To examine a model of relationships between feelings of gratitude and prosocial motivation in adolescents, a survey of 414 second grade of high school students and 191 undergraduate students in Thailand was conducted using a multi-aspect questionnaire about gratitude. The questionnaire measured the following items involved in hypothetical helping situations: (a) perception on gains for a recipient, cost of a benefactor, desirability of the favor, and obligation to give help as cognitive variables affecting the feelings of gratitude; (b) the feelings of gratitude which include feelings of appreciativeness, indebtedness, and general positive; and (c) enhancement of prosocial motivation on recipients as a consequence of gratitude. Results indicated that, in high school and undergraduate students, appreciativeness is the only feeling that showed positive correlation to the enhancement of prosocial motivation, whereas the perception on the cost of a benefactor and the gain of a recipient showed positive correlation to the feelings of appreciativeness. In addition, both groups of students reported more degree of the feelings of appreciativeness and enhancement of the prosocial motivation when regarding their father and mother’s help rather than that of friends. It is also discussed that the feelings of appreciativeness correlated with a concept of respect which probably strengthens the potential of gratitude in promoting prosocial motivation.
Keywords: gratitude, prosocial motivation, indebtedness, adolescents, Thailand
To examine a model of relationships between feelings of gratitude and prosocial motivation in adolescents, a survey of 414 second grade of high school students and 191 undergraduate students in Thailand was conducted using a multi-aspect questionnaire about gratitude. The questionnaire measured the following items involved in hypothetical helping situations: (a) perception on gains for a recipient, cost of a benefactor, desirability of the favor, and obligation to give help as cognitive variables affecting the feelings of gratitude; (b) the feelings of gratitude which include feelings of appreciativeness, indebtedness, and general positive; and (c) enhancement of prosocial motivation on recipients as a consequence of gratitude. Results indicated that, in high school and undergraduate students, appreciativeness is the only feeling that showed positive correlation to the enhancement of prosocial motivation, whereas the perception on the cost of a benefactor and the gain of a recipient showed positive correlation to the feelings of appreciativeness. In addition, both groups of students reported more degree of the feelings of appreciativeness and enhancement of the prosocial motivation when regarding their father and mother’s help rather than that of friends. It is also discussed that the feelings of appreciativeness correlated with a concept of respect which probably strengthens the potential of gratitude in promoting prosocial motivation.
Keywords: gratitude, prosocial motivation, indebtedness, adolescents, Thailand
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