Contributions of Positive Psychology to Higher Education Across Asia: A Scoping Review and Unifying Thematic Framework

Abstract

Positive psychology offers a scientific window onto understanding and enhancing the welfare and growth of university communities, and as well as improving academic performance. This holistic approach is on the rise, yet most research is conducted in Western countries. This situation prevails despite the fact that two-thirds of the world’s population live in Asia. This review collated and synthesised published work on applications of positive psychology in higher education conducted in Asia, to describe the current status, explore conceptual perspectives and identify knowledge gaps. A total of 147 articles (157 experimental studies), published since 2000, were included. These were descriptive explorations (12.1%), quantifying associations between positive psychology constructs (62.4%), interventions (19.7%), and psychometric evaluations (5.7%). Key topics were academic leadership, organisational commitment, student engagement and foreign language learning. The thematic framework centered on ‘Optimal Functioning’, with ‘Personal Resources One Can Draw On’ and ‘How One Interacts With The World’ as direct influencing factors, and ‘Environment’ as an indirect factor. Across the Asian region, positive psychology’s major contribution is to identify what types of personal resources are associated with optimal functioning in higher education, but there is little high-quality evidence for intervention benefits, nor a deep understanding of how those resources can be effectively deployed to achieve well-being. As part of the third-wave positive psychology movement, scholars in Asia can play a greater leading role in re-evaluating traditional Western concepts to account for the socio-cultural context in which students and staff are embedded.