Gratitude

Key Research Around Gratitude

A long-term research project into Gratitude and Thankfulness by Professors  Robert A. Emmons, University of California, Davis  and  Michael E. McCullough, University of Miami   proposes that ‘Gratitude is the “forgotten factor” in happiness research and seeks to ‘create and disseminate a large body of novel scientific data on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for human health and well-being’

The research recognises that ‘Scientists are latecomers to the concept of gratitude.  Religions and philosophies have long embraced gratitude as an indispensable manifestation of virtue, and an integral component of health, wholeness, and well-being.’  (The project is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation).

The research findings so far suggest:

• ‘those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events ’
• ‘ those who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to others;
• a daily gratitude activity/exercise resulted in ‘higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles’ ;
• participants in  ‘daily gratitude … were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another;
• in ’a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude activity resulted in greater amounts of high energy, positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality’;
• ‘children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008 );
• most people report being grateful (an average rating of nearly 6 on a 7 point scale);
• ‘grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. …. Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life’ ;
• ‘people with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others.  They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks ‘ (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002 );
• ‘Spirituality:  Those who regularly attend religious services and engage in religious activities such as prayer or reading religious material are more likely to be grateful.  Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others. Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful’; (McCullough et. al., 2002);
• ‘Materialism:  Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others’.