Todd Kashdan

Kashdan received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1996.{{Cite magazine |date=September–October 2002 |magazine=Cornell Alumni Magazine |title=Reunion Reports | page=78}} He conducted research with Arthur Aron at Stony Brook University to identify what character traits drive attraction. While a doctoral student at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, together with Paul Rose and under the direction of Francis Fincham, he explored how people's curiosity affects their relationships.{{Cite news |last=Morrin |first=Richard, of the Washington Post |date=December 19, 2002 |title=I am curious (and in love) |work=The Courier-Journal | via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81081140/i-am-curious-and-in-love/ |access-date=July 9, 2021}}

Kashdan became an assistant professor at George Mason University in 2004 and became a full professor in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://toddkashdan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/cv.pdf|title=Curriculum Vitae|last=Kashdan|first=Todd|date=2020|access-date=December 2, 2023}}

Together with John Roberts, Kashdan studied how curiosity affects the successfulness of a relationship, exploring, for instance, if curious people are more active listeners, if they show more interest, and if they ask more thoughtful questions.{{Cite book |last=Goodwin |first=Bryan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z1vMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT112 |title=Building a Curious School: Restore the Joy That Brought You to School |date=March 19, 2020 |publisher=Corwin Press |isbn=978-1-0718-0212-0 |pages=PT 112 }}

Since 2004, Kashdan has also taught at George Mason University, where he is a tenured professor and leads the Well-Being Laboratory. The lab received a $1 million research grant from the Charles Koch Foundation by 2020.

Kashdan has found that curiosity is key to a "happy, fulfilling life". He states that it helps make even tedious tasks more enjoyable, by focusing on the details and capturing the childlike sense of awe and wonder.{{Cite news |last=Kinze |first=Susan |date=November 9, 2009 |title=Curious? That's the key to joy, psychologist says | via=Newspapers.com |work=The Idaho Statesman |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81079433/curious-thats-the-key-to-joy/ |access-date=July 9, 2021}} He wrote a chapter about how curiosity is a character strength for Character Strengths and Virtues by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman. From his research, Kashdan has found that curiosity leads to better performance, because curious people are more open to learning and are more engaged.{{Cite news |last=Pollay |first=David J. |date=August 14, 2009 |title=Focus + Humility + Questions = Momentum |pages=140 |work=The Miami Herald | via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81081741/focus-humility-questions-momentum/ |access-date=July 9, 2021}}

He has also found that people who practice gratitude are better able to interact with others in their work and personal lives, because they are more likely to be more considerate of other people and less aggressive in response to insults.{{Cite news |date=November 24, 2011 |title=For some, gratitude a way of life |pages=F10 |work=The Atlanta Constitution |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81080514/for-some-gratitude-a-way-of-life/ |access-date=July 9, 2021}}

In 2019, Kashdan was chastised by George Mason University for "lack of appropriate professional behavior" and gender-based sexual harassment of graduate students.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/george-mason-university-investigation-faults-professor-for-sexual-talk-with-students-in-class-and-a-hot-tub-court-records-show/2020/05/01/639e7dc8-32e9-11ea-9313-6cba89b1b9fb_story.html|title=George Mason University investigation faults professor for sexual talk with students in class and a hot tub, court records show|first=Nick|last=Anderson|date=May 1, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/science-religion-a556d63e67d82ba93ddc5205930fef0f|title=George Mason Professor Sues after Sanctions for Sex Talk|last=Barakat|first=Matthew|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=January 29, 2022|work=Associated Press News}}{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/05/04/george-mason-faults-professor-sexual-talk-students|title=George Mason Faults Professor for Sexual Talk With Students|website=Inside Higher Ed|first=Lilah|last=Burke|date=May 4, 2020|access-date=June 8, 2021}} He was reprimanded and ordered to undergo sexual harassment prevention training. He was also banned from teaching graduate courses for a period of two years. He continued teaching undergraduate courses during this period.{{cite news|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/06/23/george-mason-u-professor-loses-anti-male-bias-suit|date=June 23, 2023|last=Quinn|first=Ryan|title=George Mason U Professor Loses 'Anti-Male Bias' Suit| work=Inside Higher Ed |access-date=August 18, 2023}} In 2020, Kashdan lost a lawsuit against the university over the sanctions; in 2023, he also lost an appeal. He argued in the lawsuit that he had faced "anti-male bias" in the university disciplinary process.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/06/22/george-mason-professor-anti-male-bias-lawsuit|title=Court: Professor who went to strip club with students not 'anti-male bias' victim|first=Rachel|last=Weiner|date=June 22, 2023|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Kashdan received the American Psychological Association's 2013 Distinguished Scientific Early Career Award.{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Anne |date=January 18, 2013 |title=Professor Kashdan Recognized with American Psychological Association Award |url=https://chss.gmu.edu/articles/4908 |access-date=July 9, 2021 |website=College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University }}

