This article develops the hypothesis that intervention strategies that cultivate positive emotions are particularly suited for preventing and treating problems rooted in negative emotions, such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and stressrelated health problems. Fredrickson's (1998) broaden–and–build model of positive emotions provides the foundation for this application. According to this model, the form and function of positive and negative emotions are distinct and complementary. Negative emotions (e.g., fear, anger, and sadness) narrow an individual's momentary thought–action repertoire toward specific actions that served the ancestral function of promoting survival. By contrast, positive emotions (e.g., joy, interest, and contentment) broaden an individual's momentary thought–action repertoire, which in turn can build that individual's enduring personal resources, resources that also served the ancestral function of promoting survival. One implication of the broaden–and–build model is that positive emotions have an undoing effect on negative emotions. By broadening

Connectivity, the control parameter in a nonlinear dynamics model of team performance is mathematically linked to the ratio of positivity to negativity (P/N) in team interaction. By knowing the P/N ratio it is possible to run the nonlinear dynamics model that will portray what types of dynamics are possible for a team. These dynamics are of three types: point attractor, limit cycle, and complexor (complex order, or “chaotic ” in the mathematical sense). Low performance teams end up in point attractor dynamics, medium perfomance teams in limit cycle dynamics, and high performance teams in complexor dynamics. Keywords: positivity; connectivity; team performance; nonlinear dynamics Positive organizational scholars have made an explicit call for the use of nonlinear models stating that their field “is especially interested in the nonlinear positive dynamics... that are frequently associated with positive organizational phenomena ” (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003, pp. 4-5). This article answers this call by showing how a nonlinear dynamics model, the meta learning (ML) model, developed and validated against empirical time series data of business

Dr. Rathunde’s recognition of the value of Montessori education, especially in relation to new applications and extensions of Csikszentmihalyi’s optimal experience theory, brings to Montessori a richer context for normalization and deep engagement. Working from a perspective outside the Montessori community, Dr. Rathunde puts Montessori’s rich understanding of the prepared environment and children’s concentration in tandem with contemporary thought in both education and developmental psychology. If one has read some of Maria Montessori’s work, and one is reasonably familiar with current perspectives in developmental psychology and education, it is obvious that Montessori was a visionary in both fields. She anticipated many contemporary “child-centered” or “developmentally appropriate ” educational practices (see Bredekamp) and was an advocate for the active child when it was not yet fashionable. She understood the stage-like leaps made by young children and, like Piaget, understood the importance of sensory and motor activities as a foundational base for knowledge. Her grasp of the dynamics of teaching—not over- or under-challenging, helping only when necessary, and so on—are entirely consistent with contemporary Vygotskian perspectives on scaffolding and guided participation (see Rogoff). Ideas such as multi-age classrooms and peer tutoring (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development), a reduced emphasis on academic testing (Sternberg), stimulating a wider range of student

Anecdotal reports of the protective qualities of mentoring relationships for youth are corroborated by a growing body of research. What is missing, however, is research on the processes by which mentors influence developmental outcomes. In this article, we present a conceptual model of the mentoring process along with a delineation of some of the current research on what makes for more effective mentoring relationships. A set of recommendations for future research is offered. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anecdotal reports of the protective qualities of mentoring relationships for youth are corroborated by a growing body of research. However, few researchers have explored the processes by which mentors influence developmental outcomes. In this article, we present a conceptual model of the mentoring process, drawing from theory and research on child and adolescent development and close relationships. Although we view the processes outlined in this model as generally applicable to mentoring relationships in childhood and adolescence, we recognize that the effects of mentoring are likely to depend upon the age and circumstance of the youth, as well as the quality and duration of the relationship. Accordingly, we discuss issues in the development and assessment of mentoring

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This research could not have been conducted without the help of many people. I would like to thank the students, teachers, and administrators who enthusiastically participated in this study. Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has been a continual source of insight and support. He provided the comparison data and was a co-investigator on the project. Annette Haines, as research associate, put in an enormous amount of time and passion and was essential for the success of the project. Julie Carmalt provided invaluable help at the University of Utah. The O’Shaughnessy Foundation, Dekko Foundation, and Hershey Foundation provided essential financial support. Finally, I would like to thank David Kahn for seeing the connections between Montessori philosophy and optimal experience theory and having the courage to initiate a study that compared Montessori schools to traditional middle schools.

Since 1995, three teams of investigators, under the direction of Howard Gardner, of