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The proximal experience of gratitude
Kristin Layous1, Kate Sweeny2, Christina Armenta2
1Department of Psychology, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 8, 2017
Summary
Practicing gratitude elicits a complex mix of emotions, not just positive feelings. Gratitude exercises simultaneously evoke uplifting emotions like elevation and indebtedness, alongside other socially relevant states.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Emotion Research
Background:
- Limited research exists on immediate emotional responses to gratitude exercises.
- Previous studies focused on long-term effects rather than acute emotional landscapes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the discrete emotions experienced immediately after gratitude exercises.
- To investigate the emotional landscape beyond simple gratitude.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted involving gratitude exercises and control conditions.
- Emotions were measured using self-report measures.
- Emodiversity and cluster analyses were employed to examine emotional patterns.
Main Results:
- Gratitude exercises increased gratitude, elevation, connectedness, and indebtedness compared to control conditions.
- Gratitude exercises also elicited guilt, but not embarrassment or shame.
- Analyses revealed a simultaneous experience of pleasant and unpleasant socially-relevant emotions.
Conclusions:
- Gratitude exercises result in a mixed emotional experience, not solely positive emotions.
- Individuals feel both uplifted and indebted after practicing gratitude.
- The findings highlight the complexity of emotional responses to gratitude induction.
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