Gratitude Moderates the Relation between Daily Hassles and Satisfaction with Life in University Students

Satisfaction with life as a judgmental cognitive process can be negatively influenced by appraisals of daily events such as hassles. Trait-gratitude—a tendency to appraise, recognize and respond to life events through being grateful—is a determinant of mental health and well-being, and has been shown to be related to the positive appraisal of life. The aim of the current study was to investigate the moderating role of trait-gratitude in the relationship between daily hassles and satisfaction with life. In the process of carrying out this study, the French version of the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) was validated. A total of 328 French undergraduates completed questionnaires measuring gratitude, satisfaction with life, and daily hassles to test the main hypothesis. They also completed optimism, coping strategies, depression, and anxiety questionnaires in order to assess the convergent validity of the French version of the GQ-6. First, the results showed satisfactory psychometric properties of the Gratitude Questionnaire. Second, the results indicated the moderating role of trait-gratitude in the relationship between daily hassles disturbance and satisfaction with life. This study further documents the role of gratitude as a determinant of well-being and provides French-speaking clinicians and researchers with a useful tool to measure grateful disposition.

The Benefit of Gratitude: Trait Gratitude Is Associated With Effective Economic Decision-Making in the Ultimatum Game

The current research investigated the role of gratitude in economic decisions about offers that vary in fairness yet benefit both parties if accepted. Participants completed a trait/dispositional gratitude measure and then were randomly assigned to recall either an event that made them feel grateful (i.e., induced gratitude condition) or the events of a typical day (i.e., neutral condition). After the gratitude induction task, participants played the ultimatum game (UG), deciding whether to accept or reject fair offers (i.e., proposer: responder ratio $5:5) and unfair offers (i.e., proposer: responder ratios of $9:1, $8:2, or $7:3) from different proposers. Results showed that trait gratitude was positively correlated with respondents’ acceptance of unfair offers. However, experimentally induced momentary gratitude did not influence acceptance of unfair offers. The trait or disposition to be grateful involves the enduring capacity across different types of situations and benefactors to see the good that is present, even when that benefit is small. Accordingly, dispositional gratitude – but not momentarily induced gratitude – was associated with a greater propensity to accept even the small benefits within unfair offers which otherwise pose barriers to making the effective economic decision of accepting offers regardless of their relative size.

Trait gratitude and job search: the mediating role of perceived employability

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of trait gratitude on job search behaviour (preparatory and active) for job seekers approaching graduation. The mediating role of perceived employability is examined.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from job seekers (n = 143) in their final month of study in two waves with a one-month time lag between first and second data collection.FindingsStructural equation modelling analyses revealed that trait gratitude was significantly and positively associated with perceived employability. Perceived employability mediated the relationship between trait gratitude and preparatory job search, but not active job search.Research limitations/implicationsThis study extends research on job search by highlighting the applicability of trait gratitude to the job search process.Practical implicationsCareer counsellors should consider trait gratitude as relevant for program development to address the self-regulation of personal resources during job search.Originality/valueThis study is the first step towards connecting trait gratitude to the job search literature. The study identifies trait gratitude as a distal personal resource important for self-regulation of a proximal personal resource (i.e. perceived employability) and subsequent job search behaviour.

Gratitude to Nature: Presenting a Theory of its Conceptualization, Measurement, and Effects on Pro-Environmental Behavior

Feeling grateful to nature for its bountiful benefits to humans and wanting to give thanks to nature is a familiar theme in personal stories and cultural rituals, but this emotional experience has rarely been understood scientifically. The present research fills this gap by presenting a theory of gratitude to nature. Findings from four correlational studies and one experiment robustly support its propositions. Gratitude to nature can be conceptualized as a form of benefit-triggered gratitude. The distinction between trait and state gratitude to nature was found to be valid, and both forms of gratitude can be reliably measured. Trait gratitude to nature was associated with interpersonal gratitude as well as a number of constructs relevant to the human-nature relationship (e.g., experience with nature, connectedness to nature, anthropomorphism). Also, gratitude to nature strongly and robustly motivated not only intention but also actual performance of pro-environmental behavior. The theory offers novel insights into the understanding of humans’ relations with nature and responses to environmental problems. It also suggests potential directions for environmental education and communication.

Gratitude Blindness: How does the Dark Triad experience gratitude?

Gratitude promotes prosociality and long-term reciprocal relationships. The Dark Triad is associated with maladaptive interactions in their social and interpersonal relationships. The present study aimed at understanding whether these individuals experience gratitude at state and trait levels, when presented with situations that differentially benefit them. The Dark Triad, specifically psychopathy and Machiavellianism, is negatively associated with trait gratitude. In situations where others are uncooperative towards them, individuals with Dark Triad traits, specifically Machiavellianism and narcissism, report poorer state gratitude. Implications are discussed, particularly in light of the Dark Triad as a defector personality hindering reciprocal altruism.