A PROMISING PARTNERSHIP: POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND POSITIVE AUTOETHNOGRAPHY

In this chapter, positive psychologist Grant J. Rich examines how positive psychology (PP) can benefit from positive autoethnography (PosAE). Grant considers the relevance of PosAE and highlights some challenges and limitations in its application. He highlights his thoughts as to some critical issues, by sharing a short positive meta-autoethnography (Pos-MAE). We learn how PP has been limited by overreliance on mostly quantitative methods, and therefore why the judicious use of qualitative and mixed methods, to expand the depth and breadth of the PP approach, is needed. PosAE can provide a valuable addition to the PP methodological toolkit, offering among its benefits personal insight into character strengths and virtues as demonstrated in lived experience. An introduction from Freda and Claude, expressed in separate voices as in the spirit of autoethnography, precedes this chapter.