Grant & Gino, 2010: Being grateful to university fundraisers for their work increased their social worth and the number of calls from fundraisers over the next week
Reference:
Grant, A. M., & Gino, F. (2010). A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior. Journal of personality and social psychology, 98(6), 946.
Download PDFSummary:
Having a director of annual giving thank university fundraisers for their work (“I am very grateful for your hard work. We sincerely appreciate your contribution to the university”) increased the number of calls fundraisers made over the next week by about 50%, an effect mediated by greater feelings of social worth (e.g., feeling valued as a person).
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersApproach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Link Belonging to a Behavior or Attitude to Motivate Positive ChangeHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Am I connected with important people in school or work settings?Am I connected with important people in school or work settings?Linking social connections and feelings of belonging to goal pursuitsPsychological Question Addressed
Am I connected with important people in school or work settings?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Work
Intervention Technique:
Prompting by altering situations