Tim Lomas
University of East London, UK
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Although much attention has been paid to culture specific psychopathologies, there have been no comparable attempts to chart positive mental states that may be particular to certain cultures. This presentation outlines the beginnings of a positive cross cultural lexicography of �untranslatable� words pertaining to well being, culled from across the world�s languages. A quasi systematic search uncovered 216 such terms. Using grounded theory, these words were organized into three categories: Feelings (comprising positive and complex feelings); relationships (comprising intimacy and pro-sociality) and character (comprising personal resources and spirituality). The presentation has two main aims. First, it aims to provide a window onto cultural differences in constructions of well being, thereby enriching our understanding of well being. Second, a more ambitious aim is that this lexicon may help expand the emotional vocabulary of English speakers (and indeed speakers of all languages) and consequently enrich their experiences of well being. The presentation concludes by setting out a research agenda to pursue these aims further.
Tim Lomas is a Lecturer at the University of East London, where he is the Co-Program Leader for the MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology. He has completed his PhD at the University of Westminster in 2012, focusing on the impact of meditation on men’s mental health. He is the author of numerous books and papers, covering topics including mindfulness, Buddhism, gender, cross-cultural psychology and neuroscience. His latest book, entitled ‘The Darkness and the Dawn: The Value of Sadness and other Negative Emotions,’ is published by Piatkus in Autumn 2016.
Email: t.lomas@uel.ac.uk
