When Gratitude Evokes Indebtedness

Family Socioeconomic Status and Adolescents' Academic Shame: The Chain Mediator Effect of Self-Control and Gratitude

Academic shame has been found to interfere with motivation and, in turn, affect students' academic goals and achievements. This study explored the factors that influence academic shame and the underlying mechanisms among high school students by investigating the influence of family socioeconomic status on academic shame and the mediating roles of self-control and gratitude. A total of 957 high school students participated in this study and completed the Family Socioeconomic Status Questionnaire, Self-Control Scale, Adolescents' Gratitude Scale, and Academic Shame Scale. Descriptive statistics consisted of means and standard deviations. Pearson's correlations were used to test the strength of relationships among the research variables. A structural equation model was constructed, and the significance of the mediating effects was tested by percentile bootstrap analysis with deviation correction. The results showed that family socioeconomic status was positively correlated with self-control and negatively correlated with academic shame; self-control was positively correlated with gratitude and negatively correlated with academic shame; and gratitude was positively correlated with academic shame. Self-control played a mediating role between family socioeconomic status and academic shame, and self-control and gratitude played a chain mediating role between family socioeconomic status and academic shame. The mediating effect was a masking effect. Therefore, family socioeconomic status directly and negatively affected academic shame among senior high school students, and indirectly affected their academic shame through self-control and gratitude.

Reliability and validity of the revised indebtedness scale in Chinese university students

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Revised Indebtedness Scale (IS-R-C) in mainland China. A total of 1057 university students participated in this study using a two-wave whole-group sampling method. Sample 1, consisting of 537 participants, was used for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the Revised Indebtedness Scale (IS-R). Sample 2, comprising 520 participants, was used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis and gender invariance test. To assess criterion validity, the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS), the Renqing Questionnaire (RQQ) and the Subjective Well-being Scale (SWBS) were administered. The results of the item analysis and EFA indicated that the IS-R-C comprises 12 items, delineated into two dimensions: pressure to repay and requirements for interaction. CFA further substantiated this two-factor model for the IS-R-C (χ2/df = 4.24, RMSEA = 0.079, GFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.91, IFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, CFI = 0.93 and SRMR = 0.062). The total score of the IS-R-C exhibited a significant positive correlation with both the SADS score (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) and the RQQ score (r = 0.34, p < 0.001). Additionally, it demonstrated a negative correlation with the SWBS score (r = -0.09, p < 0.05). The Cronbach's α coefficient for the overall IS-R-C score was 0.88, indicating high internal consistency. The scale demonstrated a split-half reliability coefficient of 0.73 and a composite reliability coefficient of 0.91. The reliability coefficients for the two subscales were 0.77 and 0.87. Furthermore, the IS-R-C exhibited measurement invariance across gender identities. The IS-R-C demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties, making it a suitable measure for studying indebtedness and related research in China.

A systematic review of the strength of evidence for the most commonly recommended happiness strategies in mainstream media

We conducted a systematic review of the evidence underlying some of the most widely recommended strategies for increasing happiness. By coding media articles on happiness, we first identified the five most commonly recommended strategies: expressing gratitude, enhancing sociability, exercising, practising mindfulness/meditation and increasing nature exposure. Next, we conducted a systematic search of the published scientific literature. We identified well-powered, pre-registered experiments testing the effects of these strategies on any aspect of subjective wellbeing (that is, positive affect, negative affect and life satisfaction) in non-clinical samples. A total of 57 studies were included. Our review suggests that a strong scientific foundation is lacking for some of the most commonly recommended happiness strategies. As the effectiveness of these strategies remains an open question, there is an urgent need for well-powered, pre-registered studies investigating strategies for promoting happiness.

The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Gratitude has several implications. Over time, a logical relationship has been established between gratitude and well-being. In addition, researchers aimed to establish associations between gratitude and other factors of positive feelings using scientific methods. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to develop gratitude and its benefits to human beings.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate and quantify the available scientific evidence on interventions to acquire knowledge on gratitude as a quantifiable causal factor of benefit to human beings.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies that investigated the effects of gratitude interventions. MEDLINE, Embase, and Central Cochrane databases were searched in addition to gray (Google Scholar) and manual search. Two authors independently evaluated the titles and abstracts, and selected the studies that met the inclusion criteria. The searches were conducted between January and July 2022.

