Person–Activity Fit in Positive Psychological Interventions

Abstract

As the research and practice of positive psychological interventions haveadvanced over the last decade, a question of interest has shifted from “What works” to “What works for whom?” This chapter explores theory and research on person–activity fit in positive psychological interventions. It discusses and contrasts viewpoints that support a capitalization or strengths-perspective versus a compensation or weakness-based approach. It reviews the existing literature on person–activity fit and enumerates findings that suggest that for some interventions some benefit whereas others do not. These subgroups are based on personality, motivational, and cultural variables. Drawing from these findings and subsequent empirical support, recommendations are provided for the personalization of sequences of positive psychological interventions, and methodological considerations are outlined for those who want to contribute to future research on person–activity fit. In conclusion, those who provide positive psychological interventions should be mindful of the factors that moderate the efficacy of different techniques.

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