Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen

Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen (b. 1946) is a renowned Finnish psychologist, and a pioneer in the field of experimental personality research. She is best known for her work in the field of temperament study. Since 1992 Keltikangas-Järvinen has held the position of Professor of Psychology at the University of Helsinki. She leads the Personality and Well-being Research Group.

Keltikangas-Järvinen’s research into the innate temperament differences is based on multi-disciplinary and comprehensive long-term study spanning over decades. She has used the findings to the advantage of early childhood education and school pedagogy development with the aim to promote children’s and young adults’ well-being and the understanding of diversity, and to prevent early social exclusion.

The Association of University Professors chose Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen as The Professor of the Year in 2008. The Finnish Non-Fiction Authors Association awarded her the Non-Fiction Author Award in 2001. In 2011 she was awarded the Lauri Jäntti Foundation Award for her book Sociability and Social Skills.

Keltikangas-Järvinen has written several books on her main research topics and her papers are regularly published in medical journals such as Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Journal of Psychosomatic Research and British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Selection of works

The Best Schools in the World? (Maailman paras koulu? WSOY 2014 – with Sari Mullola)
Toddlers and Social Interaction (Pienen lapsen sosiaalisuus, WSOY 2012)
Sociability and Social Skills (Sosiaalisuus ja sosiaaliset taidot, WSOY 2010)
Temperament, Stress and Life Management (Temperamentti, stressi ja elämänhallinta, WSOY 2008)
Temperament and School Performance (Temperamentti ja koulumenestys, WSOY 2006)

Awards

2011 Lauri Jäntti Foundation Award