Ed Diener
Encyclopedia
Edward Diener is an American psychologist, professor, and author. He is noted for his research over the past twenty-five years on happiness
— the measurement of well-being; temperament and personality influences on well-being; theories of well-being; income and well-being; and cultural influences on well-being.
For his fundamental research on the subject, Diener is nicknamed Dr. Happiness. He has worked with researchers Daniel Kahneman
and Martin Seligman
— and he is a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization
.
and grew up on a farm in the San Joaquin Valley
of California. His wife, Carol and three of his children are psychologists.
He attended San Joaquin Memorial High School
in Fresno and subsequently received his B.A. in Psychology in 1968 from California State University
at Fresno. He received his doctorate at the University of Washington in 1974 and was a faculty member at the University of Illinois for 34 years, retiring from active teaching in 2008.
He holds the Smiley chair, the Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor of Psychology, at the University of Illinois
. In 2010 he received honorary doctorates from the Free University of Berlin
and Eureka College
. He has won the distinguished scientist award from the International Society of Quality of Life Studies, as well as the Jack Block award for outstanding contributions to personality psychology.
, finding that "the most salient characteristics shared by the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them." Diener has said "It is important to work on social skills, close interpersonal ties and social support in order to be happy."
Diener's research showed that once a person's "basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of satisfaction with life. According to Diener, two events in a person's life with the greatest impact were shown to be loss of a spouse (taking 5-8 years for recovery) and loss of a job.
To facilitate happiness research, Diener created the Satisfaction with Life Scale, a basic and widely used tool.
Diener is listed on the Institute of Scientific Information’s most-cited psychologist list, with a total of approximately 27,000 citations.
Diener has published 300 books and articles. He has several Psychological Bulletin articles, several American Psychologist papers, 7 publications in Psychological Science, and over 50 publications in JPSP, more than any other author. He has authored three books and edited seven more.
Working with the Gallup survey organization, Diener conducted the first poll of the world ever conducted, including 155 nations and representing 99 percent of the population of the globe.
More than any other scientist, Diener has studied the poorest people in the world, including groups such as the homeless and those living in slums such as in Calcutta. In this research he has discovered how some individuals can achieve positive well-being in dire circumstances, for example through their relationships and spirituality.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, Ed Diener holds an endowed chair at his university, the Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professorship of Psychology. He has received the Distinguished Scientist Award from both the American Psychological Association and the International Society of Quality of Life Studies, and the outstanding personality psychologist award (the “Jack Block Award”) from Division 8 of APA, the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. Diener has several honorary doctorates to his name, is a fellow of five scientific societies, and he has been the focus of many popular media articles, from Newsweek to the Wall Street Journal to Reader’s Digest.
Happiness
Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources....
— the measurement of well-being; temperament and personality influences on well-being; theories of well-being; income and well-being; and cultural influences on well-being.
For his fundamental research on the subject, Diener is nicknamed Dr. Happiness. He has worked with researchers Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman is an Israeli-American psychologist and Nobel laureate. He is notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, behavioral economics and hedonic psychology....
and Martin Seligman
Martin Seligman
Martin E. P. "Marty" Seligman is an American psychologist, educator, and author of self-help books. His theory of "learned helplessness" is widely respected among scientific psychologists....
— and he is a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
.
Background
Diener was born in 1946 in Glendale, CaliforniaGlendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
and grew up on a farm in the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
of California. His wife, Carol and three of his children are psychologists.
He attended San Joaquin Memorial High School
San Joaquin Memorial High School
San Joaquin Memorial High School is a private Catholic high school located in Fresno, California. Founded in 1945, it is the only Catholic high school located in the greater Fresno area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno with a current enrollment of about 620 students...
in Fresno and subsequently received his B.A. in Psychology in 1968 from California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
at Fresno. He received his doctorate at the University of Washington in 1974 and was a faculty member at the University of Illinois for 34 years, retiring from active teaching in 2008.
He holds the Smiley chair, the Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor of Psychology, at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. In 2010 he received honorary doctorates from the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
and Eureka College
Eureka College
Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois related by covenant to the Christian Church and founded in 1855. It has a strong focus on the mutual development of intellect and character. Stated core values are learning, service and leadership...
. He has won the distinguished scientist award from the International Society of Quality of Life Studies, as well as the Jack Block award for outstanding contributions to personality psychology.
Happiness Research
In 2002, Diener conducted a study at the University of Illinois with Martin SeligmanMartin Seligman
Martin E. P. "Marty" Seligman is an American psychologist, educator, and author of self-help books. His theory of "learned helplessness" is widely respected among scientific psychologists....
, finding that "the most salient characteristics shared by the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them." Diener has said "It is important to work on social skills, close interpersonal ties and social support in order to be happy."
Diener's research showed that once a person's "basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of satisfaction with life. According to Diener, two events in a person's life with the greatest impact were shown to be loss of a spouse (taking 5-8 years for recovery) and loss of a job.
To facilitate happiness research, Diener created the Satisfaction with Life Scale, a basic and widely used tool.
Accomplishments
Diener founded a new journal, Perspectives on Psychological Science, which has become one of the most acclaimed and widely read journals in the field.Diener is listed on the Institute of Scientific Information’s most-cited psychologist list, with a total of approximately 27,000 citations.
Diener has published 300 books and articles. He has several Psychological Bulletin articles, several American Psychologist papers, 7 publications in Psychological Science, and over 50 publications in JPSP, more than any other author. He has authored three books and edited seven more.
Working with the Gallup survey organization, Diener conducted the first poll of the world ever conducted, including 155 nations and representing 99 percent of the population of the globe.
More than any other scientist, Diener has studied the poorest people in the world, including groups such as the homeless and those living in slums such as in Calcutta. In this research he has discovered how some individuals can achieve positive well-being in dire circumstances, for example through their relationships and spirituality.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, Ed Diener holds an endowed chair at his university, the Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professorship of Psychology. He has received the Distinguished Scientist Award from both the American Psychological Association and the International Society of Quality of Life Studies, and the outstanding personality psychologist award (the “Jack Block Award”) from Division 8 of APA, the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. Diener has several honorary doctorates to his name, is a fellow of five scientific societies, and he has been the focus of many popular media articles, from Newsweek to the Wall Street Journal to Reader’s Digest.
Partial bibliography
- Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, with his son, Robert Biswas-Diener.
- Well-being and Public Policy (2009) with John Helliwell, Richard Lucas, Ulrich Schimmack
- International Differences in Well-Being (2010) with Daniel KahnemanDaniel KahnemanDaniel Kahneman is an Israeli-American psychologist and Nobel laureate. He is notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, behavioral economics and hedonic psychology....
and John Helliwell.
External links
- Ed Diener, Positive Psychology, University of Illinois site.
- ISI Highly Cited Researchers, ISIInstitute for Scientific InformationThe Institute for Scientific Information was founded by Eugene Garfield in 1960. It was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, became known as Thomson ISI and now is part of the Healthcare & Science business of the multi-billion dollar Thomson Reuters Corporation.ISI offered...
Web of Knowledge database. - on Psychological Science
- Ed Diener's Publications
- http://www.ippanetwork.org/, International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA)
- http://www.psych.illinois.edu/~ediener/2006%20Diener--One%20happy%20autobiography-revision%209-27-06%20with%20abstract%20%20ss.doc, Ed Diener's "One Happy Autobiography"