Todd Kashdan is a professor of psychology and director of the Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University.
14 Facts About Todd Kashdan
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Todd Kashdan's research explores why people suffer, with an emphasis on the transition from normal to pathological anxiety.
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Todd Kashdan conducted research with Arthur Aron at Stony Brook University to identify what character traits drive attraction.
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Todd Kashdan became an assistant professor at George Mason University in 2004 and became a full professor in 2014.
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Together with John Roberts, Todd 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.
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Since 2004, Todd Kashdan has taught at George Mason University, where he is a tenured professor and leads the Well-Being Laboratory.
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Todd Kashdan has found that curiosity is key to a "happy, fulfilling life".
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Todd Kashdan wrote a chapter about how curiosity is a character strength for Character Strengths and Virtues by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman.
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From his research, Todd Kashdan has found that curiosity leads to better performance, because curious people are more open to learning and are more engaged.
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Todd Kashdan has 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.
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Todd Kashdan was banned from teaching graduate courses for a period of two years.
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In 2020, Todd Kashdan lost a lawsuit against the university over the sanctions; in 2023, he lost an appeal.
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Todd Kashdan argued in the lawsuit that he had faced "anti-male bias" in the university disciplinary process.
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Todd Kashdan received the American Psychological Association's 2013 Distinguished Scientific Early Career Award.