David Schuldberg, University of Montana, Missoula, MT

Abstract: Health has historically eluded consistent definition and baffled people’s attempts at self-improvement. This paper argues for the central role of “Somewhat complicated” nonlinear dynamical systems in modeling both positive psychology and physical health. Whether personal attributes or behaviors are salutogenic or harmful is dependent on context and intensity. In addition, people simultaneously and relatively independently seek sometimes contradictory outcomes. This establishes the place of intrapsychic conflict in health. The paper proposes that the good life emerges from systems composed of coupled modular components, potentially capable of chaotic behavior. Positive psychology and healthy physiology derive from linked regulative systems that are relatively loosely-coupled, distributed, and that rely on heuristic processes rather than algorithms guaranteeing solution to pursue well-being. The adoption of these “Somewhat complicated” models does not require theories of health to be intricate, nor to employ mechanisms with fractal structure; complex function can emerge from simple systems. Potentially healthy systems attributes are addressed, including current interest in “healthy chaos,” and an illustrative model is developed.

Keywords: dynamics, chaos, health, homeostasis, positive psychology