Life Coaching Positive Psychology in Coaching 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who is considered the founder of positive psychology?
- Carl Rogers
- Abraham Maslow
- Martin Seligman (Correct answer)
- Albert Bandura
Correct answer: Martin Seligman
Martin Seligman launched the positive psychology movement in 1998 during his American Psychological Association presidential address.
Question 2: What does the PERMA model stand for?
- Purpose, Empathy, Resilience, Meaning, Achievement
- Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment (Correct answer)
- Performance, Energy, Resources, Mindset, Action
- Potential, Empowerment, Reflection, Motivation, Accountability
Correct answer: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment
Seligman's PERMA model identifies five elements of well-being: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
Question 3: In positive psychology coaching, what is a 'signature strength'?
- A physical skill the client excels at
- A core character strength that comes naturally, energizes the person, and reflects their authentic self (Correct answer)
- A strength identified by the coach rather than the client
- A strength the client needs to develop from scratch
Correct answer: A core character strength that comes naturally, energizes the person, and reflects their authentic self
Signature strengths are natural character strengths identified through assessments like the VIA Character Strengths Survey, and using them regularly boosts well-being.
Question 4: What is 'flow' in the context of positive psychology coaching?
- A visualization technique for goal achievement
- A state of complete absorption in a challenging, meaningful activity where time seems to stop (Correct answer)
- A breathing exercise used in coaching sessions
- A financial planning concept applied to life coaching
Correct answer: A state of complete absorption in a challenging, meaningful activity where time seems to stop
'Flow,' coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a peak experience of full engagement in an optimally challenging task, linked to high performance and happiness.
Question 5: How does a strengths-based coaching approach differ from a deficit-based approach?
- It focuses on what is broken and needs fixing
- It focuses on identifying and amplifying what already works well in the client (Correct answer)
- It ignores the client's challenges entirely
- It was developed for organizational use only
Correct answer: It focuses on identifying and amplifying what already works well in the client
Strengths-based coaching builds on the client's existing capabilities and successes rather than focusing primarily on gaps and weaknesses.
Question 6: What is 'learned optimism' as applied in life coaching?
- The belief that optimism is an innate trait that cannot be changed
- A cognitive skill that teaches clients to interpret setbacks as temporary, specific, and external rather than permanent and global (Correct answer)
- A mandatory coaching certification module
- A mindset exclusive to athletic coaching
Correct answer: A cognitive skill that teaches clients to interpret setbacks as temporary, specific, and external rather than permanent and global
Seligman's learned optimism teaches clients to identify and dispute pessimistic explanatory styles, replacing them with more accurate and hopeful interpretations.
Life Coaching Positive Psychology in Coaching 1
Who is considered the founder of positive psychology?