Advancing Positive Change

CGU Advanced Topics In Positive Psychology, Spring 2026
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES

This podcast was developed as a collaborative translational project by graduate students at Claremont Graduate University with research expertise in the featured topics. We translate theories and empirical findings on positive change (i.e., enduring and meaningful development in a person’s well-being, personality, or character) into accessible, engaging discussions for general audiences. The podcast consists of discussions on six topic clusters related to positive change: resilience, self-transcendence, technology and AI, awe and curiosity, virtue and eudaimonia, and positive relationships.

Episodes

  1. APR 14

    Episode 6 - From Micro-Moments to Movements: High-Quality Connections, Relational Energy, and the Path to Positive Communities

    This podcast examines how high-quality connections and relational energy scale from brief interpersonal interactions to community-level outcomes. It argues that positive communities emerge not from improving individuals but from repeated high-quality interactions that accumulate into patterns of collective engagement, requiring deliberate attention to interaction design and structural conditions. Desserin Pereyra desserin.pereyra@cgu.edu Neda Semsar neda.semsar@cgu.edu

    25 min

  2. APR 14

    Episode 5 - Striving for Eudaimonia through Virtue and Purpose

    This podcast examines eudaimonia (human flourishing) as a form of well-being rooted in virtue and purpose rather than the pursuit of happiness alone. It integrates theory and research from positive psychology to highlight how cultivating character strengths and developing beyond-the-self purpose supports long-term well-being and personal growth. Cole Baisch cole.baisch@cgu.edu Breanna Sampo breanna.sampo@cgu.edu

    51 min

  3. APR 14

    Episode 4 - Moments that Move Us: Curiosity & Awe

    Discover how rich attention to the world around us can move us toward more meaningful and generous lives. In this episode of Advancing Positive Change, John and Cat explore two powerful pathways of human growth: curiosity and awe. They discuss how curiosity helps us engage uncertainty, deepen relationships, and shape everyday choices, while awe expands our perspective, fosters self-transcendence, and can inspire prosocial action. John Parrott john.parrott@cgu.edu Catalina Oselio catalina.oselio@cgu.edu

    27 min

  4. APR 14

    Episode 3 - Technology & AI Coaching for Positive Change

    What if AI’s biggest impact isn’t on what we do, but on who we become? Andrew and Kristina explore the intersection of AI, psychology, and human behavior to ask how technology can be designed for positive change. From the EGT Framework—Seeing Good, Feeling Good, and Doing Good—to strengths-based approaches that reveal what helps people flourish, they examine how research-informed, human-centered technology can foster wellbeing while addressing safety, ethics, design, and human potential.

AndrewVillamilPhD@gmail.com

    39 min

  5. APR 14

    Episode 2 - Self Transcendence and Change Beyond the Self

    What is the nature of self-transcendent experiences and how–and why–do they move us to supersede our self-interest? In this episode, Alex and Nahrie discuss examples of self-transcendent experiences that lead to other-oriented behavior, interweave developmental approaches and research, and share their own stories of self-transcendence catalyzing positive change. Alex Cuevas alex.cuevas@cgu.edu linktr.ee/alcuev Nahrie Chung Norvell nahrie.norvell@cgu.edu

    1h 8m

  6. APR 14

    Episode 1 - Withstanding Adversity: Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth

    Nobody lives their life without encountering hardships. However, two things determine whether you recover and grow from these experiences: Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth. Through a fictional narrative, this episode speaks to these concepts, as well as what habits and practices you can do in your own life to help live a better life in the face of hardships, showing the importance of these concepts in everyday life.   Adam Lundy adam.lundy@cgu.edu Jacobo Dantus jacobo.dantus@cgu.edu

    41 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

This podcast was developed as a collaborative translational project by graduate students at Claremont Graduate University with research expertise in the featured topics. We translate theories and empirical findings on positive change (i.e., enduring and meaningful development in a person’s well-being, personality, or character) into accessible, engaging discussions for general audiences. The podcast consists of discussions on six topic clusters related to positive change: resilience, self-transcendence, technology and AI, awe and curiosity, virtue and eudaimonia, and positive relationships.

Information

  • Creator
    CGU Advanced Topics In Positive Psychology, Spring 2026
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Advancing Positive Change

You Might Also Like