Emmons & McCullough, 2003, Study 2: Expressing gratitude through writing increased likelihood of offering emotional support among college students over 2 weeks
Reference:
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(2), 377.
Download PDFSummary:
Asking college students enrolled in a health psychology class to write briefly each day for 2 weeks about things they were grateful for increased positive affect and the likelihood of offering emotional support to others as compared to two control conditions over this period. There was no effect on physical symptoms of illness or health behaviors.
Psychological Process:
What Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
Selves (My Own and Others')Approach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Changing beliefs about emotions, states, and the valence of the self-conceptHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Do I think and feel positively about myself?Do I think and feel positively about myself?Psychological Question Addressed
Do I think and feel positively about myself?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Health; Well-being
Intervention Technique:
Active reflection, on a positive aspect of self