The Human Pursuit of Well-Being: A Cultural Approach

This book brings together the latest research on positive psychology from an international cast of researchers, mostly from Europe. Carefully chosen articles describe research and practice from diverse fields of positive psychology. Chapters cover different topics: happiness and well-being, measurement, motivation and goals, personality, academic performance and coping, and intervention. The book comprises selected papers presented at the 4th European Conference of Positive Psychology held in 2008 in Croatia. There are only few books which brought together European researchers in positive psychology. This book includes work of some distinguished authors like Ruut Veenhoven, Giovanni A. Fava and Shane J. Lopez, but it also presents valuable studies of less well known authors, thus giving insight into studies of growing body of European researchers in positive psychology. The book emphasizes cross-cultural approach to human pursuit of well-being. It presents research from different cultures, like Russia, Croatia, Portugal, New Zeland and South Africa. Until now, most research in positive psychology was conducted in Western cultures. Selection of studies from different cultures aims at broadening our understanding of those aspects of human experience that make life worth living in diverse cultural conditions.

Professor at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Rijeka, Croatia. Teaching undergraduate and graduate in methodology and communication, post-graduated courses in statistics, communication and positive psychology. Editor in chief of the journal Psychological Topics (Psihologijske teme). Areas of research interest: positive psychology (intrinsic motivation and well-being, eudaimonic happiness, cross-cultural happiness), coping with stress, and social competence. Senior researcher in scientific project ＂Determinants of adolescents’ optimal development and psychological well-being＂, financed by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sport. Current research collaboration with colleagues from seven countries on the project ＂Cross-Cultural Investigation of Eudaimonic Happiness＂. Chair of the Scientific Committee in organizing 4th European Conference in Positive Psychology and member of the scientific Committee of the 5th European Conference in Positive Psychology, to be held in Denmark in 2010. Member of the Management Board Committee of the European Network of Positive Psychology. Co-author of the Croatian university textbook in positive psychology.