Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness

APA places happiness within a research context that includes history, social behavior and public policy. That wider scope helps distinguish personal exercises from population-level questions. The course suits learners interested in how satisfaction is studied across different settings.

What you will learn

• Describe subjective well-being as a research concept.
• Discuss prosocial behavior and satisfaction.
• Compare cultural and policy influences on happiness.

Who this suits

Beginners with a high-school qualification or equivalent, following the provider’s stated entry requirement.

Before you enroll

Check whether the teaching emphasizes research, applications or clinical concepts. An online course certificate is not a clinical qualification. Compare the evidence and study design behind a claim before using it to explain an individual person’s behavior.

Coursera offers paid enrollment or subscription access. Check the enrollment screen for assessment and certificate terms, trials and any financial-aid options. Provider access terms can change; review them before paying.

Put it into practice

Compare two fictional well-being survey questions and explain how wording, culture and the population sampled could affect their interpretation.

Source and review

This overview is based on the provider's published information, checked on 12 October 2026. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim that we completed the resource. Time filters are approximate study ranges; projects and exercises can take longer.

View the curriculum and current access options at Coursera.

How YellowCourse describes and checks learning resources.