Derrick Wirtz

(He, Him, His)

Associate Professor of Teaching

Psychology

Office: ART 328
Phone: 250.807.8276
Email: derrick.wirtz@ubc.ca

Research Summary

Subjective well-being; happiness; the “good life”; cross-cultural differences in emotion; flourishing & thriving; positive emotions; interventions to increase well-being.

Courses & Teaching

Introduction to psychology; introduction to research methods and design; positive psychology.

Biography

Derrick is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on the science and application of subjective well-being, commonly referred to simply as “happiness.” He has published a variety of peer-reviewed articles on topics including culture and happiness, social media use and happiness, and interventions to increase happiness. His love of scholarship extends to the classroom, where is a teacher of introductory psychology, research methodology, and positive psychology. Derrick has been nominated for several teaching awards and received pedagogical grants to include open educational resources in his courses, reducing the cost burden to students, as well as the use of technology to facilitate effective and inclusive learning through both in-person and online learning courses.

Websites

Center for Obesity and Well-being Research Excellence
Google Scholar

Degrees

BSc University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
MA University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
PhD University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests & Projects

My research laboratory focuses on the topics of happiness and subjective well-being. A current area of focus is ENHANCE (Enduring Happiness and Continued Self-Enhancement), a randomized controlled trial investigating the ability of a comprehensive well-being intervention to produce lasting changes in subjective well-being. Additional research interests include concepts of the “good life,” cross-cultural differences in the predictors of happiness, and the measurement and assessment of well-being.

Selected Publications & Presentations

2023	Tseu, A., & Ganesh, K., & Wirtz, D. Adjusting in a pandemic: Experiences of incoming international students. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1003051
2022	Tov, W., Wirtz., D., Kushlev, K., Biswas-Diener, R., & Diener, E. Well-Being Science for Teaching and the General Public. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17, 1452-1471.
2020	Wirtz, D., Tucker, A., Briggs, C., & Schoemann, A.M. (2020). How and Why Social Media Affect Subjective Well-Being: Multi-Site Use and Social Comparison as Predictors of Change Across Time. Journal of Happiness Studies. DOI 10.1007/s10902-020-00291-z
2020	Kushlev, K., Heitzelman, S., Lutes, L., Wirtz, D., Kanippayoor, M., Leitner, D., & Diener, E. (2020). Does happiness improve health? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychological Science, 31(7), 807-821. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620919673
2020	Heintzelman, S. J., Kushlev, K., Lutes, L. D., Wirtz, D., Kanippayoor, J. M., Leitner, D., Oishi, S., & Diener, E. (2020). ENHANCE: Evidence for the efficacy of a comprehensive intervention program to promote subjective well-being. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 26(2), 360- 383. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000254
2017	Diener, E., Heintzelman, S. J., Kushlev, K., Tay, L., Wirtz, D., Lutes, L. D., Oishi, S. Findings all psychologists should know from the new science on subjective well-being. Canadian Psychology, 58, 87-104.
2017	Kushlev, K., Heintzelman, S. J., Lutes, L. D., Wirtz, D., Oishi, S., & Diener, E. ENHANCE: Design and rationale of a randomized controlled trial for promoting enduring happiness and well-being. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 52, 62-74.
2017	Alvarez-Bell, R., Wirtz, D., & Bian, H. Identifying keys to success in innovative teaching: Student engagement and instructional practices as predictors of student learning in a course using a team-based learning approach. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 5, 128-146.

Selected Grants & Awards

Principal Investigator 2017-2018	UBC-Okanagan Open Education Resources Grant Psychological Science Lab Manual: An Open Resource for Introduction to Research Methods and Design Funding Amount: $4,600
Principal Investigator 2017-2018	Irving K. Barber School of Arts & Sciences Curricular Innovation Award University of British Columbia, A Hybrid Approach to Team-Based Learning, Open Science, and Professional Presentation Funding Amount: $9,380