Cited by 1,698Emotions and Moral BehaviorPsychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionPsychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment

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Is gratitude a moral affect?

McCullough, Michael E., Kilpatrick, Shelley D., Emmons, Robert A., Larson, David B.·2001·Psychological Bulletin

DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.127.2.249

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Abstract

Gratitude is conceptualized as a moral affect that is analogous to other moral emotions such as empathy and guilt. Gratitude has 3 functions that can be conceptualized as morally relevant: (a) a moral barometer function (i.e., it is a response to the perception that one has been the beneficiary of another person's moral actions); (b) a moral motive function (i.e., it motivates the grateful person to behave prosocially toward the benefactor and other people); and (c) a moral reinforcer function (i.e., when expressed, it encourages benefactors to behave morally in the future). The personality and social factors that are associated with gratitude are also consistent with a conceptualization of gratitude as an affect that is relevant to people's cognitions and behaviors in the moral domain.

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Background
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Background
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Background
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“In many cultures and societies, gratitude has been highly valued in that it strengthens social relationships [16,17] and has even a moral affect [18].”
Background
Gratitude and internalizing/externalizing symptoms among adolescents after the Wenchuan earthquake: Mediating roles of social support and resilience
Wang, D., Chen, X., Zhai, S., & Fan, F. (2022) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1002/jad.12070 · Cited by 23
Investing in Others: Prosocial Spending for (Pro)Social Change
Aknin, L. B., Sandstrom, G. M., Dunn, E. W., & Norton, M. I. (2010) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-90-481-9938-9_13 · Cited by 22
“Expressions of gratitude have been shown to produce emotional benefits (Emmons & McCullough, 2003) and to encourage future acts of prosocial behavior in both the giver and the recipient (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002; McCullough, Kilpatrick, Emmons, & Larson, 2001 ).”
Background
Moral binding: How emotions, convictions, and identity fusion shape progroup behavior
Carnes, N. C., & Lickel, B. A. (2018) · Self and Identity · doi:10.1080/15298868.2018.1451362 · Cited by 22
Resiliency and character strengths among college students
Chung, H.-F. (2008) · UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) · Cited by 21
State gratitude for one’s life and health after an acute coronary syndrome: Prospective associations with physical activity, medical adherence and re-hospitalizations
Legler, S. R., Beale, E. E., Celano, C. M., Beach, S. R., Healy, B. C., & Huffman, J. C. (2019) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2017.1414295 · Cited by 21
“Some researchers have defined gratitude as an emotion that is directed primarily toward appreciating the helpful actions of other people (McCullough et al., 2001), whereas others have proposed gratitude to be a more global trait that involves a life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the…”
Background
Análisis Psicométrico del Gratitude Questionnaire – 6 (GQ-6) en Población Chilena
Carmona-Halty, M. A., Marín-Gutiérrez, M., & BelMar, F. (2015) · Universitas Psychologica · doi:10.11144/javeriana.upsy14-3.apgq · Cited by 20
RASA SYUKUR DAN KECENDERUNGAN PERILAKU PROSOSIAL PADA MAHASISWA FAKULTAS PSIKOLOGI UNIVERSITAS DIPONEGORO
Pitaloka, D. A., & Ediati, A. (2015) · Jurnal EMPATI · doi:10.14710/empati.2015.14890 · Cited by 20
ŞÜKRAN ÖLÇEĞİ: GEÇERLİK VE GÜVENİRLİK ÇALIŞMASI
KARDAŞ, F., & Yalçın, İ. (2019) · Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi · doi:10.17755/esosder.406306 · Cited by 20
Greedy for thee or greedy for me? A contingency model of positive and negative reactions to leader greed
Carnevale, J. B., Carson, J. E., & Huang, L. V. (2020) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.024 · Cited by 20
Are your customers grateful? How customer gratitude impacts loyalty programme effectiveness
Audrain‐Pontevia, A., & Garnier, I. (2021) · International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management · doi:10.1108/ijrdm-10-2020-0426 · Cited by 20
Perceived Parental Emotional Warmth and Prosocial Behaviors among Emerging Adults: Personal Belief in a Just World and Gratitude as Mediators
Quan, S., Li, M., Xiao-hui, Y., Song, H., & Wang, Z. (2021) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-021-02173-1 · Cited by 20
“It can also serve as a moral barometer, moral motive, and moral reinforcer of prosocial behaviors (McCullough et al., 2001).”
Background
Why do greater curiosity and fewer depressive symptoms predict gratitude intervention use? Utility beliefs, social norm, and self-control beliefs
