blog




  • Essay / Gratitude from a positive psychology perspective

    In positive psychology, the term “gratitude” can be defined conceptually as a worldview adopted by individuals who tend to observe and value the positive aspects of events of life. (AM Wood, Froh and Geraghty, 2010). Research has demonstrated the various benefits of practicing gratitude in our daily lives, including psychological, emotional and physical areas. (McCullough, Tsang, & Emmons, 2004; AM Wood, Joseph, & Maltby, 2009; AM Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley, & Joseph, 2008). Although the practice of gratitude is largely beneficial in most cases, this article argues that the positive effects of gratitude may be moderated by various factors such as gender, culture and social status/appropriateness and that the practice Gratitude may be inappropriate in certain circumstances. Two theories had been proposed to explain the specific psychological mechanism behind the practice of gratitude. These are the schema hypothesis (A. Wood, Maltby, Stewart, Linley, & Joseph, 2008) and the adaptation hypothesis (AM Wood, Joseph, & Linley, 2007). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Schematic Hypothesis assumes that gratitude manifests as an external emotion resulting from obtaining help from external agents driven by altruistic motivations. perceived as valuable and costly to provide. According to schema theory, individuals have definitive schemas that guide them in situations requiring help. On the other hand, the main premises of the adaptation hypothesis to explain the practice of gratitude are that individuals who practice gratitude often have more accessibility to social support resources, reframing the existing problem in a positive perspective while seeking opportunities for growth and, finally, avoid treating the presenting problem(s) using maladaptive approaches such as substance abuse. Using these theories as a basis for research, numerous studies have been conducted to examine the link between gratitude and positive psychological, emotional, and physical outcomes. In a study examining the link between gratitude and personality traits, it was found that gratitude was strongly linked to desirable Big Five personality traits, such as extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experiences ( AM Wood et al., 2009). Individuals with these traits tend to demonstrate better emotional self-regulation and resilience, and are therefore less vulnerable to psychopathologies such as depression (Fredrickson, Tugade, Waugh; Larkin, 2003). As such, they also display higher levels of life satisfaction due to a positive outlook on life (Park, Peterson, & Seligman, 2004). However, the above study is correlational in nature and does not prove causality; therefore, it cannot be established whether practicing gratitude actually results in positive health outcomes due to exhibiting the desirable personality traits found in the Big Five personality traits. In addition to the positive outcomes associated with trait gratitude and personality, numerous studies have shown that expressing gratitude improves social relationships. In a study that examined the role of gratitude on young adolescents' subjective well-being while controlling for gender differences, higher levels of gratitude positively predicted family support, an important component of early social relationships. adolescence (Froh, Yurkewicz and Kashdan, 2009). )..