Shawn Achor
CEO of GoodThink Inc.
Specialties: happiness at work, happiness and success
Books: Before Happiness: The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change (2013), The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work (2010)
Links: GoodThink Inc., Shawn Achor’s TED talk, Shawn Achor on Twitter
Caroline Adams Miller
Certified professional coach, advisory board member at Happify
Specialties: well-being, goal setting, leadership
Books: Positively Caroline: How I Beat Bulimia for Good…and Found Real Happiness (2013), Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide (2011, with Michael B. Frisch), Bright Words for Dark Days: Meditations for Women Who Get the Blues (1994), Feeding the Soul: Daily Meditations for Recovering from Eating Disorders (1991), My Name Is Caroline (1988)
Links: Caroline Adams Miller’s website, Caroline Adams Miller on Twitter
Tal Ben-Shahar
Teacher at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, cofounder and chief learning officer of the Wholebeing Institute
Specialties: leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, mindfulness
Books: Choose the Life You Want: The Mindful Way to Happiness (2014), Being Happy: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010), The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life (2009), Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (2007)
Links: Tal Ben-Shahar’s website, The Wholebeing Institute
Brené Brown
Research professor at the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work
Specialties: vulnerability, courage, worthiness, shame
Books: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2012), The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are (2010), I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough (2007)
Links: Brené Brown’s website, Brené Brown at the University of Houston, Brené Brown’s TED talk, Brené Brown on Twitter
Roy Baumeister
Professor of social psychology at Florida State University
Specialties: Self and identity, emotion, social rejection and belongingness, aggression, sexuality, self-control, self-esteem, interpersonal processes, defensiveness and self-deception, self-defeating behaviors, quest for meaning, motivated cognition, interdisciplinary approaches to psychology
Books: Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (2011, with John Tierney)
Links: Roy Baumeister at Florida State University
Stuart Brown
Assistant consulting professor at Stanford’s d.school, founder of the National Institute for Play
Specialties: play
Books: Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul (2009)
Links: Stuart Brown at Stanford, Stuart Brown on TED
Fred Bryant
Professor at Loyola University Chicago
Specialties: subjective life quality, positive emotions, savoring, affect intensity, psychological well-being, conceptualization and measurement of cognition and emotion, psychological functioning
Books: Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience (2006, with Joseph Veroff)
Links: Fred Bryant at Loyola University Chicago
Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi
Distinguished professor of psychology and management at Claremont Graduate Institute, founding codirector of the Quality of Life Research Center
Specialties: creativity and innovation, flow
Books: The Evolving Self: A Psychology for the Third Millennium (2009), Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention (2009), Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning (2004), Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (1997), Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990)
Links: Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi at Claremont Graduate Institute, Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi’s TED talk
Richard Davidson
Professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds
Specialties: meditation, neuroscience, affective and anxiety disorders
Books: The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live – and How You Can Change Them (2012), Training the Brain: Cultivating Emotional Skills (2012)
Links: Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Richard Davidson’s website, The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds on Twitter
Ed Diener
Emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, senior scientist at Gallup
Specialties: subjective well-being
Books: Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth (2008, with Robert Biswas-Diener)
Links: Ed Diener at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Angela Duckworth
Associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania
Specialties: grit, self-control
Links: Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania, The Duckworth Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, Angela Duckworth on TED
Jane Dutton
Professor of business administration and psychology at the University of Michigan
Specialties: organizations, connections and relationships at work, compassion, issue selling and issue management, identity and identification in organizations, job crafting and the meaning of work
Books: How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact (2014, with Gretchen M. Spreitzer), Energize Your Workplace: How to Create and Sustain High-Quality Connections at Work (2003)
Links: Jane Dutton at the University of Michigan, The CompassionLab, Jane Dutton on Twitter
Carol Dweck
Professor at Stanford University
Specialties: mindsets, self-conception, motivation, self-regulation, achievement, interpersonal processes
Books: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006)
Links: Carol Dweck at Stanford University, MindSet website, Mindset Works website, Brainology on Twitter
Robert Emmons
Professor at the University of California-Davis
Specialties: personality, emotion, religion, gratitude, personal goals
Books: Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity (2013), THANKS!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier (2008), The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns: Motivation and Spirituality in Personality (2003), Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul (2001)
Links: Robert Emmons at UC Davis, Robert Emmons on Twitter
Barbara Fredrickson
Professor of psychology and principal investigator of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Specialties: positive emotions
Books: Love 2.0: Finding Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection (2013), Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the 3 to 1 Ratio That Will Change Your Life (2009)
Links: Barbara Fredrickson at UNC-Chapel Hill, Barbara Fredrickson’s website,
Shelly Gable
Professor at UC Santa Barbara
Specialties: motivation, close relationships, positive emotions
Links: Shelly Gable at UC Santa Barbara
Daniel Gilbert
Professor of psychology at Harvard University
Specialties: affective forecasting, social perception, belief
Books: Stumbling on Happiness (2006)
Links: Daniel Gilbert at Harvard, Daniel Gilbert on TED, Daniel Gilbert on Twitter
Daniel Goleman
Author, science journalist, and former New York Times writer
