Positive Psychology

To the Editor:

I just finished reading "An Intellectual Movement for the Masses," by Jennifer Ruark (The Chronicle Review, August 7). It is an error to say that Martin Seligman founded positive psychology. Donald Clifton had been working in strength-based positive psychology since 1945. Although he passed away in 2007, his work is being continued through the positive- psychology division of Gallup. As a leadership-development student of Dr. Clifton's in the 1970s, through the