Foundational Publications

(Recommended readings for prospective students)

Donaldson, S. I., and Ko, I. (2010). Positive organizational psychology, behavior, and scholarship: A review of the emerging literature and evidence base. Journal of Positive Psychology, 5 (3), 177–191.

Donaldson, S.I., & Dollwet, M. (2013). Taming the waves and wild horses of positive organizational psychology.  Advances in Positive Organizational Psychology, 1, 1-21.

Donaldson, S. I., Dollwet, M., and Rao, M. (2015). Happiness, excellence, and optimal human functioning revisited: Examining the peer-reviewed literature linked to positive psychology. Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(6), 1–11.

Rao, M., and Donaldson, S. I. (2015). Expanding opportunities for diverse populations in positive psychology: An examination of gender, race, and ethnicity. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie, 56(3), 271–282. (Special issue on Positive Psychology).

Warren, M. A., Donaldson, S. I., & Luthans, F. (2017). Taking positive psychology to the workplace: Positive organizational psychology, positive organizational behavior, and positive organizational scholarship.  In M. A. Warren & S. I. Donaldson, Scientific advances in positive psychology. Westport: Connecticut: Praeger.

Sample Projects

Below is a selection of current projects being run by the Claremont Evaluation Center’s Positive Organizational Psychology Research Lab.

Positive Psychology Approaches to Gender Research in Management

The purpose of this project is to consolidate positive work and organizational contributions to gender research, and to examine how gender research can be reinvigorated through positive and strengths-focused approaches that have gained traction in mainstream organizational research but are nascent in gender research.

Warren, M. A., Donaldson, S. [Scott] I., Lee, J. & Donaldson, S [Stewart]. I. Reinvigorating gender research using a positive work and organizations perspective. Under review at Journal of Organizational Behavior 2018, IRIOP Review Issue.

Scientific Advances in Positive Psychology

The purpose of this project is to showcase the range of new theories, research, and applications in the field of positive psychology, at the dawn of a new wave of positive psychology scholarship—one that is increasingly sensitive to real-world issues, adversity, culture, and context. This work brings together contributions from renowned leaders and prolific thinkers in positive psychology

Warren, M. A., & Donaldson, S. I. (Eds.) (2017). Scientific advances in positive psychology. New York: ABC-CLIO Publishers

Toward a Positive Psychology of Relationships

This project showcases the latest cutting edge scientific advances in research and scholarship emerging at the intersection of positive psychology and relationships science. This body of work highlights the latest applications of positive relationships research in work settings, at home, across the life span, and in contexts of diversity.

Warren, M. A., & Donaldson, S. I. (Eds.) (forthcoming in 2017). Toward a positive psychology of relationships: New directions in theory and research. New York: ABC-CLIO Publishers

Review of Positive Psychology and Relationships

The purpose of this project is to examine the role of positive relationships in the three pillars of positive psychology (i.e., positive states, positive traits, and positive institutions). We examine the most popular areas of research in positive relationships and the extent to which they attend to the relational context. Further, we examine how these constructs contributed to the enrichment of relationship science. Finally, we review some of the emerging contributions on the positive psychology of relationships.

Warren, M. A., Donaldson, S [Scott]. I., & Lee, J. Y. (forthcoming). Applying positive psychology to advance relationship science. In M. A. Warren & S [Stewart]. I. Donaldson (Eds.), Toward a positive psychology of relationships: New directions in theory and research. New York: ABC-CLIO Publishers

Taking Positive Psychology to the Workplace

This review traces the history of positive approaches in work and organizational contexts and brings together key findings from positive organizational psychology (POP), positive organizational behavior (POB) and positive organizational scholarship (POS). Further we offer some suggestions for integrating and unifying the three major approaches of POP, POB and POS and offer some needed future research directions with special emphasis on strengthening marginalized groups.

Warren, M. A., Donaldson, S. I., & Luthans, F. (2017). Taking positive psychology to the workplace: Positive organizational psychology, positive organizational behavior, and positive organizational scholarship. In M. A. Warren & S. I. Donaldson (Eds.), Scientific advances in positive psychology. New York: ABC-CLIO Publishers

Measurement in Positive Psychology

This systematic review examines measurement scales linked to positive psychology published from 1998 to 2014. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a search through 5 large databases, for English-language peer-reviewed articles linked to positive psychology yielded 972 empirical articles that cited 1,279 established measures, and documented creation or adaptation of 312 measures. To see a complete list of the measures, download the Excel file.

Ackerman, C., Warren, M. A., & Donaldson, S. I. Scaling the heights of positive psychology: A systematic review of measurements. Manuscript under review.

The International Landscape of Positive Psychology Research

This project offers a systematic review of the empirical research contributions of positive psychology across the world.

Kim, H., Doiron, K. M., Warren, M. A., & Donaldson, S. I. The emerging science of positive psychology across the world: An overview of 17 years of research. Manuscript under review.

Evaluating Positive Interventions to Combat Gender-Based Violence in Congo, Africa

The purpose of this project funded by a grant from Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is to evaluate the impact of a positive intervention on empowering women and inspiring men to serve as allies to women in the pursuit of reducing gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Warren, M. A., Torjesen, K. T., & Wamue-Ngare, G. Unconventional champions for gender equity: Religious leaders as change agents in empowering women as advocates and men as allies in war-torn Africa. (in preparation; data collection stage)

Bringing Positive Psychology to the Middle East

This work is aimed at supporting indigenous positive psychology research and scholarship in the Middle East and North African region.

Rao, M. A., Donaldson, S. I., & Doiron, K. M. (2015). Positive psychology research in the Middle East and North Africa. Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(1), 60-76.

Schuilenberg, S., Warren, M. A., Crookes, A., Al Serkal, A., Donaldson, S. I., & McBride, D. (2016). Professional psychology associations in the GCC: Positive institutions whose time has come. Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 2(1), 61-78.

Lambert, L., Mulay-Shah, A., Kattan, F., Warren, M. A. National policies for societal growth: Pursuing happiness and wellbeing. In L. Lambert & N. Pasha-Zaidi (Eds.), Positive Psychology in the Middle East/North Africa: An Introduction to Research, Policy, and Practise.

Warren, M. A. Unleashing the power of positive psychology to empower women. In L. Lambert & N. Pasha-Zaidi (Eds.), Positive Psychology in the Middle East/North Africa: An Introduction to Research, Policy, and Practise.

IPPA Positive Work and Organizations: Research and Practice Newsletter

The editorial team (Meg Warren, Scott Donaldson, & Serena Chapman) of the IPPA Work and Organizations division newsletter is housed at this lab. The newsletter serves as a platform for researchers and practitioners in positive work and organizational settings to share scholarship, insights, and experiences. This newsletter showcases theory, research, teaching and practice briefs, book reviews, and interviews from leading work and organizational scholars and practitioners in the field of positive psychology.

Contact Us

Claremont Evaluation Center

Claremont Graduate University
175 E. 12th Street
Claremont, CA 91711
matthew.higgins@cgu.edu