RESULTS

Sixty-four randomized clinical trials were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated that patients who underwent gratitude interventions experienced greater feelings of gratitude, better mental health, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moreover, they experienced other benefits such as a more positive mood and emotions.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate that acts of gratitude can be used as a therapeutic complement for treating anxiety and depression and can increase positive feelings and emotions in the general population. Prospero database registration: (www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero) under the number CRD42021250799.

Cumulative Risk and Mental Health of Left-behind Children in China: A Moderated Mediation Model

Based on the dual-factor model of mental health (DFM) and the cumulative risk (CR) model, this study aimed to investigate the impact of CR on left-behind children's mental health and the underlying mechanism involved, specifically the mediating role of coping style and the moderating role of gratitude in the relationship between CR and mental health. The random cluster sampling method was applied to collect data on CR, coping style, gratitude, life satisfaction, and depression from 705 left-behind children (374 boys, Mage = 12.20 ± 1.25). The moderated mediation analyses indicated that: (1) the moderated mediation model of CR and depression was significant: coping style mediated the relationship between CR and depression, and gratitude moderated this mediating effect with gratitude strengthening the negative association between CR and coping style; and (2) gratitude moderated the relationship between CR and life satisfaction and it also strengthened the negative association between CR and life satisfaction. The findings suggest that the mechanisms of coping style may differ in the relationships between CR and positive and negative indicators of mental health in left-behind children and that gratitude as a protective factor has limited capacity to buffer the negative effect of accumulated risk. These findings provide evidence for differentiated intervention approaches to promote disadvantaged children's life satisfaction and depression.

Are Some Ways of Expressing Gratitude More Beneficial Than Others? Results From a Randomized Controlled Experiment

Gratitude activities have been shown to increase well-being and other positive outcomes in numerous experiments to date. The current study tested whether self-directed gratitude interventions that vary by type (i.e., social vs. nonsocial) and format (i.e., long-form letters vs. shorter lists) produce differential benefits. To that end, 958 Australian adults were assigned to one of six activities to complete each day for 1 week, including five gratitude activities that varied by type and format and an active control condition (i.e., keeping track of daily activities). Regressed change analyses revealed that, overall, long-form writing exercises (i.e., essays and letters) resulted in greater subjective well-being and other positive outcomes than lists. Indeed, those who were instructed to write social and nonsocial gratitude lists did not differ from controls on any outcomes. However, participants who wrote unconstrained gratitude lists—that is, those who wrote about any topics they wanted—reported greater feelings of gratitude and positive affect than did controls. Finally, relative to the other gratitude conditions, participants who wrote gratitude letters to particular individuals in their lives not only showed stronger feelings of gratitude, elevation, and other positive emotions but also reported feeling more indebted. This study demonstrates that not only does gratitude “work” to boost well-being relative to an active neutral activity, but that some forms of gratitude may be more effective than others. We hope these findings help scholars and practitioners to develop, tailor, implement, and scale future gratitude-based interventions.

Influence of distributive justice on organizational citizenship behaviors: The mediating role of gratitude

Distributive justice is known to have important emotional and affective outcomes. The present study explores the role of distributive justice as an antecedent to feelings of gratitude toward the organization. Borrowing from social exchange theory, we investigate the mediating role of gratitude in the relationship between “perceived fairness in distributive justice” and “employees’ organization citizenship behaviors (OCB).” Time-lagged, multi-source data was collected from 185 employees and their supervisors employed in a large manufacturing organization based in East India. Two significant findings emerge. First, the results indicate that feelings of gratitude signal fair distribution of benefits such that the employees go beyond the call of the duty to invest in OCB. Second, engagement in such acts seems to nullify their social debts highlighted in the social exchange perspective. Thus, a strong moral emotion, gratitude is a powerful vehicle that drives employees to act in the organization’s interests because doing is desirable and rightful. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Gratitude Intervention Evokes Indebtedness: Moderated by Perceived Social Distance

Previous study suggests that gratitude intervention evokes indebtedness among people from an interdependent society. This study furtherly hypothesized that perceived social distance moderates the effect of gratitude intervention on felt indebtedness. A total of 275 adolescents were randomly assigned to three gratitude intervention conditions, namely, writing gratitude to significant others, the health of one's own, or nothing. After completing the writing task, they rated their experienced emotions on ten dimensions, including gratitude and indebtedness. They also reported perceived social distance from surrounding people and other demographical information. Results indicated that participants in the condition of writing about gratitude to significant others felt indebted regardless of perceived social distance, while those in the condition of writing about gratitude to his/her own health and those in the control condition experienced lesser indebtedness as the perceived social distance with others becomes closer. Gratitude increases as perceived social connectedness increases across all conditions. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being among Koreans

This study examined the relationship between gratitude and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, hope, and positive and negative affect) with individual demographic background (i.e., age, education level, perceived economic status, and religious affiliation) in a sample of 761 Korean adults participated from five universities in South Korea. Specifically, gratitude was still an essential element for the subjective well-being of Korean adults, although the meaning of gratitude under Confucian culture implies indebtedness and obligation. The relationship between gratitude and subjective well-being did not differ by gender. Implications for the subjective well-being of Koreans are discussed.

