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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Zhang, J. C., Byon, K. K., Tsuji, Y., & Pedersen, P. M. (2020) · European Sport Management Quarterly · doi:10.1080/16184742.2020.1836011 · Cited by 15
“Conversely, those customers who were thanked and informed of an ongoing sale presented a mere 30% boost in purchases, while customers who were never called showed no increase in purchases at all (McCullough et al., 2001).”
Background
Appraising joy
Watkins, P. C. (2019) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1685570 · Cited by 17
Design Implications for One-Way Text Messaging Services that Support Psychological Wellbeing
Bhattacharjee, A., Pang, J., Liu, A., Mariakakis, A. T., & Williams, J. J. (2022) · ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction · doi:10.1145/3569888 · Cited by 17
“Gratitude can also engender social bonds and inspire peers to help one another [52, 97].”
BackgroundMethod
Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Recovery among Residents of Drug Rehabilitation Centers
Orbon, M. C., Mercado, J., & Balila, J. S. (2015) · Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.12.599 · Cited by 16
A mechanism for gratitude development in a child
Li, S. (2015) · Early Child Development and Care · doi:10.1080/03004430.2015.1043911 · Cited by 15
The structure of gratitude
Kuranaga, H., & Higuchi, M. (2011) · JAPANESE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON EMOTIONS · doi:10.4092/jsre.18.111 · Cited by 15
Better together: Integrative analysis of behavioral gratitude in close relationships using the three-factorial interpersonal emotions (TIE) framework.
Chang, Y.-P., Dwyer, P. C., & Algoe, S. B. (2021) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/emo0001020 · Cited by 15
How Can Servant Leadership Promote Employees’ Voice Behavior? A Moderated Chain Mediation Model
Chen, H., Wang, L., & Li, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938983 · Cited by 13
Reliability, validity and invariance of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire in the China General Social Survey
Zhang, W., & Xiang, Y. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-020-01246-6 · Cited by 14
Basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration prospectively mediates the link between dispositional gratitude and life satisfaction: Longitudinal evidence from a representative sample in Chile
Unanue, J., Oriol, X., Oyanedel, J. C., Unanue, W., & Gómez, M. E. (2022) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2022.111608 · Cited by 19
Comparing gratitude and pride: evidence from brain and behavior
Ding, K., & Liu, J. (2022) · Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-022-01006-y · Cited by 15
You may not reap what you sow: How and when ethical leadership promotes subordinates’ online helping behavior
Li, S., Jia, R., Seufert, J. H., Luo, J., & Sun, R. (2022) · Asia Pacific Journal of Management · doi:10.1007/s10490-022-09831-y · Cited by 14
“…Dasborough et al., 2020), and employees with gratitude have a tendency to repay others kindness by helping those in need (Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006; McCullough et al., 2001) considered that gratitude served as a moral re-enforcer function, and it could drive the recipients to conduct moral…”
God of the good gaps: prevalence, eliciting situations, and demonstrations of gratitude to God as compared to interpersonal gratitude
Cappellen, P. V., Clapp, A. R., & Algoe, S. B. (2023) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2023.2190928 · Cited by 15
“…growth in scientific understanding of a fundamental human experience (Baumgarten-Tramer, 1938; Trivers, 1971) gratitude for another person’s actions (Algoe et al., 2008, 2020; Algoe, 2012; Allen, 2018; Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006; McCullough et al., 2001; Tsang, 2006a, 2006b; Watkins et al., 2006).”
