Final answer:
Positive psychology is the branch of psychology dedicated to understanding human flourishing, happiness, and personal growth, differing from behaviorism and psychoanalysis that were more focused on pathology and environmental determinants of behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The movement in psychology that focuses on the study of optimal human functioning and factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive is known as positive psychology. Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that emerged as a reaction against the perceived limitations of behaviorism and psychoanalysis, promoting the potential for personal growth, happiness, and satisfaction. In studying a wide array of human strengths and virtues, it seeks to understand how individuals can lead fulfilling and engaging lives, cultivate what is best within themselves, and enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.
To provide further illustration, cognitive psychology focuses on the study of human thinking, whereas social psychology considers how individuals are influenced by others. Humanistic psychology holds a view similar to positive psychology but is historically earlier and centers on the human capacity for self-actualization and personal growth. In contrast, epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself.