In a field often associated with diagnosing disorders and alleviating distress, Dr. Ingrid Weigold, a professor in the University of 69色情片’s Department of Psychology in the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences, is flipping the script. Her mission is to help people not just survive but thrive.
For more than 17 years, Weigold has been teaching and researching an area of psychology that focuses not on what’s broken, but what’s working: positive psychology. This subfield, which emphasizes strengths, growth and well-being, challenges the traditional narrative that psychology is only about problems or pathologies.
“People think of psychology as the study of people who have a problem or as the study of the brain,” she says. “But we also need to look at what’s good in life.”
Weigold teaches both undergraduate and doctoral students, offering an upper-level course on positive psychology that explores happiness, optimism, gratitude and meaning. It's open to students who have completed 30 credit hours and a required Introduction to Psychology course — students who are ready to ask a different kind of question: not “What’s wrong with me?” but “What’s right with me?”
“One of the coolest things about positive psychology is that we use this in practice with clients as well,” Weigold explains. “We’re teaching research-based techniques they can use in their own lives.”
At the heart of her course is an empowering message: everyone has strengths, and learning how to nurture those strengths can lead to meaningful growth. Students begin by taking an assessment of the 24 character strengths identified in positive psychology. From there, they choose one of their top strengths — whether it’s leadership, humor, kindness or perspective-taking — and create a semester-long project to develop it.
“At the end of the class, some students have told me this made them a better person,” she says with a smile. “That’s the kind of feedback that sticks with you.”
Weigold is quick to point out that positive psychology is not about ignoring reality or pretending everything is fine. “One of the biggest myths is that it’s all about being happy and ignoring the tough stuff. But that’s not what it is. At its best, it’s a way of working with the reality of life — living a better life while dealing with internal and external stressors.”
That dual emphasis on well-being and resilience is reflected in her own clinical practice. “I think it can help with different issues people have, such as depression or anxiety. It’s also very helpful for increasing quality of life, meaning making, and positive emotions. It’s good not just for decreasing distress, but for increasing well-being.”
Her research echoes this belief. In her recent study, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, Weigold and her co-authors examined how college students intentionally use their time in school for personal growth. The findings were compelling: students who actively pursue growth and feel autonomous, competent and connected report higher psychological well-being and stronger vocational commitment.
“College is such a time of growth and change,” she says. “It’s the perfect opportunity to help students tap into their personal strengths and internal motivations.”
Weigold’s research focuses on human agency—people’s belief in their ability to affect their environment—and personal growth initiative, which she describes as “an individual’s active desire to grow in personally relevant domains.” Her work, especially with college and international student populations, highlights the transformative power of believing in one’s ability to change and improve.
In the classroom, she brings that research to life. She talks with passion about using wellness resources, helping students build positive habits, and creating classroom experiences that feel meaningful and practical.
She also includes a link to the University’s wellness website on her syllabi — ensuring students know what’s available to support them physically, emotionally and socially. “We have to remind them that there’s so much here to help.”
Her influence extends beyond coursework. She mentors graduate students, encourages research in strength-based interventions, and is part of a movement that’s giving positive psychology its rightful place in mainstream psychology education. “Seventeen years ago, there wasn’t much about this in our theories class. Now, there are book chapters about it. It’s becoming a respected approach.”
Some psychologists now specialize in strength-based therapy. Others incorporate it alongside cognitive-behavioral approaches, adjusting their methods to fit each client’s needs. Weigold does both.
Perhaps the most powerful thing about her approach is its universality. “This is what people want,” she says. “Not just to stop having problems — but to be happy, to be engaged in life, to live a good life.”
Media contact: Cristine Boyd - cboyd@uakron.edu; 330-972-6476