GRATITUDE

Gratitude

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all other

Gratitude is derived from the Latin concept gratia, which entails some variant of grace, gratefulness, and graciousness. Gratitude emerges upon recognizing that one had obtained a positive outcome from another individual who behaved in a way that was a) costly to him or her b) valuable to the recipient c) intentionally rendered. As such, gratitude taps into the propensity to appreciate and savor everyday events and experiences.

Sharing is caring, Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is a variety of things that can conjure positive feelings of appreciation, or gratitude.  Gratitude begins with an inner feeling. When we’re grateful for the good things happening around us, especially when we’re with those we love, expressing it helps the feelings of love and tenderness to grow. 

A deeply felt and fully expressed gratitude is an effective way to positively influence attitudes and behavior–our own and those of others.

Gratitude is an emotion similar to appreciation that most people are familiar with.

Most of us associate gratitude with saying “thank you” to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. From a scientific perspective, gratitude is not just an action. Gratitude is a positive emotion, which is really important because it serves a purpose. Expressing gratitude is the beginning of courtesy, generosity, concern, bring a calm sense of well-being,and deeper appreciation for positivity.

Definitions

A definition comes from the Harvard Medical School, which says that gratitude is:“a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals – whether to other people, nature, or a higher power” 

Forster et al., 2017 defines:“an emotion that is typically evoked when one receives costly, unexpected, and intentionally rendered benefits, and is thought to play a key role in regulating the initiation and maintenance of social relationships”.

Emmons says that gratitude:“has been conceptualized as an emotion, a virtue, a moral sentiment, a motive, a coping response, a skill, and an attitude. It is all of these and more. Minimally, gratitude is an emotional response to a gift. It is the appreciation felt after one has been the beneficiary of an altruistic act” (Emmons & Crumpler, 2000).

Gratitude is a positive emotion that is felt after being the beneficiary of some sort of gift. It is a social emotion that is often directed towards a person (the giver of a gift), though it is also often felt towards a higher power. Gratitude is often felt when a gift is not necessarily deserved, or when the gift was not given in some sort of reciprocal sense. The social aspect of gratitude should be clear from these definitions.

Synonyms of gratitude include:-acknowledgment, appreciativeness ,grace, gracefulness ,gratefulness, praise, recognition, requital, responsiveness, thankfulness.

Two Stages of Gratitude-

According to Dr. Robert Emmons, the feeling of gratitude involves two stages (2003):

1. First comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. In a state of gratitude, we say yes to life. We affirm that all in all, life is good, and has elements that make it not just worth living, but rich with texture and detail. The acknowledgment that we have received something gratifies us, both by its presence and by the effort the giver put into choosing it.

• Second, gratitude is recognizing that some of the sources of this goodness lie outside the self. At this stage, the object of gratitude is other-directed; one can be grateful to other people, to animals, and to the world, but not to oneself. At this stage, we recognize not only the goodness in our lives, but who is to thank for it, and who has made sacrifices so that we could be happy.

The two stages of gratitude comprise the recognition first of the goodness in our lives, and then of the source of that goodness that lies outside of ourselves. By this process, we recognize everything and everyone that makes us who we are in our best moments.

Purpose of Gratitude

People can use gratitude to form new social relations, or to build upon and make current ones better.

Acts of gratitude can be used to apologize, make amends or help solve other problems people may face.

Alternatively, people may feel gracious because it can be an intrinsically rewarding process. Simply being grateful for being alive is a great way to motivate oneself to seize the day. The idea that tomorrow is not guaranteed is a strong motivator to some people.

Why Gratitude Works

Gratitude is a selfless act. Gratitude acts are done unconditionally to show to people that they are appreciated, not because people are  looking for something in return; however, that is not to say that people do not return the favor. Gratitude can be contagious, in a good way.

Catharsis-

One concept that fits well into the blueprint of gratitude is catharsis.

Catharsis is the process in which an individual releases strong emotions.  For example, after a stressful or traumatic event, crying provides a means for such a strong release; thus, rendering the activity cathartic.

It is in a similar fashion that catharsis works with gratitude.  To illustrate this, consider the following. The guilt associated with failing to meet obligations may cause a person to show gratitude to another whom they have let down, in an attempt to release that guilt. The acts following that event are meant to show the deep appreciation that the friends have for each other.

