OBJECTIVE: Seligman, Steen, Park, and Peterson (2005) suggested that positive psychology interventions (PPIs) contain specific, powerful, therapeutic ingredients that effect greater increases in happiness and reductions in depression than a placebo control. This study reexamined the three PPIs that Seligman et al. found to be most effective when delivered over the internet. METHOD: Three PPIs and a placebo control, identical with the interventions used by Seligman et al., were examined in a web-based, randomized assignment design. RESULTS: Mixed-design analysis of variance and multilevel modeling showed that all interventions, including the placebo, led to significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression. The effects of PPIs were indistinguishable from those of the placebo control. CONCLUSION: Using web-based delivery, both PPIs and theoretically neutral placebos can increase happiness and reduce depression in self-selected populations. Possible explanations include that non-specific factors common to most therapeutic treatments are responsible for the observed changes, or that cultural or other context-related variables operate to account for the divergent findings.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Seligman, Steen, Park, and Peterson (2005) suggested that positive psychology interventions (PPIs) contain specific, powerful, therapeutic ingredients that effect greater increases in happiness and reductions in depression than a placebo control. This study reexamined the three PPIs that Seligman et al. found to be most effective when delivered over the internet. METHOD: Three PPIs and a placebo control, identical with the interventions used by Seligman et al., were examined in a web-based, randomized assignment design. RESULTS: Mixed-design analysis of variance and multilevel modeling showed that all interventions, including the placebo, led to significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression. The effects of PPIs were indistinguishable from those of the placebo control. CONCLUSION: Using web-based delivery, both PPIs and theoretically neutral placebos can increase happiness and reduce depression in self-selected populations. Possible explanations include that non-specific factors common to most therapeutic treatments are responsible for the observed changes, or that cultural or other context-related variables operate to account for the divergent findings.
Authors: Joep van Agteren; Matthew Iasiello; Laura Lo; Jonathan Bartholomaeus; Zoe Kopsaftis; Marissa Carey; Michael Kyrios Journal: Nat Hum Behav Date: 2021-04-19
Authors: L Lambert; M Joshanloo; J M Marquez; B Cody; T Arora; M Warren; L Aguilar; M Samways; S Teasel Journal: Int J Appl Posit Psychol Date: 2022-05-17
Authors: Melanie Elise Renfrew; Darren Peter Morton; Jason Kyle Morton; Jason Scott Hinze; Peter James Beamish; Geraldine Przybylko; Bevan Adrian Craig Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2020-01-06 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Leslie R M Hausmann; Ada Youk; C Kent Kwoh; Rollin M Gallagher; Debra K Weiner; Ernest R Vina; D Scott Obrosky; Genna T Mauro; Shauna McInnes; Said A Ibrahim Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2018-09-07
Authors: Alejandro Dominguez-Rodriguez; Anabel De La Rosa-Gómez; M Jesús Hernández Jiménez; Paulina Arenas-Landgrave; Sofía Cristina Martínez-Luna; Joabian Alvarez Silva; José Ernesto García Hernández; Carlos Arzola-Sánchez; Victoria Acosta Guzmán Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Date: 2020-11-16