March 9th, 2015: An indigenous model for positive psychology focusing on Emirati and expatriate residents of the UAE could help support the growth of the nation, according to recent research published in the first edition of the Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology™.
Conducted by Canadian University Dubai Assistant Professor, Dr. Louise Lambert, in collaboration with academic colleagues from the UAE, Canada and the USA, the research found that ‘A positive psychology approach leverages inherent, yet often neglected, social, cultural, and religious strengths to mobilize growth.’
Positive psychology is a forward-looking framework that involves interventions to promote positive outlooks, emotions and behaviors that ultimately enable individuals to flourish. While it is still a relatively new practice, there is a growing body of evidence to show how it can improve well-being, and lead to a self-perpetuating positive cycle of optimal performance, so much so that governments are now incorporating such strategies into national policy.
Dr. Lambert’s research focusses particularly on the UAE where the multi-national, multi-cultural demography presents broader challenges than simply moving away from the traditional ill-health notions of mainstream psychology.
She explains, “Psychology practitioners and researchers frequently focus on ill-being and weakness. Furthermore, many psychology practitioners in the UAE are non-Emiratis who tend to employ traditional psychological models from the West, which might be incompatible with the UAE context.
“Psychological models rooted in Western ideals of secular individualism run contrary to the UAE’s collective and non-secular traditions. Focusing on the negatives, avoiding religion, and endorsing Western ideals of normality – disguised though they may be – could harm the psychological fabric of the UAE population; hence our call for an indigenous positive psychology framework.”
Proposing a way forward, Dr. Lambert suggests that, “Rather than retrofitting existing Western measures, concepts, or interventions, the development of culturally-relevant frameworks must be achieved by researching local concepts, such as honour or altruism, and then identifying valid means for investigation.”
The paper, entitled ‘Developing an Indigenous Positive Psychology in the United Arab Emirates’ also proposes the mapping of existing and potential polices conducive to greater well-being, the assessment and adaptation of existing concepts to develop or redefine Emirati/expatriate ‘norms’, and the mobilization of professional organizations to develop greater awareness of cross-cultural views.
The research findings feature in the newly-launched Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology™, which was conceived by Dr. Lambert to synchronize the work of scholars and practitioners and to establish a critical mass of regional research in this emerging field. The Journal features papers in both English and Arabic, and the inaugural publication also presents findings on the conceptions of happiness in the Arab world.
To find out more about the Journal and read the research findings, visit: http://www.middleeastjournalofpositivepsychology.org/index.php/mejpp/issue/view/1/showToc