Sonja Lyubomirsky
UC Riverside psychologist who studies happiness; wrote The How of Happiness.
At a glance
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- Sonja Lyubomirsky is a Russian-born American social psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside.
- Most of her research is on happiness: what makes people happy, whether happiness is good for them, and whether it can be lastingly increased.
- She wrote The How of Happiness (2008) and The Myths of Happiness.
- Her latest book, How to Feel Loved, written with Harry Reis, came out in February 2026.
Key facts
- Position
- Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, UC Riverside, from 2019; at UC Riverside from 19942
- Education
- AB in psychology, Harvard University (1989); PhD in social psychology, Stanford University (1994)2
- Books
- The How of Happiness (Penguin Press, 2008); The Myths of Happiness; How to Feel Loved (with Harry Reis, February 2026)3
- Honours
- Elected AAAS Fellow (2023); honorary doctorate, University of Basel (2021); Christopher J. Peterson Gold Medal, International Positive Psychology Association (2019)2
Links
Sources
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