The relationship between a disposition of gratitude, clinical stress, and clinical satisfaction in nursing students

PURPOSE

This study assessed a disposition of gratitude, and clinical practice stress and satisfaction in nursing students, to determine the relationship between them and provide some basic information towards improving their satisfaction with clinical practice.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This descriptive research was conducted on 171 nursing students from three universities in South Korea using a structured questionnaire.

FINDINGS

Students who had a stronger disposition of gratitude (t = 3.482; P < .001), lower clinical practice stress (t = -2.998; P < .003), and better health (t = 2.900; P < .004) were more satisfied with their Clinical practice (R² = 0.298; F = 13.853; P < .001).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The findings emphasized the development of programs to improve disposition of gratitude in curriculum or extracurricular activity to enhance Clinical practice satisfaction.

Historically rice-farming societies have tighter social norms in China and worldwide

Rice is a highly interdependent crop. Rice required far more labor than dryland crops like wheat, and rice’s irrigation networks forced farmers to coordinate water use. To deal with these demands, rice villages developed strong norms for labor exchange. Using China as a natural test case, we compare nearby provinces that differ in rice and wheat, but share the same ethnicity, religion, and national government. In survey data from over 11,000 Chinese citizens, rice-farming provinces report tighter norms than traditionally wheat-growing provinces. Rice also predicts tight norms around the world. These data suggest that China’s agricultural past still shapes cultural differences in the modern day—and perhaps explain why East Asia has tighter social norms than the wheat-growing West.

Data recently published in PNAS mapped out regional differences in the tightness of social norms across China [R. Y. J. Chua, K. G. Huang, M. Jin, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 116, 6720–6725 (2019)]. Norms were tighter in developed, urbanized areas and weaker in rural areas. We tested whether historical paddy rice farming has left a legacy on social norms in modern China. Premodern rice farming could plausibly create strong social norms because paddy rice relied on irrigation networks. Rice farmers coordinated their water use and kept track of each person’s labor contributions. Rice villages also established strong norms of reciprocity to cope with labor demands that were twice as high as dryland crops like wheat. In line with this theory, China’s historically rice-farming areas had tighter social norms than wheat-farming areas, even beyond differences in development and urbanization. Rice–wheat differences were just as large among people in 10 neighboring provinces (n = 3,835) along the rice–wheat border. These neighboring provinces differ sharply in rice and wheat, but little in latitude, temperature, and other potential confounding variables. Outside of China, rice farming predicted norm tightness in 32 countries around the world. Finally, people in rice-farming areas scored lower on innovative thinking, which tends to be lower in societies with tight norms. This natural test case within China might explain why East Asia—historically reliant on rice farming—has tighter social norms than the wheat-farming West.

Psychometric Properties of the Indebtedness Scale (IS-R) in Spanish University Students

The importance of trait indebtedness in the context of the study of gratitude has been growing in recent years, since both constructs form complex dynamics in response to the reception of a gift. In this work, the disposition to feel indebtedness is studied, through analysis of convergence and divergence, exploratory, and confirmatory analysis in the Spanish population, with the most used measurement instrument, i.e. The Revised Indebtedness Scale, IS-R. This scale depicted a four factor solution interrelated with a high consistency of content, which allows their labeling and describing. To do this, two samples of university students were selected; one of the sample sizes had 229 participants and the other 200 participants. Results also indicated good internal consistency described as follows: Debt for material aspects (α = 0.81), Self-sufficiency and discomfort in receiving help (α = 0.82), Moral self-demand in the reception of help (α = 0.83) and Debt in the receipt of gifts (α = 0.75). Furthermore, it was suggested that the relationships between gratitude and indebtedness are complex: on the one hand, all the indebtedness factors are inversely correlated with gratitude, such as the GQ5, although only Self-sufficiency and discomfort in receiving help and Debt in the receipt of gifts are such to a significant extent. However, the Interpersonal Gratitude scale of the G-20 depicted low correlations only with the Self-sufficiency and discomfort. The results are discussed in relation to the need for conceptual definition of the constructs in Positive Psychology.