Additionally, in a more solitary way, possessions left from passed loved ones may provide a sense of serenity that enables the new owner to reflect with gratitude on that object. The use of gratitude serves as an agent of catharsis, and both parties feel satisfied in the end. Which is a pretty good seguing into the other reason that gratitude works.

Reciprocity-

Second Reciprocity, a concept that originated from social psychology, is about the exchanging of actions.

In regard to gratitude, it is the exchange of positive emotion.  Someone performs an act of gratitude for another person, and in turn, that person may be motivated to do something gracious for the former person, or continue the favor for a stranger.  

After all, acts of gratitude aren’t only for people that you know! A common contemporary phrase that people are familiar with is, “paying it forward.”

Though, paying it forward does not obligate you to reciprocate if you cannot, but it does spread positivity via gratitude.

Article 1 summary Is Gratitude a Moral Affect?

Authors establish gratitude as a moral affect . “We are…proposing … that gratitude typically results from and stimulates moral behavior, that is, behavior that is motivated out of concern for another person… We liken gratitude to other moral affects such as empathy, sympathy, guilt, and shame.” This proposal is supported with the four following hypotheses:

1. Gratitude is used as a moral barometer, in that it is used to emotionally feel the size and nature of a gift from another. The supporting studies cited showed that people are more likely to feel gratitude towards: acts done by strangers than family members, larger acts than smaller acts, more inconvenient acts, acts that confer benefits which themselves are not necessary because of a situation caused by the benefactor, people with higher status, and people who were generally nicer. People were also significantly more likely to feel gratitude when their declaration of gratitude would be public.

• Gratitude is used as a moral motive – that is, it encourages pro-social behavior, and discourages societaly disruptive behavior. Three studies cited showed that those who felt gratitude were more likely to help others.

• Expressions of gratitude reinforce moral behavior. This is supported through multiple studies, all which show that expressions of gratitude encourage pro-social behavior in the future. For example, thanking case managers induced greater visitation, greater volunteerism, helping a stranger pick up dropped books, and spending more at a store.

The noted exception is that humans have a built in defense mechanism against overt attempts to use expressions of gratitude for greedy reasons (e.g. to get customers to spend more money). In addition, one referenced study showed that an expression of gratitude colors the recipients emotional valance of the benefactor and events sounding their interaction towards a more positive light.

•  Gratitude can be correlated with certain personality traits. This is proven only half true – only agreeableness is shown to be positively correlated with gratitude (and narcissism negatively correlated). Unexpectedly, extroversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism had nearly no correlation with gratitude.

Article 2 summary – A Little Appreciation Goes A Long Way; Why Gratitude Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Appreciation is one of life’s greatest motivators, so when we take the time to let people know that we value them, it inspires them to continue doing even more. That is precisely why gratitude is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.

“A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.”

That’s not just a nice sounding quote, it is a fact that has been scientifically proven.

 Francis Flynn, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford, shared the following: “Individuals often withhold help because they are uncertain about whether beneficiaries will appreciate their assistance. Expressions of gratitude can signify that a beneficiary values, needs, and accepts one’s assistance.

 Previous research has shown that grateful feelings enable people to savor positive experiences, cope with stress, and strengthen social relationships. A disposition toward gratitude is also associated with higher levels of subjective well-being, demonstrating that counting one’s blessings can increase positive emotions and health.”

In each of the four experiments designed to look at how being thanked played into feelings of personal competence and the perception of being valued. They tested having someone thank another person for their involvement, then studying the resulting behavior of the person who received the thanks. Each participant was measured on how effective they felt they were at the task as well as how valued they felt. The results were very telling:

“The findings suggest that when helpers are thanked for their efforts, the resulting sense of being socially valued is critical in encouraging them to provide more help in the future. Gratitude expressions spill over onto other beneficiaries as well, suggesting that one can spark a chain of prosocial behavior with a simple thank you. Overall, the research affirms our general intuition –– that giving thanks can have important implications for encouraging actions that promote cooperation. Clearly, a little appreciation goes a long way.”

There is no doubt that when we say the words “thank you” we make the other person feel important and valued, which raises their self-esteem and helps improve their self-image. In addition, saying “thank you” not only improves their self-esteem, it improves our own self-esteem as well. Each time we say those words to another person we feel better about ourselves, our attitude improves, and we become more grateful.

