John M. Zelenski

Research Interests

Much of my current research explores how people connect with nature and the viability of using nature as a ‘happy path to sustainability.’ This includes physical natural environments, virtual representations of nature, and individual differences people’s subjective sense of connection to nature (‘nature relatedness’). There are clear links among nature, sustainable behaviour, and happiness, and yet still more to learn about the details. I have broader interests in personality and happiness, with much past work focusing on the trait of introversion-extraversion and understanding how such characteristics play out in daily life. Other collaborative projects explore cross-cultural differences in well-being and meta-scientific topics (e.g., predictors of replicability). As the author of a positive psychology textbook, I am curious about most work on the good life. I also identify as a proponent of the ‘credibility revolution’ in science and maintain an active interest in improving the transparency and rigour of my research.

Selected Publications

Zelenski, J. M., Lutz, P. K., Passmore, H. A., & Nisbet, E. K. (2025). Nature relatedness usefully links well-being, the environment, and sustainability. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 09637214251349814.

Zelenski, J. M. (2024). Positive Psychology: The Science of Well-Being (2^nd Edition). Sage Publications. [Textbook, 432 pages]

Lutz, P. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Newman, D. B. (2023). Eco-anxiety in daily life: Relationships with well-being and pro-environmental behavior. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 100110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100110

van Allen, Z. M., Walker, D. L., Streiner, T., & Zelenski, J. M. (2021). Enacted extraversion as a well-being enhancing strategy in everyday life: Testing across three, week-long interventions. Collabra: Psychology, 7(1), 29931.

Zelenski, J. M., & Desrochers, J. E. (2021). Can positive and self-transcendent emotions promote pro-environmental behavior?. Current Opinion in Psychology 42, 31-35.

Smallenbroek, O., Zelenski, J. M., & Whelan, D. C. (2017). Authenticity as a eudaimonic construct: The relationships among authenticity, values, and valence. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12, 197-209.

Zelenski, J. M., Dopko, R. L., & Capaldi, C. A. (2015). Cooperation is in our nature: Nature exposure may promote cooperative and environmentally sustainable behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 24-31.

Zelenski, J. M., Whelan, D. C., Nealis, L. J., Besner, C. M., Santoro, M. S., & Wynn, J. E. (2013). Personality and affective forecasting: Trait introverts underpredict the hedonic benefits of acting extraverted. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(6), 1092-1108.

Nisbet, E. K., & Zelenski, J. M. (2011). Underestimating nearby nature: Affective forecasting errors obscure the happy path to sustainability. Psychological Science, 22(9), 1101-1106.

Nisbet, E. K. L., Zelenski, J. M., & Murphy, S. A. (2009). The Nature Relatedness Scale: Linking individuals’ connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior. Environment and Behavior, 41, 715-740.

Zelenski, J. M. & Larsen, R. J. (1999). Susceptibility to affect: A comparison of three personality taxonomies. Journal of Personality, 67, 761-791.