Background
The relationship between gratitude and social well-being: Evidence from a longitudinal study and a daily diary investigation
Ye, Y., ZHANG, L., Jingjing, Z. H. A. O., & Kong, F. (2023) · Acta Psychologica Sinica · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1041.2023.01087 · Cited by 17
“收稿日期：2022-03-03 陕西省自然科学基础研究计划资助项目（项目批准号 2022JQ-155）。叶颖和张琳婷为共同第一作者。通信作者：孔风，E-mail：kongfeng87@126.com 感恩与社会幸福感的双向关系：来自长期追踪法和日记法的证据叶颖张琳婷赵晶晶孔风 (陕西师范大学心理学院，西安，710062) 摘要感恩是一种重要的积极情绪，对人类的社会生活有着重要的意义。已有研究表明，感恩与社会幸福感存在关联，但缺乏因果性证据。为此，本研究采用长期追踪法和日记法探讨感恩和社会幸福感的因果机制。研究 1 对 482 名被试进行间隔七个月的两拨次追踪调查，来探讨特质感恩和社会幸福感之间的相互预测关系。…”
Joint reasoning about social affiliation and emotion
Smith-Flores, A. S., & Powell, L. J. (2023) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-023-00181-0 · Cited by 15
Teachers’ conceptions of gratitude and its cultivation in schools in China
Harrison, M. G., Ying, J., Yan, F., & Jackson, L. (2023) · Journal of Moral Education · doi:10.1080/03057240.2023.2258290 · Cited by 14
“Studies have found positive associations between gratitude and individual well-being (Wood et al., 2010), prosocial behaviour (McCullough et al., 2001), and the development of interpersonal relationships and social bonds (Algoe, 2012; Algoe & Haidt, 2009; Froh et al., 2011; Ma et al., 2013;…”
Influential
Unveiling femvertising: examining gratitude, consumers attitude towards femvertising and personality traits
Waqar, A., Jamil, M., Al-Hazmi, N. M., & Amir, A. (2024) · Cogent Business & Management · doi:10.1080/23311975.2023.2297448 · Cited by 19
“Previously, gratitude is characterized as an adaptive sensation that arises when a person receives a favorable outcome because of situational actions taken by external entities (McCullough et al., 2001).”
Feeling Good Versus Doing Good: Reclaiming a Moral Vision for the Psychology of Gratitude
Wong, Y. J., Cho, N., & Pandelios, A. L. (2024) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-024-00157-2 · Cited by 17
“Additionally, gratitude is a moral motivator in that it motivates grateful people to behave prosocially (McCullough et al., 2001).”
Influential
Mixed Feelings About Supervisors: The Effect of LMX Ambivalence on Supervisor-Directed Behaviors
Chen, L., Weng, Q. D., Popelnukha, A., & Jiang, H. (2024) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-024-05710-2 · Cited by 14
“Given that individuals’ gratitude involves positive appraisals of both their benefactors and the outcomes that benefactors induce (McCullough et al., 2001), Oh and Tong (2023) argued that mixed variants of gratitude (e.g., gratitude-disappointment, gratitude-guilt, and gratitude-anger) might occur…”
Influential
Gratitude: the state of art
Skrzelinska, J., & Ferreira, J. A. (2020) · British Journal of Guidance and Counselling · doi:10.1080/03069885.2020.1789553 · Cited by 14
“It has been described as a positive emotion, an attitude, a moral virtue, psychological state, personality trait, character strength or coping response (Elosua, 2015; Emmons et al., 2003; McCullough et al., 2001).”
Background
Neural mechanisms of social learning and decision-making
Ni, Y., & Li, J. (2020) · Science China Life Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11427-020-1833-8 · Cited by 16
Give and take: The role of reciprocity in capitalization
Kaczmarek, L. D., Kelso, K. C., Behnke, M., Kashdan, T. B., Dziekan, M., Matuła, E., Kosakowski, M., Enko, J., & Guzik, P. (2021) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2021.1885054 · Cited by 15
“Fourth, participants provided ratings of general emotional valence (negative-positive dimension) rather than discrete emotions relevant to reciprocity such as gratitude (McCullough et al., 2001) and guilt (Baumeister et al., 1994).”
Background
The Paradox of Gratitude
Carr, D. (2015) · British Journal of Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/00071005.2015.1011077 · Cited by 14
“…been regarded as a moral disposition or morally implicated response (see, for example, Card, 1988; Walker, 1988; Fitzgerald, 1998; Wellman, 1999; McCullough et al., 2001; McCullough and Tsang, 2004; Carr, 2013; Watkins, 2013; Froh and Bono, ISSN 0007-1005 (print)/ISSN 1467-8527 (online) ©…”
Gratitude and Athletes’ Life Satisfaction: A Intra-individual Analysis on the Moderation of Ambivalence over Emotional Expression
Chen, L. H., Wu, C., & Chen, S. (2014) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-014-0737-0 · Cited by 19
“Furthermore, a positive worldview prevents individual habiting to positive environment which help people’s well-being (McCullough et al. 2001, 2002).”
BackgroundInfluential

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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Is gratitude a moral affect?

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