A social-cognitive model of trait and state levels of gratitude.

Wood, Alex M.; Maltby, John; Stewart, Neil; Linley, P. Alex; Joseph, Stephen

doi:10.1037/1528-3542.8.2.281

Cited by 362 publications

(260 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Thirdly, gratitude may lead to enhanced well-being through more adaptive coping, resulting in lower levels of stress, and enhanced subjective well-being (Wood et al 2007). Fourth and lastly, grateful individuals view help as more costly, valuable, and altruistic, an appraisal scheme that may enhance subjective well-being (Wood et al 2008c). Replicating the current study with additional attention to these mediating mechanisms will help to further our understanding of the pathways connecting the grateful trait to subjective well-being.…”

Section: Prospective Associations Between Gratitude and Subjective Wementioning

confidence: 99%

Gratitude, Psychopathology and Subjective Well-Being: Results from a 7.5-Month Prospective General Population Study

et al. 2017

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Gratitude is considered an important source of human strength in achieving and maintaining good mental health. Although complete mental health encompasses the absence of psychopathology and the presence of subjective well-being, no studies to date have examined relations between gratitude and both mental health dimensions together. Moreover, most studies focused on specific samples with a restricted demographic range. Our study, therefore, examined (a) demographic variability in the grateful trait, and (b) prospective associations between gratitude and both dimensions of mental health: psychopathology and subjective well-being. Using a four wave prospective survey design in a large (N = 706) sample of Dutch adults (M age = 44, SD age = 14, Range = 18-80), we measured gratitude with the SGRAT, symptoms of psychopathology with the SCL-90, and subjective well-being with the PANAS and SWLS. Gratitude was significantly associated with age, gender, education level, and employment status. Multilevel time-lagged regression analyses showed that the grateful trait did not predict symptoms of psychopathology, but was a significant albeit weak predictor of subjective well-being, when adjusting for the effects of demographic factors, and prior levels of subjective well-being and psychopathology. Our findings indicate that the grateful trait is associated with demographic factors, and shows complex connections with the presence of well-being and absence of psychopathology. These dynamics should be taken into consideration when studying the role of gratitude in mental health, and developing, applying, and evaluating gratitude interventions with the aim of enhancing subjective well-being and/or reducing psychopathology.

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Section: Prospective Associations Between Gratitude and Subjective Wementioning

confidence: 99%

Gratitude, Psychopathology and Subjective Well-Being: Results from a 7.5-Month Prospective General Population Study

et al. 2017

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“…During a life transition, gratitude is related to the development of less depression (Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley, & Joseph, 2008), and gratitude relates to less clinically impaired sleep (in both cases beyond neuroticism) (Wood, Joseph, Lloyd, & Atkins, 2009). Finally, whilst gratitude in part arises from prior distributions of rewards (Wood, Brown, & Maltby, 2011), low levels of gratitude are associated with negative schematic processing of social events (seeing aid as less valuable, less costly to the benefactor, and intended with ulterior motives; Wood, Maltby, Stewart, Linley, & Joseph, 2008). Thus this trait, which emerged initially under the rubric of positive psychology, has emerged as a key incremental predictor of clinically relevant outcomes.…”

Section: Symptoms Of Psychological Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating Positive and Clinical Psychology: Viewing Human Functioning as Continua from Positive to Negative Can Benefit Clinical Assessment, Interventions and Understandings of Resilience

Johnson

Wood

2015

Cogn Ther Res

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In this review we argue in favour of further integration between the disciplines of positive and clinical psychology. We argue that most of the constructs studied by both positive and clinical psychology exist on continua ranging from positive to negative (e.g., gratitude to ingratitude, anxiety to calmness) and so it is meaningless to speak of one or other field studying the "positive" or the "negative". However, we highlight historical and cultural factors which have led positive and clinical psychologies to focus on different constructs; thus the difference between the fields is more due to the constructs of study rather than their being inherently "positive" or "negative". We argue that there is much benefit to clinical psychology of considering positive psychology constructs because; (a) constructs studied by positive psychology researchers can independently predict wellbeing when accounting for traditional clinical factors, both cross-sectionally and prospectively, (2) the constructs studied by positive psychologists can interact with risk factors to predict outcomes, thereby conferring resilience, (3) interventions that aim to increase movement towards the positive pole of well-being can be used encourage movement away from the negative pole, either in However, despite a clear alliance in these aims, there has been minimal work focused on integrating findings from these two literatures. In the present article, we argue that the large body of research conducted by positive psychological researchers represents an untapped resource for clinical psychologists, which could support clinical assessment and interventions with individuals with diagnosable disorders in practice.

