Gratitude is strongly related to wellbeing (Jans-Beken et al., 2020 Wood et al., 2010). If you still aren’t convinced, you may wish to pick up one of the books suggested in our Gratitude Books article. Gratitude can help build and maintain relationships with others, resulting in hope, life satisfaction, and more proactive behaviors toward others (Passmore & Oades, 2016). We have learned gratitude helps people focus on the positive aspects of their life. “Gratitude has, for many, been replaced by disappointment, anger, and resentment when these expected ‘blessings’ either do not appear or they disappear” (Passmore & Oades, 2016, p. Possessions and health are expectations for many individuals rather than considered personal ‘blessings’ that are appreciated. Passmore and Oades (2016) assert that as expectations have changed, gratitude has diminished in western society. There will be more on gratitude and religion later. Some of Emmons’s work has also specifically dealt with gratitude in a religious setting, highlighting how gratitude towards a higher power may lead to increased physical health (Krause et al., 2015). Emmons has authored several papers on the psychology of gratitude, showing that being more grateful can lead to increased levels of wellbeing (Emmons & Crumpler, 2000). Robert Emmons has led positive psychology’s expansion of research on the importance of gratitude. Its constructs include optimism, hope, and, you guessed it – gratitude (Iodice et al., 2021).Īs part of Seligman’s PERMA model, which includes positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement, a key positive emotion includes gratitude (Lianov, 2021). Gratitude & Positive Psychology – What is the Connection?Īs we already know, positive psychology focuses on positive thoughts and behaviors. When a person experiences the emotion from someone expressing gratitude for them, it is referred to as a state (Watkins et al., 2009). It is important to remember that gratitude is a strength that can be enhanced with awareness and practice. Through this process, we recognize the fortune of everything that improves our lives and ourselves.įurther, gratitude can be considered either a dispositional trait or a state of being.Īs a trait, an individual practices gratitude as part of their daily life (McCullough et al., 2002), and it is considered a character strength. The two stages of gratitude comprise the recognition of the goodness in our lives and then how this goodness came to us. At this stage, we recognize the goodness in our lives and who to thank for it. One can be grateful to our creator, other people, animals, and the world, but not to oneself. Second, gratitude is recognizing that sources of this goodness lie outside the self. The acknowledgment that we have received something gratifies us, both by its presence and by the effort the giver put into choosing it. We affirm that, all in all, life is good and has elements that make it worth living. In a state of gratitude, we say yes to life. Robert Emmons, the feeling of gratitude involves two stages (Emmons & McCullough, 2003):įirst comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. Better explained, one can experience gratitude for someone or something at a certain moment in time, and someone experience gratitude more long-term as a positive character trait.Īccording to Dr. Gratitude is both a state and a trait (Jans-Beken et al., 2020). The American Psychological Association (n.d.) more specifically defines this phenomenon as a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift. Gratitude is an emotion similar to appreciation. What is Gratitude – Its Meaning & Definition Gratitude & Positive Psychology – What is the Connection?.What is Gratitude – Its Meaning & Definition.
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