Kaczmarek, L. D., Kashdan, T. B., Drążkowski, D., Bujacz, A., & Goodman, F. R. (2014) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.03.032 · Cited by 21
Envy, Gratitude, and Well-Being Among Guatemalan Adolescents With Scarce Economic Resources
Poelker, K. E., Gibbons, J. L., Maxwell, C. A., & Elizondo-Quintanilla, I. L. (2017) · International Perspectives in Psychology · doi:10.1037/ipp0000076 · Cited by 20
“This is consistent both with the function of gratitude as a moral motivator (McCullough et al., 2001) and with the importance of community and family in Latin American culture (Ingoldsby, 2006; Silva & García, 2014).”
Spreading inequality: neural computations underlying paying-it-forward reciprocity
Hu, Y., He, L., Zhang, L., Wölk, T., Dreher, J., & Weber, B. (2018) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsy040 · Cited by 19
“(2001), one of the prerequisites for people to feel gratitude is that the actor’s generosity has to be intentional rather than accidental (McCullough et al., 2001).”
Background
Escaping the Disengagement Dilemma: Two Field Experiments on Motivating Citizens to Report on Public Services
Buntaine, M. T., Nielson, D., & Skaggs, J. (2019) · British Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1017/s0007123419000322 · Cited by 20
An examination of psychological characteristics and their relationship to academic entitlement among millennial and nonmillennial college students
Keener, A. (2020) · Psychology in the Schools · doi:10.1002/pits.22338 · Cited by 20
Gratitude at Work Prospectively Predicts Lower Workplace Materialism: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study in Chile
Unanue, J., Oriol, X., Oyanedel, J. C., Rubio, A., & Unanue, W. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18073787 · Cited by 27
Gratitude resentment and appreciation scale (GRAT-16): analyzing psychometrics properties in the Indian context
Garg, N., & Mehak, M. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02169-6 · Cited by 20
The role of actors, targets, and witnesses: Examining gratitude exchanges in a social context
Walsh, L. C., Regan, A., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2022) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2021.1991449 · Cited by 22
The Role of Causal Attributions in Survivors’ Emotional Reactions to Downsizing
Hareli, S., & Tzafrir, S. S. (2006) · Human Resource Development Review · doi:10.1177/1534484306293386 · Cited by 20
“Gratitude represents the moral memory of mankind and is a mechanism for social cohesion (Hareli & Weiner, 2002; McCullough et al., 2001).”
Pain and Defense Versus Grace and Justice: The Relational Conflict and Restoration Model
Sells, J. N., Beckenbach, J., & Patrick, S. (2009) · The Family Journal · doi:10.1177/1066480709337802 · Cited by 20
Learning and teaching virtuous gratitude
Carr, D., Morgan, B. E., & Gulliford, L. (2015) · Oxford Review of Education · doi:10.1080/03054985.2015.1119679 · Cited by 20
Preliminary Analyses of Three Measures of Grace: Can They be Unified?
Bufford, R. K., Blackburn, A. M., Sisemore, T. A., & Bassett, R. L. (2015) · Journal of Psychology and Theology · doi:10.1177/009164711504300202 · Cited by 20
Better emotion regulation mediates gratitude and increased stress in undergraduate students across a university semester
Demichelis, O. P., Fowler, J. A., & Young, T. (2024) · Stress and Health · doi:10.1002/smi.3417 · Cited by 19
The paradox of power: The relationship between self-esteem and gratitude
Bartlett, M. Y., Valdesolo, P., & Arpin, S. N. (2019) · The Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/00224545.2019.1601609 · Cited by 19
Gratitude is female. Biological sex, socio-cultural gender versus gratitude and positive orientation
Skalski‐Bednarz, S. B., & Pochwatko, G. (2020) · Current Issues in Personality Psychology · doi:10.5114/cipp.2020.93624 · Cited by 19
The comparative effects of gratitude and indebtedness in B2B relationships
Mangus, S. M., Bock, D. E., Folse, J. A. G., & Jones, E. (2022) · Industrial Marketing Management · doi:10.1016/j.indmarman.2022.03.009 · Cited by 22

Authors: McCullough, M. E., Kilpatrick, S. D., Emmons, R. A., & Larson, D. B.
Affiliations: Southern Methodist University (US)
University of California, Davis (US)
ORCID: McCullough, Michael E.
Larson, David B.
Venue: Psychological Bulletin
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2001-03
Volume: 127
Issue: 2
Pages: 249-266
ISSN: 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
1939-1455
DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.127.2.249
OpenAlex: W2014281368
Cited by: 1,698
References: 143
Citations by year: 2026: 76 · 2025: 123 · 2024: 103 · 2023: 117 · 2022: 137 · 2021: 131 · 2020: 125 · 2019: 105 · 2018: 72 · 2017: 82 · 2016: 92 · 2015: 92 · 2014: 90 · 2013: 69 · 2012: 48
FWCI: 15.38
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
Keywords: gratitude, moral emotions, prosocial behavior, empathy, guilt, moral cognition, personality factors
MeSH terms: Affect, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Models, Psychological, Morals, Motivation, Social Behavior

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