Specialties: emotional intelligence, self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social and emotional learning, ecoliteracy
Books: What Makes a Leader: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters (2014), The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education (2014, with Peter Senge), Primal Leadership, With a New Preface by the Authors: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (2013, with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee), Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (2013), Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions, and Health (2013), Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition (2012), Ecoliterate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social, and Ecological Intelligence (2012, with Lisa Bennett and Zenobia Barlow), Working With Emotional Intelligence (2011), Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence (2011), The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights (2011), Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (2009), Measuring the Immeasurable: The Scientific Case for Spirituality (2008, with Gary Small, Gregg Braden, Bruce Lipton, and Lynne McTaggart), Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships (2006), The New Leaders: Transforming the Art of Leadership (2002, with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee), The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience (1996), The Creative Spirit: Companion to the PBS Television Series (1992, with Paul Kaufman and Michael Ray)
Links: Daniel Goleman’s website, Daniel Goleman on TED, Daniel Goleman on Twitter
Adam Grant
Professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton
Specialties: work motivation, prosocial giving and helping behaviors, job design and meaningful work, initiative and proactivity, leadership, burnout
Books: Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success (2013)
Links: Adam Grant at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton, Give and Take website, Adam Grant’s website, Adam Grant on Twitter
John M. Gottman
Cofounder of The Gottman Institute, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington
Specialties: marriage, divorce
Books: Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last (2012), Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child (2011, with Daniel Goleman), The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships (2002)
Links: [uni], The Gottman Institute, The Gottman Blog, Gottman Institute on Twitter
Jonathan Haidt
Professor of ethical leadership at NYU-Stern
Specialties: moral psychology, politics, awe, admiration, moral elevation
Books: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (2006)
Links: Jonathan Haidt at NYU, Jonathan Haidt’s TED talk, Happiness Hypothesis website
Susanna Halonen
The Happyologist, a happiness coach and writer
Specialities: Living a happy and passionate life, career change, habit change, and confidence
Books: Screw Finding Your Passion: It’s Within You, Let’s Unlock It (2015)
Links: Happyologist, Happyologist on Facebook
Daniel Kahneman
Emeritus professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Specialties: judgment, decision making, behavioral economics, hedonic psychology
Books: Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011)
Links: Daniel Kahneman at Princeton, Daniel Kahneman on TED
Todd Kashdan
Associate professor of psychology and senior scientist at the Center for Consciousness and Transformation at George Mason University
Specialties: positive emotions, purpose, character strengths, meaning
Books: The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self–Not Just Your “Good” Self–Drives Success and Fulfillment (2014, with Robert Biswas-Diener), Curious? (2009)
Links: Todd Kashdan at George Mason University, Todd Kashdan’s website, Todd Kashdan on Twitter
Dacher Keltner
Professor at the University of California Berkeley, codirector of the Greater Good Science Center
Specialties: emotion and social interaction, power and social perception and behavior, negotiating morality, individual differences in emotion, conflict and negotiation, culture
Books: Understanding Emotions (2013), Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life (2009), Social Psychology (2010, with Tom Gilovich and Richard Nisbett)
Links: Dacher Keltner at UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center on Twitter
Laura King
Professor at the University of Missouri
Specialties: personality, well-being, motivation, meaning in life, social cognitive factors in well-being judgments, individual differences in intuitive processing, narrative approaches to personality and identity, the psychology of the good life
Books: Experience Psychology (2013), The Science of Psychology: Modules (2011), The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View (2010)
Links: Laura King at the University of Missouri
Sonja Lyubomirsky
Professor at the University of California-Riverside
Specialties: what makes people happy, whether happiness is good, how we can be happier
Books: The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, but Does (2013), The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want (2007),
Links: Sonja Lyubomirsky at the University of California, Sonja Lyubomirsky’s website, Sonja Lyubomirsky on Twitter
Terry Paulson
Speaker, trainer, and consultant
Specialties: optimism, leadership, change
Books: The Optimism Advantage: 50 Simple Truths to Transform Your Attitudes and Actions into Results (2010)
Links: Terry Paulson’s website, Terry Paulson on Twitter
Jonathan Robinson
Psychotherapist and speaker
Specialties: faith, relationships, money
Books: Find Happiness Now: 50 Shortcuts for Bringing More Love, Balance, and Joy Into Your Life (2014)
Links: Jonathan Robinson’s website, Jonathan Robinson on Twitter
Martin Seligman
Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania
Specialties: optimism, child development, character strengths, resilience
Books: Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being (2011), Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment (2002), Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (1991)
Links: Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania, Authentic Happiness website, Martin Seligman’s TED talk
Tali Sharot
Principal investigator at The Affective Brain Lab, faculty member in experimental psychology at University College London
Specialties: optimism, motivation and emotion
Books: The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain (2011)
Links: Tali Sharot at University College London, Tali Sharot’s TED talk
Ken Sheldon
Professor at the University of Missouri
Specialties: goals, motivation, psychological well-being, optimal functioning, materialism
Books: Optimal Human Being: An Integrated Multi-level Perspective (2004), Self-Determination Theory in the Clinic: Motivating Physical and Mental Health (2003)
Links: Ken Sheldon at the University of Missouri
Amy Wrzesniewski
Associate professor at Yale School of Management
Specialties: meaning of work, work as job, career, or calling
Links: Amy Wrzesniewski at Yale