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

The effect of a grateful outlook on psychological and physical well-being was examined. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions (hassles, gratitude listing, and either neutral life events or social comparison); they then kept weekly (Study 1) or dail...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2003-02, Vol.84 (2), p.377-389
Main Authors: Emmons, Robert A, McCullough, Michael E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Affect
Affectivity. Emotion
Analysis of Variance
Attitude
Biological and medical sciences
Coping Behavior
Emotional States
Emotions
Everyday life
Experimental psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gratitude
Health Behavior
Human
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Mood
Personality
Personality. Affectivity
Positivism
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Quality of Life
Social Behavior
Social psychology
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Well Being
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Summary:The effect of a grateful outlook on psychological and physical well-being was examined. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions (hassles, gratitude listing, and either neutral life events or social comparison); they then kept weekly (Study 1) or daily (Study 2) records of their moods, coping behaviors, health behaviors, physical symptoms, and overall life appraisals. In a 3rd study, persons with neuromuscular disease were randomly assigned to either the gratitude condition or to a control condition. The gratitude-outlook groups exhibited heightened well-being across several, though not all, of the outcome measures across the 3 studies, relative to the comparison groups. The effect on positive affect appeared to be the most robust finding. Results suggest that a conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377