Background Can expressing gratitude motivate 9 th and 10 th graders to improve themselves? • Theory suggests that gratitude should serve as a motivator of self-improvement, but little research has directly examined the capacity of gratitude to motivate positive change or examined the mechanisms underlying this process. • In previous studies, we found that expressing gratitude leads to relatively greater elevation, connectedness, and indebtedness (Layous, Sweeny, Armenta, Na, Choi, & Lyubomirsky, 2016). • Further, writing weekly gratitude letters predicted greater effort toward becoming a kinder person throughout an intervention than writing gratitude letters less frequently or writing about a neutral topic (Layous, Nelson, Kurtz, & Lyubomirsky, in press). • In addition, employees who expressed gratitude reported greater empowerment, job performance, and autonomy via increased elevation (Armenta, Layous, Nelson, Chancellor, & Lyubomirsky, 2016). The results of this study provide evidence that expressing gratitude leads one to feel close and connected to others, uplifted and inspired to be a better person, and the need to repay another for their actions, which is then associated with greater self- improvement motivation at a 3-month follow-up. Procedure • In this 4-week intervention, students were randomly assigned either to write weekly gratitude letters to someone who helped them with their academics, helped them with their health, or did something kind for them. Those in the control condition were prompted to list what they did the previous week. • Participants were then instructed to try to improve themselves either in academics, in health, or in kindness (i.e., try to do more kind acts). Participants in the control condition were instructed to try to become more organized. BACKGROUND METHODS CONDITION 1: Gratitude Letter (Academics) Self - Improvement in Academics CONDITION 2: Gratitude Letter (Kindness) Self - Improvement in Kindness CONDITION 3: Gratitude Letter (Health) Self - Improvement in Health CONDITION 4: Daily Activities (Control) Self - Improvement in Organization RESULTS (continued) PARTICIPANTS • Participants were 1,026 9 th and 10 th grade students from four high schools (516 female, 501 male). • 41% White, 18% Hispanic, 14.5% Asian, 15% More than one/Other, < 5% Pacific Islander, Native American, or Black RESULTS First, we tested the total effect of gratitude on self- improvement motivation (b = 0.37, p < .01). We then estimated the path coefficients using a mediation model, as well as a 5000 bootstrap bias-corrected confidence interval for the indirect effect of gratitude on self-improvement motivation (N = 495). Conditions were dummy coded (Gratitude = 1, Control = 0). Figure 1. Expressing gratitude led to greater self-improvement motivation via increased average connectedness throughout the intervention (Time 1 to Time 4). CONCLUSION Figure 2. Expressing gratitude led participants to feel more elevated, which was then associated with greater self-improvement motivation. Figure 3. Expressing gratitude did not lead to greater self-improvement motivation at a 3-month follow-up via increased average humility. Figure 4. Expressing gratitude led participants to feel more indebted, which was then associated with greater self-improvement motivation. 0.35 *** Gratitude T1 Self - Improvement T1 - T4 Connectedness T6 Self - Improvement Indirect Effect = 0.11 Bootstrap CI [.05, .19] 0.25 † 0.31 *** 0.50 *** 0.26 *** † p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 0.26 *** Gratitude T1 Self - Improvement T1 - T4 Elevation T6 Self - Improvement Indirect Effect = 0.28 Bootstrap CI [.17, .41] 0.08 1.06 *** 0.45 *** 0.52 *** † p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 0.02 Gratitude T1 Self - Improvement T1 - T4 Humility T6 Self - Improvement Indirect Effect = 0.002 Bootstrap CI [-.01, .03] 0.35 ** 0.10 0.59 *** 0.04 † p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 0.11 ** Gratitude T1 Self - Improvement T1 - T4 Indebtedness T6 Self - Improvement Indirect Effect = 0.15 Bootstrap CI [.06, .26] 0.20 1.35 *** 0.56 *** 0.28 *** † p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 Hypothesis: We hypothesized that expressing gratitude would lead participants to feel more connected, elevated, humble, and indebted, which would then be associated with greater self- improvement motivation (i.e., motivation, efficacy, competence, and confidence).
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Background
Can expressing gratitude motivate 9th and 10th graders to
improve themselves?
