Belonging to strong social ties is a fundamental need, and securing strong
and supportive relationships early on can provide the bedrock for many positive
outcomes in human development. Experiencing and expressing gratitude is one
way for youths (and adults) to boost their mood, strengthen their social ties, and
cultivate a sense of purposeful engagement with the world. Though having such
experiences are critical for healthy youth development, research on gratitude in
youth or the development of gratitude is only now emerging.
In terms of the potential benefits of gratitude to students and schools,
research should apply gratitude’s moral functions to adolescents’ relations with
peers and adults at school (e.g., mentors, role models, teachers, counselors). If
students feel respected and are able to focus on the people and things that they
appreciate at school, this should build trust with the very people who are trying to
help them. This should, in turn, foster a stronger satisfaction with and sense of
engagement with school. Also, given the centrality of identity formation among
adolescents (Marcia, 1980), would gratitude help indicate to youths strengths that
are worth building? Further, would school staff and practitioners be more likely to
view students as good investments if they were thanked for their efforts? This
could also boost staff morale. Finally, if appreciation is more often experienced
and expressed schoolwide,
then the moral motive function suggests that students
would become more cooperative and helpful with each other, thus improving their
peer relationships. It is unknown if gratitude could benefit schools in these ways,