Grateful people may also have more
stable self-esteem that is less contingent upon
transient success and failure experiences, contributing
to their ability to cope with stress,
as discussed in Hypothesis 1. We do not yet
know, however, the direction of the relation. It
may be that high self-esteem leads to more feelings
of gratitude because it makes it more likely
that the person will respond positively to the
benevolence of others. Conversely, it may be that
feelings of gratitude produce more positive self construals.
Future research will have to decide
this sequence.