remain unanswered. To address this neglect, Seligman proposed constructing a new science of building human strength that will foster in young people virtues such as courage, optimism, interpersonal skills, hope, perseverance, and a work ethic. In a second article, Seligman asserted that "positive psychology needs a taxonomy...to guide the formulation and building of the good life." Career counselors have been particularly active in proposing taxonomies of human strengths as a means of operationally defining the domain and goals of developmental career counseling. Career-development taxonomies identify how these fundamental human strengths are exercised as vocational coping responses in the career domain. The coping responses catalogued in career development taxonomies are viewed as the actual processes of human development and the mechanisms of positive change. This chapter discusses a taxonomy of development strengths and career counseling's contribution to positive psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)

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