Are Some Ways of Expressing Gratitude More Beneficial Than Others? Results From a Randomized Controlled Experiment.

ABSTRACT: Gratitude activities have been shown to increase well-being and other positive outcomes in numerous experiments to date. The current study tested whether self-directed gratitude interventions that vary by type (i.e., social vs. nonsocial) and format (i.e., long-form letters vs. shorter lists) produce differential benefits. To that end, 958 Australian adults were assigned to one of six activities to complete each day for 1 week, including five gratitude activities that varied by type and format and an active control condition (i.e., keeping track of daily activities). Regressed change analyses revealed that, overall, long-form writing exercises (i.e., essays and letters) resulted in greater subjective well-being and other positive outcomes than lists. Indeed, those who were instructed to wr

SUBMITTER: Regan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10104980 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature