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From Emotion Beliefs to Regulatory Behavior: Gratitude Journaling Initiation and Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Chen-Wei Yu

    (National Taiwan University
    Northwestern University)

  • Yen-Ping Chang

    (National Tsing Hua University)

  • Cheng-Hsien Li

    (National Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Hsiang-Yi Wu

    (Kaohsiung Medical University
    Kaohsiung Medical University)

Abstract

Writing a gratitude journal is an effective way to boost positive affect. However, little is known about what factors drive people to engage in this activity and whether such factors are related to the outcomes of the activity. This investigation attempted to answer these two questions. We proposed that two beliefs about emotion—desirability of happiness and uncontrollability of negative emotion—motivate people’s engagement in a gratitude journal. We recruited 311 participants online and examined whether and via what paths people’s beliefs about emotion translated to their voluntary initiation of a gratitude journal. We further tested (among those who initiated a journal) whether the emotional outcomes of writing a journal could be predicted by their beliefs about emotion (n = 101). The results showed that the desirability of happiness belief predicted the initiation of a gratitude journal via both the attitude-intention and the subjective norm-intention paths. Furthermore, this belief was positively related to the change in people’s ideal positive affect after writing the journal. In contrast, the uncontrollability of negative emotion belief did not predict journal initiation because the negative effect through the perceived behavioral control-intention path and the positive effect through the intention-only path canceled each other out. Furthermore, this belief was positively related to the change in people’s actual positive affect after writing the journal. Together, the findings delineate an emotion belief-to-emotion regulation behavior link and the consequences of such behavior. Implications for the design of gratitude journals specifically and positivity activity interventions generally are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen-Wei Yu & Yen-Ping Chang & Cheng-Hsien Li & Hsiang-Yi Wu, 2023. "From Emotion Beliefs to Regulatory Behavior: Gratitude Journaling Initiation and Outcomes," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 57-78, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:24:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10902-022-00584-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-022-00584-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bahram Mahmoodi Kahriz & Joanne L. Bower & Francesca M. G. Q. Glover & Julia Vogt, 2020. "Wanting to Be Happy but Not Knowing How: Poor Attentional Control and Emotion-Regulation Abilities Mediate the Association Between Valuing Happiness and Depression," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(7), pages 2583-2601, October.
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