Using positive psychology interventions to strengthen family happiness: A family systems approach

A randomized wait-list control study examined the effects of two positive psychology interventions (PPIs) on 300 families across six countries. A systems approach was used to design the PPIs and to interpret the impact of these upon family happiness. A system is an interconnected set of elements (e.g., the people, practices, rituals, and resources of a family) that are coherently organized around a common purpose (e.g., family functioning). System approaches recognize that individuals are influenced by the environments within which they are situated and as such move beyond interventions that target individual change to look at triggering relational change. Families who undertook the PPIs were significantly happier at post-test compared to pre-intervention levels and compared to the wait-list control families. This study suggests that introducing positive practices (e.g., strength spotting) into a family may act to change the system elements and, thus, change family outcomes. System theory and Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory are used to explain the results.