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Laura A. King

  • Media Contact
  • SPN Mentor

My research is broadly concerned with the human experience of meaning in life and well-being. My primary interests include happiness, meaning in life, the narrative construction of identity, and personality development in adulthood. I am also interested in ways that writing about life experiences influences psychological and physical health.

I am currently serving as the editor of the Personality and Individual Differences section of JPSP.

Primary Interests:

  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Health Psychology
  • Life Satisfaction, Well-Being
  • Motivation, Goal Setting
  • Personality, Individual Differences
  • Self and Identity
  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Health Psychology
  • Life Satisfaction, Well-Being
  • Motivation, Goal Setting
  • Personality, Individual Differences
  • Self and Identity

Journal Articles:

  • Biswas-Diener, R., Kashdan, T., & King, L. A. (2009). Two traditions of happiness research, not two distinct types of happiness. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 208-211.
  • Burton, C. M., & King, L. A. (2009). The benefits of writing about positive experiences: Applying the broaden and build model. Psychology and Health, 24, 867-879.
  • Burton, C. M., & King, L. A. (2008). The effects of (very) brief writing on health: The 2-minute miracle. British Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 9-14.
  • Hicks, J. A., & King, L. A. (2009). Meaning in Life as a Judgment and Lived Experience. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 638-653.
  • King, L. A., Burton, C. M, Hicks, J. A, & Drigotas, S. M. (2007). Ghosts, UFOs, and Magic: Positive Affect and the Experiential System. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 905-919.
  • King, L. A., Burton, C. M, Hicks, J. A, & Drigotas, S. M. (2007). Ghosts, UFOs, and Magic: Positive Affect and the Experiential System. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 905-919.
  • King, L. A., & Hicks, J. A. (2009). Positive Affect, Intuition, and Referential Thinking. Personality and Individual Differences, 46, 719-724.
  • King, L. A. & Hicks, J. A. (2009). The detection and construction of meaning in life events. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 317-330.
  • King, L. A., & Hicks, J. A. (2007). Whatever happened to “what might have been”? Regret, happiness, and maturity. American Psychologist,62, 625-636.
  • King, L. A., Hicks, J.A., Abdelkhalik, J. (2009, in press). Death, Life, Scarcity, and Value: An alternative approach to the meaning of death. Psychological Science.
  • King, L. A., Hicks, J. A., & Krull, J., & Del Gaiso, A. K.. (2006). Positive affect and the experience of meaning in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, in press.
  • King, L.A., & Raspin, C. (2004). Lost and found possible selves, well-being and ego development in divorced women. Journal of Personality, 72, 603-631.
  • King, L. A., & Smith, N. G. (2004). Gay and straight possible selves: Goals, identity, subjective well -being, and personality development. Journal of Personality, 72,967-994.
  • King, L. A., & Smith, S. N. (2005). Happy, mature, and gay: Intimacy, power, and difficult times in coming out stories. Journal of Research in Personality, 39, 278-298.
  • Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. A., & Diener, E. (2005). The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803-855.

Courses Taught:

  • Goals, Mood, and Health
  • Graduate Seminar in Personality
  • Introduction to Personality
  • Introductory Psychology
  • Personality and Social Development
  • Personality Psychology
  • The Psychology of Character
  • Goals, Mood, and Health
  • Graduate Seminar in Personality
  • Introduction to Personality
  • Introductory Psychology
  • Personality and Social Development
  • Personality Psychology
  • The Psychology of Character

Laura A. King
Department of Psychological Sciences
210 McAlester Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
United States

Phone: (573) 882-6389

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