About Robert Emmons

Robert A. Emmons, PhD is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis where he has taught since 1988. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of nearly 200 original publications in peer-reviewed journals or chapters and has written or edited five books, including The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns (Guilford Press), The Psychology of Gratitude (Oxford University Press), Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier (Houghton-Mifflin) and Gratitude Works! A Twenty-One Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity (Jossey-Bass).

A leader in the positive psychology movement, Dr. Emmons is founding editor and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology. He is Past-President of the American Psychological Association’s Division 36, The Psychology of Religion.

His research focuses on the psychology of gratitude and thankfulness in both adults and youth, and how they are related to human flourishing. His interests also include the psychology and spirituality of joy and grace as they relate to human flourishing. Dr. Emmons has received research funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, the John M. Templeton Foundation, and the National Institute for Disability Research and Rehabilitation. His research has been featured in dozens of popular media outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, Time, NPR, PBS, Consumer Reports, Reader’s Digest, Wall Street Journal, and the Today Show.

Subjects Covered