John M. Zelenski
Professor
Psychology
Carleton University
Canada
Biography
John M. Zelenski Professor Degrees: Ph.D. (Washington University in Saint Louis)
Research Interest
My research focuses on emotions, especially individual differences in emotional experience, and the role emotions play in modulating cognition. The topic of happiness unifies my primary research questions. At a descriptive level, I ask the question, who is happy? That is, what are the personality characteristics that predict the experience of many positive emotions and few negative emotions? At a process level, I ask, how do happy people think and behave differently than unhappy people? In other words, how do transient mood states and stable individual differences combine to influence cognitive processes and behaviour? Finally, at the level of personality theory, I seek to understand what ’causes’ the traits associated with happiness? That is, how do individual differences play out ‘in the moment’ and combine with situational factors to predict behaviour?
Publications
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Zelenski, J. M., Whelan, D. C., Nealis, L. J., Besner, C. M., Santoro, M. S., & Wynn, J. E. (2013). Personality and affective forecasting: Trait introverts underpredict the hedonic benefits of acting extraverted. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(6), 1092- 1108.
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Zelenski, J. M., & Nisbet, E. K. (2014). Happiness and feeling connected: The distinct role of nature relatedness. Environment and Behavior, 46(1), 3-23.
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Zelenski, J. M., Dopko, R. L., & Capaldi, C. A. (2015). Cooperation is in our nature: Nature exposure may promote cooperative and environmentally sustainable behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 24-31.