• Theory suggests that gratitude should serve as a motivator of
self-improvement, but little research has directly examined
the capacity of gratitude to motivate positive change or
examined the mechanisms underlying this process.
• In previous studies, we found that expressing gratitude leads
to relatively greater elevation, connectedness, and
indebtedness (Layous, Sweeny, Armenta, Na, Choi, &
Lyubomirsky, 2016).
• Further, writing weekly gratitude letters predicted greater
effort toward becoming a kinder person throughout an
intervention than writing gratitude letters less frequently or
writing about a neutral topic (Layous, Nelson, Kurtz, &
Lyubomirsky, in press).
• In addition, employees who expressed gratitude reported
greater empowerment, job performance, and autonomy via
increased elevation (Armenta, Layous, Nelson, Chancellor,
& Lyubomirsky, 2016).
The results of this study provide evidence that expressing
gratitude leads one to feel close and connected to others,
uplifted and inspired to be a better person, and the need to
repay another for their actions, which is then associated with
greater self- improvement motivation at a 3-month follow-up.
Procedure
• In this 4-week intervention, students were randomly
assigned either to write weekly gratitude letters to
someone who helped them with their academics, helped
them with their health, or did something kind for them.
Those in the control condition were prompted to list what
they did the previous week.
• Participants were then instructed to try to improve
themselves either in academics, in health, or in kindness
(i.e., try to do more kind acts). Participants in the control
condition were instructed to try to become more
organized.
BACKGROUND METHODS
CONDITION 1:
Gratitude Letter
(Academics)
Self-Improvement
in Academics
CONDITION 2:
Gratitude Letter
(Kindness)
Self-Improvement
in Kindness
CONDITION 3:
Gratitude Letter
(Health)
Self-Improvement
in Health
CONDITION 4:
Daily Activities
(Control)
Self-Improvement
in Organization
RESULTS (continued)
PARTICIPANTS
• Participants were 1,026 9th and 10th grade students from four
high schools (516 female, 501 male).
• 41% White, 18% Hispanic, 14.5% Asian, 15% More than
one/Other, < 5% Pacific Islander, Native American, or Black
RESULTS
First, we tested the total effect of gratitude on self-
improvement motivation (b = 0.37, p < .01). We then estimated
the path coefficients using a mediation model, as well as a 5000
bootstrap bias-corrected confidence interval for the indirect
effect of gratitude on self-improvement motivation (N = 495).
Conditions were dummy coded (Gratitude = 1, Control = 0).
Figure 1. Expressing gratitude led to greater self-improvement
motivation via increased average connectedness throughout the
intervention (Time 1 to Time 4).
CONCLUSION
Figure 2. Expressing gratitude led participants to feel more elevated,
which was then associated with greater self-improvement motivation.
Figure 3. Expressing gratitude did not lead to greater self-improvement
motivation at a 3-month follow-up via increased average humility.
Figure 4. Expressing gratitude led participants to feel more indebted,
which was then associated with greater self-improvement motivation.
0.35 ***Gratitude
T1 Self-
Improvement
T1-T4
Connectedness
T6 Self-
Improvement
Indirect Effect = 0.11
Bootstrap CI
[.05, .19]
0.25 †
0.31 ***
0.50 ***
0.26 ***
† p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
0.26 ***Gratitude
T1 Self-
Improvement
T1-T4
Elevation
T6 Self-
Improvement
Indirect Effect = 0.28
Bootstrap CI
[.17, .41]
0.08
1.06 ***
0.45 ***
0.52 ***
† p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
0.02 Gratitude
T1 Self-
Improvement
T1-T4
Humility
T6 Self-
Improvement
Indirect Effect = 0.002
Bootstrap CI
[-.01, .03]
0.35 **
0.10
0.59 ***
0.04
† p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
0.11 **Gratitude
T1 Self-
Improvement
T1-T4
Indebtedness
T6 Self-
Improvement
Indirect Effect = 0.15
Bootstrap CI
[.06, .26]
0.20
1.35 ***
0.56 ***
0.28 ***
† p < .10 ,* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Hypothesis:
We hypothesized that expressing gratitude would lead
participants to feel more connected, elevated, humble, and
indebted, which would then be associated with greater self-
improvement motivation (i.e., motivation, efficacy,
competence, and confidence).
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