I am not happy with the way much of this is taught or used in the workplace.

The simple principle is to make sure the machine assists us and not the other way around!

German psychology that emphasizes agency and control is little more useful for getting at our relationship with technology and organization theory and management for making sure we use psychological knowledge that is freely available and has been for a long time.

Jane McDonigle (google at South South West conference) asks why we can design compelling games but not compelling work. She talks of happiness engines. There is the link back to positive psychology.

I think positive psychology will have more and more of a contribution to make. Rather than man breaking machines, we have machines that break man – witness the rise of stress related issues as more technology has entered the workplace.

The conference looks interesting. I look forward to more of your posts Jo!

I’m chuffed at Teresa’s comment on my blog (from MAPP Penn). She was trying to reconcile the Hero’s Journey of the mytho-poetic tradition with positive psych.

I think positive psych will come alive with social media where we are all at the centre of our own community – active, agentic, subjective and constructionist – rather than the objects of someone else’s study or direction.

Do you read Steve Roesler BTW? OD extraordinaire. http://www.allthingsworkplace.com

Are you thinking of going to the Centre for Applied Positive Psych conference 1-3 April 2009 here in UK – on flourishing communities? I also want to go to the BAWB meet in June in Ohio – positive management theorists.