What is Gratitude?
"Most people have an instinctive understanding of what gratitude is, but it can be surprisingly difficult to define. Is it an emotion? A virtue? A behaviour? Indeed, gratitude can mean different things to different people in different contexts. However, researchers have developed some frameworks for conceptualizing gratitude so that it can be studied scientifically. For example, Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough define gratitude as a two-step process: 1) “recognizing that one has obtained a positive outcome” and 2) “recognizing that there is an external source for this positive outcome.” While most of these positive benefits come from other people—hence gratitude’s reputation as an “other-oriented” emotion—people can also experience gratitude toward God, fate, nature, etc. Some psychologists further categorize three types of gratitude: gratitude as an “affective trait” (one’s overall tendency to have a grateful disposition), a mood (daily fluctuations in overall gratitude), and an emotion (a more temporary feeling of gratitude that one may feel after receiving a gift or a favor from someone). Most of the studies in this paper focus on trait (or “dispositional” gratitude) and/or gratitude as an emotion. Research suggests that gratitude is not simply a cultural construct. It has deep roots that are embedded in our evolutionary history, our brains and DNA, and in child development."
Excerpted from The Science of Gratitude by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (Allen, 2018)
Excerpted from The Science of Gratitude by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (Allen, 2018)
Watch The Science of Gratitude below to learn more about not just the benefits of gratitude, but how it actually works:
What are the Benefits of Gratitude?
Robert A. Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and his colleagues have helped people systematically cultivate gratitude by keeping a "gratitude journal" in which they regularly record the things for which they’re grateful. This research has established the positive impacts of the practice of gratitude on physical health, psychological well-being, and relationships with others. The benefits of gratitude include:
Physical
• Stronger immune systems • Less bothered by aches and pains • Lower blood pressure • Exercise more and take better care of their health • Sleep longer and feel more refreshed upon waking Excerpted from Why Gratitude Is Good (Emmons, 2010). |
Psychological
• Higher levels of positive emotions • More alert, alive, and awake • More joy and pleasure • More optimism and happiness |
Social
• More helpful, generous, and compassionate • More forgiving • More outgoing • Feel less lonely and isolated. |
How to Express Gratitude
- 5 Simple Ways to Express Gratitude Every Day...from Entrepreneur
- How to Write a Thank You Note...from Hallmark
- Thoughtful Wording for a Thank You Note...from The Spruce
- What to Write in a Thank You Card...from American Greetings
- 10 Ways to Express Gratitude...from PsychCentral
- Expressing Gratitude Throughout the Year...from PsychCentral
- Beyond Thank You: How to Show Appreciation and Express Gratitude in English...from English with Kim
- 50 Ways to Show Gratitude for the People in Your Life...from Tiny Buddha
- Examples of Words of Appreciation...from Your Dictionary
- 100 Ways to Express Gratitude and Express Happiness...from Virtues for Life
- 10 Ways to Become More Grateful...from Greater Good Magazine
- 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round...from Forbes