This phenomenon is often referred to as The Law of Reciprocity which says “If you make me feel good about myself, I will find a way to make you feel good about yourself.” That act of showing appreciation through something as simple as saying “thank you” ignites others to go the extra mile for us, and we in turn, become inspired to go the extra mile for them. Thus we see how gratitude truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Article 3 summary Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life

Authors conducted three studies.

In the first study, subjects were asked to complete a weekly gratitude journal, weekly burdens journal, or a weekly neutral journal for nine weeks.

Gratitude Condition:-There are many things in our lives, both large and small, that we might be grateful about. Think back over the past week and write down on the lines below up to five things in your life that you are grateful or thankful for.

Burdens Condition:- Hassles are irritants—things that annoy or bother you. They occur in various domains of life, including relationships, work, school, housing, finances, health, and so forth. Think back over today and, on the lines below, list up to five hassles that occurred in your life.

Despite the extreme infrequency of the journaling, there were still significant results.The grateful group reported increased well-being, had better health, exercised more (~40 min./week), felt life was better (~8% better), and had increased optimism (~5% more).

In the second study, subjects were asked to complete a daily gratitude journal, daily burdens journal, or a downward social comparisons journal for two weeks. Gratitude & Burdens Condition same as in study 1 (except daily instead of weekly).

Downward Social Comparison Condition:- It is human nature to compare ourselves to others. We may be better off than others in some ways, and less fortunate than other people in other ways. Think about ways in which you are better off than others, things that you have that they don’t, and write these down in the spaces below.As expected, there was a stronger response due to the increased frequency of the journaling.

Perhaps because of the reduced duration (2 weeks vs 9), or perhaps because the first result was a fluke, there was no significant impact of the gratitude intervention on measured health variables (e.g. hours of exercise, sleep quality, asprin, caffeine, and alcohol usage). However, those in the gratitude group did report increased pro-social behavior (offering emotional support and help with a problem).

In the third study, all subjects chosen had a neuromuscular disease (as compared to the usual healthy college student). In addition, there were only two groups – a gratitude group with the same instructions as before, and a control group. The study was extended to three weeks, and and reports were collected from the subject’s closest relationship, to see if changes were observable to more than the subjects internal narrative.

The impact on well-being, optimism and social connectedness was similar to in studies 1 and 2. Similar to in study 2, there was no impact on measured health variables. However, there was one exception – subjects in the gratitude condition reported getting half an hour more sleep (7.58 hrs.) as compared to the control (7.06). These changes were noticed on the reports by the subject’s closest relationship.

Gratitude is a feeling with which we are all familiar. It is the feeling of appreciation to someone or something outside of ourselves for something in our lives that we find beneficial. Gratitude is prized as a virtue by most of the world’s religious traditions, and it has been a championed as a source of happiness and satisfaction by the popular press. Given the popular and religious views on the topic, is “an attitude of gratitude” one worth pursuing? This is the question that the Emmons and McCullough sought to answer when they conducted their series of studies.

Before they could answer their core question about gratitude, the authors had to lay some conceptual groundwork. The study of gratitude is situated in the subjective well-being literature. This literature studies the components of well-being (i.e. happiness) which include appraisals of how satisfied one is with one’s life as well as moods and emotions like joy, frustration, excitement and… gratitude.

Gratitude is highly related to other positive emotions like optimism, joy and harmony. It may seem different to us semantically, however, in order to treat it separately in a scientific study, it had to be shown that gratitude was separate from, for instance, a more general concept like “happiness”. Fortunately, there was previous work to show that although gratitude “overlaps” with other positive feelings, the beliefs and ideas associated with it are distinct (McCullough et al., “The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography”, 2002).

Having shown that gratitude was distinct from other positive emotions, the authors set out to show not only that gratitude was related to well-being but that it caused well-being. In order to show causality (rather than merely correlation), they needed to manipulate gratitude in an experiment. They did this in a series of studies in which participants were divided into conditions, one in which they were told to list things in their lives that they were grateful for (“listing blessings”) and one or more in which they listed “hassles”, did something unrelated or did nothing at all (a control condition that could be compared with gratitude).

In addition to this manipulation of gratitude, they also took measures of participants’ positive and negative emotions. If participants who received the gratitude manipulation experienced more positive and less negative emotions of the course of the study, then it would be safe to conclude that gratitude had caused these changes in their experience.

Article 4 summary Is Gratitude an Alternative to Materialism?

Authors explore the connection between gratitude and materialism.

