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Gratitude or Gratefulness? A Conceptual Review and Proposal of the System of Appreciative Functioning

Author

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  • Reuben D. Rusk

    (University of Melbourne
    Mindquip Limited)

  • Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Lea Waters

    (University of Melbourne)

Abstract

Growing evidence indicates that gratefulness and gratitude are important for well-being and happiness. Yet, research to date has been hindered by a lack of conceptual clarity into the nature of these constructs. The present paper reviews existing literature and argues for a distinction between gratefulness and gratitude. While both gratefulness and gratitude are types of appreciative functioning and both involve benefit appraisals, only the latter concerns perceived agency. A set of triggers, moderating factors, and motivation and behavioural processes involved in gratefulness and gratitude are outlined, and differences are highlighted. From this vantage, it is argued that appreciative functioning can be adequately represented as a complex dynamic system, which involves a plurality of interacting processes. Some of these processes are common to gratefulness and gratitude and some are unique to each. The proposed conceptualisation of appreciative functioning spans aspects of attention, cognition, emotion, motivation and social behaviour, integrating the diverse approaches to gratefulness and gratitude taken in the literature. It is suggested that grateful dispositions can be understood as characteristic self-reinforcing patterns in which this complex system functions. The paper also highlights the need to measure gratitude and gratefulness more independently and to both qualitatively and quantitatively determine the unique contribution of the two constructs to well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Reuben D. Rusk & Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick & Lea Waters, 2016. "Gratitude or Gratefulness? A Conceptual Review and Proposal of the System of Appreciative Functioning," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 2191-2212, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:17:y:2016:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-015-9675-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-015-9675-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cláudia Simão & Beate Seibt, 2014. "Gratitude Depends on the Relational Model of Communal Sharing," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, January.
    2. Chih-Che Lin & Yu-chu Yeh, 2014. "How Gratitude Influences Well-Being: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 205-217, August.
    3. Jeffrey Froh & Robert Emmons & Noel Card & Giacomo Bono & Jennifer Wilson, 2011. "Gratitude and the Reduced Costs of Materialism in Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 289-302, April.
    4. Steven Toepfer & Kelly Cichy & Patti Peters, 2012. "Letters of Gratitude: Further Evidence for Author Benefits," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 187-201, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel B Klein, 2022. "Gratefulness, resentfulness, and some modern slogans," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 135-143, February.
    2. Guillaume Tachon & Aïcha Rouibah & Blaire Morgan & Rebecca Shankland, 2022. "A Prototype Analysis of Self-Gratitude: Towards a Broadening of the Concept of Gratitude," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1867-1885, June.
    3. Elena Gabriela Nicuță & Ticu Constantin, 2021. "Take Nothing for Granted: Downward Social Comparison and Counterfactual Thinking Increase Adolescents’ State Gratitude for the Little Things in Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 3543-3570, December.

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