The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View (5th Edition) – eBook

Author(s)

Laura King

Dr. Laura A. King did her undergraduate work at Kenyon College, where, an English major, she declared a second major, in psychology, during the second semester of her junior year. She completed her A.B. in English with high honors and distinction and in psychology with distinction in 1986. Dr. King then did graduate work at Michigan State University and the University of California, Davis, receiving her Ph.D. in personality psychology in 1991. Dr. King began her career at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, moving to the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2001, where she is now a professor, teaching for more than 17 years. In addition to seminars in social psychology, the development of character, and personality psychology, she has taught undergraduate lecture courses in introduction to personality psychology, introductory psychology, and social psychology. At SMU, she received 6 different teaching awards, including the "M" award for "sustained excellence" in 1999. At the University of Missouri, she received the Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity in 2004. Her research, which has been funded by the National Institutes for Mental Health, has focused on a variety of topics relevant to the question of what it is that makes for a good life. Laura has studied happiness, goals, well-being, life stories, and meaning in life. In general, Laura's work reflects an enduring interest in studying what is healthyand good in people. In 2001, her research accomplishments were recognized by a Templeton Prize in positive psychology. Laura's research (often in collaboration with undergraduate and graduate students) has been published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Cognition and Emotion, the Journal of Personality, and other many publications. A new paper on the place of regrets in maturity is forthcoming in the American Psychologist. Currently editor-in-chief of the Journal of Research in Personality, Laura has also served as associate editor of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, as well as on numerous grant panels. Laura has co-edited or edited special sections of the Journal of Personality and the American Psychologist. In "real life," Dr. King enjoys gardening, is an accomplished cook and likes to listen to music, and chase her 4-year-old son, Sam.