Positive Psychology in Latin-American Contexts: Implications for an emic/etic approach

CASTRO SOLANO, ALEJANDRO; LUPANO PERUGINI, MARÍA LAURA

Congreso; 3rd World Congress on Positive Psychology; 2013

Positive Psychology (PP) has had a broad impact on Latin-American contexts during the last decade. This can be observed in psychologists' application of PP concepts in their daily practice, in their research production and articles published in indexed journals and in the construction and adaptation of psychological assessment tests. The present work aims to: a) study the areas of interest of positive psychology in Latin America comparing it to the rest of the world; and b) review the development of psychological instruments to assess PP constructs in Latin-American countries. Latin America presents a double challenge: On the one hand, developing assessment tests from a new theoretical framework; and on the other hand, solving the debate over constructing new instruments or adapting tests previously developed. Implications of the emic and etic approach to the study of PP constructs and its operationalization through psychological assessment instruments are highlighted in this work.