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Cited by 329Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionAttachment and Relationship DynamicsEmotions and Moral Behavior

The social functions of the emotion of gratitude via expression.

Algoe, Sara B., Fredrickson, Barbara L., Gable, Shelly L.·2013·Emotion
DOI 10.1037/a0032701
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Abstract

Recent theory posits that the emotion of gratitude uniquely functions to build a high-quality relationship between a grateful person and the target of his or her gratitude, that is, the person who performed a kind action (Algoe et al., 2008). Therefore, gratitude is a prime candidate for testing the dyadic question of whether one person's grateful emotion has consequences for the other half of the relational unit, the person who is the target of that gratitude. The current study tests the critical hypothesis that being the target of gratitude forecasts one's relational growth with the person who expresses gratitude. The study employed a novel behavioral task in which members of romantic relationships expressed gratitude to one another in a laboratory paradigm. As predicted, the target's greater perceptions of the expresser's responsiveness after the interaction significantly predicted improvements in relationship quality over 6 months. These effects were independent from perceptions of responsiveness following two other types of relationally important and emotionally evocative social interactions in the lab, suggesting the unique weight that gratitude carries in cultivating social bonds.

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Crossref · 10.1037/a0032701

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  • Positive activities increase perceived social connectedness and positive relationship functioning in non-clinical samples and in those with elevated social anxiety.

    “Research from affective and relational science demonstrates that positive activities increase perceived social connectedness and positive relationship functioning (e.g., relationship satisfaction) in non-clinical samples (Algoe, Fredrickson, & Gable, 2013; O’Connell, Shea, & Gallagher, 2016; Nelson et al., 2016), and in those with elevated social anxiety (Alden & Trew, 2013).”

    From Enhancing social connectedness in anxiety and depression through amplification of positivity: Preliminary treatment outcomes and process of change (2020) · cites this paper as Algoe, Fredrickson, & Gable, 2013

  • The social connectedness-related benefits of positive activities previously demonstrated in non-clinical and non-diagnosed elevated symptom samples also extend to clinical populations.

    “Thus, the current findings provide preliminary evidence that the social connectedness-related benefits of positive activities previously demonstrated in non-clinical (Algoe et al., 2013; Bartlett et al., 2012; O’Connell et al., 2016; Nelson et al., 2016; Williams & Bartlett, 2015) and non-diagnosed elevated symptom samples (Alden & Trew, 2013) also extend to clinical populations.”

    From Enhancing social connectedness in anxiety and depression through amplification of positivity: Preliminary treatment outcomes and process of change (2020) · cites this paper as Algoe et al., 2013

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Authors
Algoe, S. B., Fredrickson, B. L., & Gable, S. L.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
ORCID
Venue
Emotion
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2013-08
Volume
13
Issue
4
Pages
605-609
ISSN
  • 1528-3542 (ISSN-L)
  • 1931-1516
DOI
10.1037/a0032701
OpenAlex
W1977575297
Cited by
329
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 1
FWCI
19.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Emotion (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (T32 MH15750, MH59615, MH65346)
  • National Science Foundation (0615478)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Keywords
gratitude, social functions of emotion, relational growth, romantic relationships, perceived responsiveness, dyads, relationship quality
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Emotions, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Sexual Partners, Social Perception, Young Adult

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