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Gratitude Heals: State Gratitude Weakens the Objectification-Social Pain Link.
Junjie Qiu1,2, Jiaxin Shi3, Zhansheng Chen4
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Development and Education for Special Needs Children, Lingnan Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048, China.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 27, 2025
Summary
Objectification, being treated as an object, increases social pain. Practicing gratitude can significantly reduce this pain, offering a buffer against the negative psychological effects of objectification.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Objectification involves perceiving individuals as instruments lacking human qualities.
- Objectified individuals often experience heightened social and psychological pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between objectification and social pain.
- To examine the potential of gratitude as a moderator in mitigating the adverse effects of objectification.
Main Methods:
- Three studies involving 927 participants were conducted.
- Methods included recalling objectification experiences, assessing chronic objectification, and manipulating gratitude states.
- Psychological and social pain were measured as outcomes.
Main Results:
- Recalling objectification experiences led to increased social pain.
- Higher levels of chronic objectification correlated positively with psychological pain.
- Gratitude significantly reduced the association between objectification and reported pain.
Conclusions:
- Objectification has detrimental impacts on psychological well-being.
- Gratitude serves as a powerful psychological resource for buffering the negative consequences of objectification.
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