On Toxic Positivity in Educational Settings: A Neuroscientific Rejoinder

https://doi.org/10.65161/recfR477s9upAZnbu

Scholarship in pedagogy often seeks to balance cognitive development with other growth benchmarks (e.g. emotional maturity, conscientiousness). Recently, educational spaces have emphasized the role of positivity building as a means to strike that balance, but critics have identified a tendency for positive psychology to turn toxic under certain conditions. This essay elaborates on the nascent study of toxic positivity through connection with established findings in neuroscience to further refine emerging critique. Specifically, I compare recent studies in neuroscience with the principles of Toxic Positivity to evaluate empirical validity. In this essay, I examine 3 core principles and implications of toxic positivity through the lens of neuroscience. First, the backlash of expressive suppression as an emotional regulation strategy towards negativity; Second, obsession towards best case scenario optimizing; Third, prioritization of a positive mental narrative over constructive and informational feedback. Then, I will provide two case studies in which the concepts of toxic positivity would be contextualized and its consequences analyzed.