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Dear Participants,
Welcome to BSI Conference 2015, as we discuss issues related to enabling positive attitudes and experiences in Singapore.
We all want to have positive experiences as we live, work, play and learn in Singapore. Positive experiences enhance our well-being. They motivate us to do well and contribute to help others. Thus, it is important to understand the factors that create positive experiences.
Research has shown that positive attitudes can lead to positive experiences, and vice versa. Positive experiences are inherently subjective but real, and we know it and feel it when they occur. On the other hand, the nature of positive attitudes is less widely known. There is no public consensus on what the different attitudinal dimensions are and how to measure them. Depending on whom we ask and what metrics we use, the evaluation and enhancement of positive attitudes in Singapore can vary widely. Clearly, understanding the nature of positive attitudes is critical to fostering positivity.
Positive attitudes and experiences can create conditions that help generate constructive solutions at the individual, group and societal levels. This will not only tackle negativity mindsets and solve problems; it will also enhance citizen well-being and create opportunities for all in Singapore. This conference will explore how we can turn these possibilities into reality. We will examine issues of policy and public actions, public communications, building communities, leadership and applications in specific areas such as health and education.
As Singapore celebrates 50 years of nation building, there will be many events and activities that bring people together to contribute in various ways to society. These initiatives bring immediate benefits to the recipients and there will be a climate of positivity. If we understand the underlying social and behavioural sciences, we will be able to go beyond a year of celebrations to develop sustained and sustainable ways to enable positive attitudes and experiences in Singapore.
I am confident that this conference will provide valuable perspectives, an understanding of issues related to positivity, and many potential applications to reflect on.
David Chan |