Positive Psychology and Student Success : How Flow , Mindfulness , and Hope are Related to Happiness , Relationships , and GPA

The relatively new field of positive psychology has captured the interest of researchers and the public because of the potential benefits from its interventions. Continuously generating evidence that supports the advantages of positive psychology concepts is vital to the longstanding establishment of the field. Flow, hope, and mindfulness have been studied individually and have been found to be advantageous; however, these three concepts have yet to be comparatively researched in academic settings. Flow, hope, and mindfulness were measured to determine relationships to student success, which was defined for this study’s purpose as happiness, GPA, and social relationships. The sample consisted of California State University, Stanislaus’ students and data was obtained via self-reported responses to preestablished surveys developed to measure the variables. Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation were tested between all variables. It was found that flow, mindfulness, and hope were positively correlated to happiness; however, hope mediated the relationships between both flow and mindfulness to happiness and accounted for over one-third of the variance in happiness. Additionally, it was found that flow and hope were positively correlated with social relationships; however, hope mediated the relationship between flow and social relationships. Lastly, it was found that GPA was not related to any variable. These results suggest that experiencing more hope may greatly benefit people. Future research could further investigate the role hope (and other similar concepts such as optimism and expectations) plays in people’s lives. As compared to mindfulness and flow, researching and employing positive psychological interventions to increase hope would likely be the most advantageous. Potentially, these findings could be used for personal benefit as well as positively influencing others. Introduction Psychology is an evolving field of study with different branches and approaches attracting interest and support throughout time. A single field of study proclaims that its research and applications can benefit the majority of individuals. Recently, Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) introduced a new field called “positive psychology” that encompasses scientific study at three levels: subjective, individual, and group. The goal of this newly founded field is “to begin to catalyze a change in the focus of psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building positive qualities” (p. 5). This goal of positive psychology provides an understanding of how the field has developed; positive psychology is a rejection of other current perspectives in psychology. Sheldon and King (2001) explain how “the predominant negative bias of traditional psychology” (p. 216) has prevented the study of the positive aspects of human life, thus providing an incomplete view of individuals that the study of positive psychology may fulfill (Sheldon & King, 2001). The concepts that positive psychology incorporates in its field of theory and research are beneficial for nearly everyone, not just for people who suffer from mental illnesses. Researchers’ study of positive psychological theories has led to the application of these theories in various settings, including the workplace, at home, therapy, physical and mental health care, correctional facilities, and schools. The purpose of this research is to conduct an original study to measure relationships between positive psychological experiences and students’ lives. Specifically, it is expected that greater