Haworth et al., 2016: Performing acts of kindness and writing gratitude letters improved well-being and decreased depression and anxiety among twin pairs over ten weeks
Reference:
Haworth, C. M., Nelson, S. K., Layous, K., Carter, K., Bao, K. J., Lyubomirsky, S., & Plomin, R. (2016). Stability and change in genetic and environmental influences on well-being in response to an intervention. Plos one, 11(5), e0155538.
Download PDFSummary:
Twin pairs were asked to complete two activities per week for 6 weeks. On the first three weeks, the activities were neutral controls (e.g., describe a room in their house). On weeks 4-7, they involved performing acts of kindness and writing gratitude letters. Well-being improved and symptoms of anxiety and depression declined over the treatment weeks, and this pattern continued at week 10.
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 OthersHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Am I connected to others?Am I connected to others?Bolstering beliefs about social connectednessPsychological Question Addressed
Am I connected to others?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Heading
Am I connected to others?Social Area:
Well-Being
Intervention Technique:
Prompting by altering situations; Active reflection, on a positive aspect of self