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“…It involves a generalized tendency to recognize the positive even in adversity and to respond with positive emotion (Neto, 2007). Dispositionally grateful individuals experience higher positive emotions, greater subjective well-being, and higher life satisfaction (Emmons & McCullough, 2003;Otake, Shimai, Tanaka-Matsumi, Otsui, & Fredrickson, 2006;Wood, Maltby, Stewart, Linley, & Joseph, 2008). Grateful individuals report lower levels of depression (Frederickson, Tugade, Waugh, & Larkin, 2003;Kendler, Liu, Gardner, McCullough, Larson, & Prescott (2003); Wood, Maltby, Gillet, Linley, & Joseph, (2008).…”

Section: Gratitudementioning

confidence: 99%

A feasibility study of psychological strengths and well-being assessment in individuals living with recurrent depression

Macaskill

2012

The Journal of Positive Psychology

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Current conceptualizations of mental illness focus on assessing psychopathology. A balanced approach would assess strengths that individuals bring to coping with illness. This study measures psychological strengths in individuals with recurrent depression, their coping strategies, and their perceptions of the usefulness of strengths assessment as a component of psychological assessment. Individuals (N =112) with recurrent depression completed an online questionnaire measuring strengths. A subset (n =10) completed a follow-up telephone interview. Higher levels of gratitude, self-forgiveness, hope, and spirituality and lower levels of optimism were indicative of higher life satisfaction. The predictors of happiness on the depression/ happiness scale were self-forgiveness, spirituality, and gratitude. Higher levels of hope and self-forgiveness predicted positive affect while lower levels of self-forgiveness predicted negative affect. Participants used a range of coping resources and they valued strengths assessment, seeing the two-continua model of mental health assessment as empowering. The researcher discusses implications for clinical practice.Keywords: recurrent depression; psychological strengths; life satisfaction; happiness; coping strategies; positive psychology Depression, coping and character strengths Current conceptualizations of mental health focus predominantly on the absence of psychopathology and the associated reduction in suffering. Although this approach has been fruitful in developing our understanding and treatment of psychological conditions, little attention has focused on fostering positive mental health (Seligman, 2005). Positive psychologists now argue that mental health is not just the absence of psychopathology but includes positive feelings of well-being ((Maddux, 2005;Maddux, Snyder, & Lopez, 2004;Keyes, 2002Keyes, , 2005Wright, 2002). This two continua model of mental health asserts that individuals can experience positive well-being concurrently with psychopathology (Keyes, Shmotkin, & Ryff, 2000;Westerhof & Keyes, 2010). The challenge for psychology is how to develop ways of improving well-being especially for those living with chronic psychological conditions. Researchers suggest that psychological strengths that the person brings to dealing with their condition should be assessed (Maddux, 2002;Maddux, Snyder, & Lopez, 2004;Wright, 2002). This would provide a more balanced approach to mental health assessment than the current pathology models but it could be difficult for patients to accept given their current socialization into the pathology model (Maddux, 2005). Strengthsfinder in an applied occupational or educational context conceptualizes strengths as talents, "as naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied" (Hodges & Clifton, 2004, p. 257). The Gallup researchers used an inductive approach to develop the Strengthsfinder, conducting thousands of semi-structured personal interviews with top performers to identify the ta...

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A social-cognitive model of trait and state levels of gratitude.

Cited by 362 publications

References 47 publications

Gratitude, Psychopathology and Subjective Well-Being: Results from a 7.5-Month Prospective General Population Study

Gratitude, Psychopathology and Subjective Well-Being: Results from a 7.5-Month Prospective General Population Study

Integrating Positive and Clinical Psychology: Viewing Human Functioning as Continua from Positive to Negative Can Benefit Clinical Assessment, Interventions and Understandings of Resilience

A feasibility study of psychological strengths and well-being assessment in individuals living with recurrent depression

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