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.
Publisher
CGU Advanced Topics In Positive Psychology, Spring 2026
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 Pereyradesserin.pereyra@cgu.edu
Neda Semsar
neda.semsar@cgu.edu
14 Apr 2026
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 Baischcole.baisch@cgu.edu
Breanna Sampo
breanna.sampo@cgu.edu
14 Apr 2026
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 Parrottjohn.parrott@cgu.eduCatalina Oseliocatalina.oselio@cgu.edu
14 Apr 2026
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
14 Apr 2026
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 Cuevasalex.cuevas@cgu.edu
linktr.ee/alcuev
Nahrie Chung Norvell
nahrie.norvell@cgu.edu
14 Apr 2026
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 Lundyadam.lundy@cgu.edu
Jacobo Dantus
jacobo.dantus@cgu.edu
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Apple Podcasts (US)
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1 ratings
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