Biography.guide
Home β€Ί People β€Ί Psychologist β€Ί Kennon Sheldon
Portrait of Kennon Sheldon

Kennon Sheldon

b. 1950

Psychologist

Don't just read it β€” keep itBiographies to ownE-book Β· Audio Β· Video From $7 β†’

About Kennon Sheldon

Born 1950. Kennon Sheldon is an American psychologist and researcher.

Kennon Marshall Sheldon is a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. His research is in the areas of well-being, motivation, self-determination theory, personality, and positive psychology. In 2002 he was a recipient of a Templeton Foundation "Positive Psychology" prize and in 2014 received the Ed and Carol Diener award for mid-career achievement in personality psychology. He is the author of Optimal Human Being: An Integrated Multi-level Perspective, Self-determination Theory in the Clinic: Motivating physical and mental health, and has written and edited several other academic books, as well as more than 200 academic articles and book chapters.

Education and early career Sheldon received a B.S. in psychology from Duke University in 1981 and a Ph.D. in social and personality psychology from the University of California, Davis in 1992. At UC Davis he worked under psychologist Robert Emmons, whose research on personal goal-striving shaped Sheldon's subsequent focus on motivation and well-being.

After completing his doctorate, Sheldon spent six years at the University of Rochester as a postdoctoral researcher and visiting assistant professor, where he worked alongside Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, the co-developers of self-determination theory. He joined the faculty of the University of Missouri in 1997.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it β€”
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop β€” from $7

Instant download Β· yours to keep Β· every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1950
Birth century
Nationality
Education
Duke University, University of California, Davis, Seattle University
Employers
University of Missouri
Also known as
Kennon M Sheldon

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Kennon Sheldon's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kennon Sheldon?

psychologist

When was Kennon Sheldon born?

Kennon Sheldon was born in 1950.

What is Kennon Sheldon's occupation?

Kennon Sheldon is a psychologist and researcher.

What nationality is Kennon Sheldon?

Kennon Sheldon is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Kennon Sheldon

Β· Wikidata: Q6390935

Β· DBpedia: Kennon Sheldon

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kennon Sheldon. https://biography.guide/kennon-sheldon/

MLA: "Kennon Sheldon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kennon-sheldon/.

Chicago: "Kennon Sheldon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kennon-sheldon/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:15 UTC