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One Simple Choice Enhances the Benefits of Gratitude
Research on gratitude in relationships shows how to boost its impact.
KEY POINTS
- Gratitude has three components: cognitive, emotional, behavioral.
- Gratitude felt is good; gratitude expressed is even better.
- Sharing gratitude amplifies its positive effects.
While the individual practice of gratitude has been shown to be beneficial, per research by Walsh, Regan and Lyubomirsky published in The Journal of Positive Psychology (2022), somewhat surprisingly the socialization of gratitude-what happens when gratitude is shared between actors and targets (recipients), and when gratitude is witnessed by others-has not been well-studied.
The Primacy of Gratitude
Gratitude is an evolutionary phenomenon, fundamentally connected with our basic needs for giving and receiving as a matter of communal survival and cooperation. Study authors observe that the word root comes from Latin gratia, meaning “favor”. Gratitude, a way of expressing thanks, is inherently interpersonal, typically expected to be reciprocal, one of the basic threads of the social tapestry. Failure to express heartfelt, sincere gratitude, when gratitude is appropriate, leads to…
