The potential use of ‘positive psychology interventions’ as a means of affecting individual senses of identity and coping capacity impacted by 4IR job and employment changes

Abstract

The journey of positive psychology becoming an established discipline (approximately 20 years) has seen both theoretical and empirical attention given to identity level, cognitive, behavioural and perceptual ways in which the ‘best in us’ can be identified and developed via what have come to be called ‘positive psychology interventions’ (PPIs). However, when we consider the anticipated impact of the 4IR on individuals we can predict the experiences of job losses, job change, and potentially the need for individuals to have multiple forms of work at any one time. If ‘work’ is viewed as one of the contributory structures to the nature of individual identity, then the consequences of the 4IR will impact the individual sense of identity, with a potential consequence to an individual sense of purpose, well-being and health. The article suggests that these experiences, psychologically, will be both an ‘identity crisis’ and an ‘existential crisis’. This article proposes that there is an urgency of need and innovation to support individuals facing this change. Drawing on concepts of ‘Positive Psychology 2.0’ or ‘Existential Positive Psychology’ the article recommends two forms of PPIs as a potential support to affected individuals through an innovation in their nature and content which might offer a support to preserving and strengthening the sense of identity and of personal ‘fit’ while the backdrop of work and employment becomes volatile. Used in this way, the interventions would seek to influence the challenging existential experience of these job losses within the context and definition of existential positive psychology. The need for sensitive, cultural application and research on efficacy is discussed.

Keywords:

• Positive psychology interventions
• employment changes
• support for individual impact
• existential positive psychology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).