• {{cite book|editor1=Kennon M. Sheldon|editor2=Todd B. Kashdan|editor3=Michael F. Steger|title=Designing Positive Psychology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward|date=January 3, 2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-970626-6}}{{cite journal|first=Alex J.|last=Zautra|title=Review of Designing Positive Psychology|journal=Journal of Positive Psychology|volume=7|issue=1|year=2012|doi=10.1080/17439760.2011.614830|s2cid=143354851 }}
• {{cite book|editor1=Todd B. Kashdan|editor2=Joseph Ciarrochi|title=Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Positive Psychology: The Seven Foundations of Well-Being|date=April 1, 2013|publisher=New Harbinger|isbn=978-1-60882-339-0}}{{cite journal|first=James K.|last=Luiselli|title=Review of Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Positive Psychology|journal=New England Psychologist|date=August 22, 2014|url=https://www.nepsy.com/articles/book-reviews/mindfulness-acceptance-and-positive-psychology-the-seven-foundations-of-well-being/}}

For the general public:

• {{cite book|author=Todd Kashdan|title=Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life|url=https://archive.org/details/curiousdiscoverm0000kash|date=April 21, 2009|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-06-166118-1|url-access=registration}}{{cite journal|first=Acacia C.|last=Parks|title=Review of Curious?|journal=Journal of Positive Psychology|volume=6|issue=3|year=2011|doi=10.1080/17439760.2011.565603|s2cid=144135373 }} {{cite magazine|title=The Happiness of Pursuit: A Review of Curious?|first=Joseph|last=Ferrell|magazine=Greater Good Magazine|date=October 28, 2009|url=https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_happiness_of_pursuit_a_review_of_curious}}
• {{cite book|author1=Todd B. Kashdan|author2=Robert Biswas-Diener|title=The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why being your whole self – not just your "good" self – drives success and fulfillment |date=October 2014|publisher=Hudson Street Press|isbn=978-1594631733}}{{cite journal|first=Acacia C.|last=Parks|title=Review of The Upside of Your Dark Side|journal=International Journal of Wellbeing|volume=5|issue=1|year=2015|doi=10.5502/ijw.v5i1.5 |doi-access=free|s2cid=142719075 |url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a448/eecbd9d2e2dd755dcb98fd92bd555d836fc7.pdf}} {{cite magazine|url=https://positivepsychologynews.com/news/lisa-sansom/2014100230158|first=Lisa|last=Sansom|title=The Upside of Your Dark Side (book review)|magazine=Positive Psychology News|date=October 2, 2014}}
• {{cite book|author1=Todd B. Kashdan|title=The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively |date=February 15, 2022|publisher=Avery Publishing|isbn=978-0593420881}}Reviews of The Art of Insubordination:
• {{cite news|title=The Art of Insubordination (review) |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/todd-b-kashdan/the-art-of-insubordination/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |date=December 15, 2021 |access-date=September 30, 2022}}
• {{cite web|url=https://wdet.org/2022/03/04/new-book-the-art-of-insubordination-challenges-assumptions-of-dissent/|title= New book "The Art of Insubordination" challenges assumptions of dissent | last=LeClaire|first=Amanda|date=March 4, 2022|access-date=September 6, 2024|publisher=WDET Detroit Public Radio}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|toddkashdan.com}}
• {{ResearchGate|Todd_Kashdan}}

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Category:21st-century American psychologists

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Category:American male non-fiction writers

Category:George Mason University faculty

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Category:Cornell University alumni

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)