First World Congress on Positive Psychology Kicks Off With Talks by Two of the World’s Most Renowned Psychologists

- Martin Seligman and Philip Zimbardo -

In Philadelphia, birthplace of positive psychology

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 @ 6:00 PM

Sponsored by The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA)

PHILADELPHIA, June 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ —

What: The First World Congress on Positive Psychology, an international conference, sponsored by IPPA, bringing together experts in positive psychology from across the globe to present their latest findings, and applications of positive psychology in a variety of fields – from business to education to medicine.

*Dr. Martin Seligman & Dr. Philip Zimbardo will kick off the World Congress with groundbreaking research on how the science of positive psychology is changing the way we live our lives on an individual, societal, and global level. They will present new answers in the age-old quest for the good life, sharing their latest research, insights, and ideas for increasing happiness in the contemporary world.

The burgeoning field of positive psychology – founded in 1998 by University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Martin Seligman – focuses on the study and practice of what is right in the world – the positive emotions, strengths, and virtues that make individuals, institutions, and communities thrive.

Who:

• Dr. Martin Seligman (Founder of positive psychology), University of Pennsylvania Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology & Founding Director of the Positive Psychology Center
• Dr. Philip Zimbardo, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Stanford University
• Dr. Raymond Fowler, Senior Advisor, IPPA; President-elect, International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP); Recipient of the APA award for Lifetime Contributions to Psychology (2000)
• Dr. Ed Diener, Joseph R. Smiley Professor of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; President, IPPA
• Dr. Christopher Peterson, Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan; Congress Program Chair, IPPA
• Dr. James Pawelski, Director of Education and Senior Scholar in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he directs the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Program (the world’s first degree program in positive psychology); Executive Director, IPPA
• Leading positive psychologists from across the globe: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (USA), David Cooperrider (USA), Antonella Delle Fave (Italy), Giovanni Fava (Italy), Barbara Frederickson (USA), Alexandra Freund (Switzerland), Michael Frese (Germany), Shelly Gable (USA), Tony Grant (Australia), Richard Layard (UK), Yong-Lin Moon (Korea), Robert Vallerand (Canada), Carmelo Vazquez (Spain), Ruut Veenhoven (The Netherlands), Joar Vitterso (Norway), & more.

When: Thursday, June 18th 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Seligman/Zimbardo lectures)

Thursday, June 18th – Sunday, June 21st (First World Congress on Positive Psychology)

Where: Sheraton Philadelphia City Center

17th & Race Street, Philadelphia, PA

Contact: Schedule info: http://www.ippanetwork.org, ippamtg@talley.com

*The mission of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) is to promote the science and practice of positive psychology and to facilitate communication and collaboration among researchers and practitioners around the world who are interested in positive psychology. For more information, please visit http://www.ippanetwork.org.

SOURCE International Positive Psychology Association