Robert Biswas-Diener (born July 27, 1972) is a positive psychologist, author and instructor at Portland State University. Biswas-Diener's mother is Carol Diener and his father is Ed Diener, both psychologists.

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Biswas-Diener's research focuses on income and happiness, culture and happiness, and positive psychology. Biswas-Diener's research has led him to areas such as India, Greenland, Israel, Kenya, and Spain,^[1] and he has been called the "Indiana Jones of positive psychology".^[2] He obtained his PhD in 2009 on "Material wealth and subjective well-being" from the University of Tromsø.^[3] Biswas-Diener is interested in looking into the difference between a procrastinator and what he calls an "incubator".^[4]

Biswas-Diener is an author of books and articles and sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Happiness Studies and Journal of Positive Psychology.^[1] Biswas-Diener also co-founded The Strengths Project, a charity whose mission is to "help underprivileged individuals and groups realise their strengths to enhance quality of life and build on their life circumstances."^[5]

The psychological study of happiness is referred to as subjective well-being. Researchers are principally interested in the measurement, causes and consequences of being happy. Biswas-Diener has contributed to the study of happiness principally through his investigations of the well-being of groups traditionally overlooked by psychologists.^[6][7] These include the Amish, the Maasai and homeless people.

Positive psychologists have argued that there is a need create a taxonomy of “what goes right with people” as well as “what goes wrong with people.”^[8] Previous attempts have focused on uni-dimensional approaches such as identify individual strengths. Biswas-Diener has expanded on these approaches by creating a “multi-axial” approach to comprehensive diagnosis similar to the DSM Multi-axial Approach used in clinical psychology. His positive diagnosis model includes:

• Axis 1: Capacities (strengths and interests)
• Axis 2: Well-being (life satisfaction and psychological well-being)
• Axis 3: Future Orientation (hope and optimism)
• Axis 4: Situational Benefactors
• Axis 5: Values

Many researchers have examined the phenomenon of procrastination. Some researchers have noted that procrastination can be adaptive. Biswas-Diener has examined the work styles of people who knowingly procrastinate and allow mounting anxiety to propel them to high performance, albeit “at the last minute.”^[9] He has identified this work style as “incubator.”

A major area of interest within positive psychology theory and research has been on the topic of strengths. Strengths are disproportionately represented among publications in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Biswas-Diener and his colleagues argue that strengths are potentials rather than traits and that they can be cultivated through effort.^[10] Following from this argument is the idea that strengths can be over or underused and that “strengths development” is largely a matter of learning to use strengths appropriately to unique situations. They further argue that if used inappropriately strengths use may be associated with social costs or personal psychological harm.

Biswas-Diener has written that courage consists of two separable processes: managing the emotion of fear and “boosting the willingness to act”.^[11] He suggests that courage consists of skills that can be learned.

• Jhangiani, R. & Biswas-Diener, R. (2017). Open:The philosophy and practices that are revolutionizing education and science.
• Kashdan, T. & Biswas-Diener, R. (2014). The Upside of Your Dark Side:Why being your whole self—not just your "good self"—drives success and fulfillment.
• Biswas-Diener, R. (2012). The Courage Quotient: How science can make you braver.
• Biswas-Diener, R. (2011). Positive psychology as social change.
• Biswas-Diener, Robert. (2010) Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention.
• Linley, A., Willars, J., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). The strengths book: Be confident, be successful, and enjoy better relationships by realising the best of you.
• Diener, Ed., and Biswas-Diener, Robert. (2008) Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth.
• Biswas-Diener, R., and Ben Dean (2007) Positive Psychology Coaching (2007)