Materialism: “A persistent emphasis on lower-order needs for material comfort and physical safety over higher-order needs such as self expression and quality of life.”

Materialism has been shown to harm psychological well-being, and so is a losing strategy for the individual. However, materialism in others may be beneficial, as it encourages entrepreneurship and GDP growth, and encourages wealth and status signaling (e.g. in person you may not be able to tell that Warren Buffet is exceptionally rich, given his reputation for not being materialistic, but in front of most other rich people – they will make the effort to make sure you know that they are rich).

The authors then explore two development routes which give rise to the personality trait of materialism:

1. Insecurity. Those who have not had “their basic psychological needs met – needs such as safety, competence, connectedness, and autonomy” are more likely to be materialistic. Three examples in particular are those who have high self-doubt, those who come from poor families, and those whose who had parents which failed to provide requisite levels of emotional support.

• Role models. Quite sadly, Americans are inundated with materialistic role models, every single day. From advertisements which highlight materialistic themes to celebrity culture which glorifies the rich and frivolous, to business culture in which we are told our dreams should be to be rich and powerful.

The evidence is clear – while economic motivation is a prerequisite for a stable life (e.g. the unemployed have higher rates of depression), high economic motivation (e.g. materialism) is strongly correlated with reduced well-being and increased rates of mental disorder.

The authors then make the case that gratitude and materialism are inversely related.  

In one study, (McCullough 2002) those who had a high level of gratitude as a personality trait were much more likely to have below-average levels of materialism.  Polak 2005 showed the same results.

Lerner and Ketlner (2000, 2001) show that gratitude focuses our attention on others (e.g. instead of believing we control our fate, we start looking at others as agents of change in our lives). Furthermore, gratitude shifts the color of that focus to the positive – not only are others effecting us, but they are doing so in a positive way. This in turn gives the impression that one is surrounded by benevolent agents, which itself destroys insecurity, which is one of the primary drivers behind materialism.

The last argument the authors bring up is that those who are more grateful are more social, and so not only perceive the environment to be more benevolent, but actually make it so by helping others more frequently and accumulating social capital.

Article 5 summary The Grateful Disposition: A Conceptual and Empirical Topography

Authors explored what emotional states and personality factors give rise to gratitude through four studies.

They first define four dimensions of gratitude: intensity, frequency, span, and density.

• Intensity: The depth of the feeling, from a slight emotional tug to overflowing tears.
• Frequency: The ease with which grateful feelings are elicited.
• Span: The number of different things for which a person can be grateful for at the same time.
• Density: The number of different people for which a person can be grateful for a single positive outcome.

In the first study, a wide range of personality factors were tested against the GQ-6, a measure of gratitude. In addition to information collected from each participant, information was collected from four informants who knew each subject well.

Measures of well-being had the strongest correlation with gratitude, oftentimes greater than .5 (as seen in the table to the right). Pro-social traits and measures of spirituality were also correlated with gratitude (~.15 to .30).

The personality trait of agreeableness had the strongest positive correlation with gratitude, of .39, while neuroticism had the strongest (and only) negative correlation, of -.30.

The second study measured similar factors and traits, but was different in two regards. First, it was much larger, with six times the sample size (n=1,228).

Second, rather than the usual college student, participants were adults, 80% female, and contacted through the web.

The results were similar to those of study 1, with the notable difference that most of the correlations were stronger (e.g. .32 for extroversion vs. .2 and .53 for spiritual transcendence vs. .24).

The third study was similar to the first one, except that materialism and envy were also measured (Belk Materialism Scale and Dispositional Envy Scale).

Materialism and envy had strong negative correlations with measures of gratitude.The materialism sub-scales had negative correlations ranging from -.07 to -.38, and the envy scale of -.39.

“Grateful people report themselves as being less materialist and less envious. In particular, grateful people report being more willing to part with their possessions, more generous with them, less envious of the material wealth of others, less committed to the idea that material wealth brings happiness. Apparently, material success is not a very important factor in the happiness of highly grateful people.”

The fourth study combined the data from the first three studies, and attempted to isolate individual correlations. For example, extroversion and agreeableness are both correlated with gratitude, but they are also both correlated with each other.

After controlling for agreeableness, the magnitude of nearly all correlations fell. Overall, the Big Five personality traits combined could account for 30%-50% of the overall variation in a person’s level of gratitude.