Gratitude and Compassion

What can Positive Psychology tell us about Compassion and Altruism?

Positive Psychology

Martin (Marty) Seligman 1999 APA Presidential Address From good to great From psychopathology to strengths The Templeton Foundation

Sea Ranch meeting Positive Psychology Degree Introduce Positive Psychology course Connect with Researchers

Psi Chi, 2002: Bob Emmons on Gratitude

Abraham Maslow

People during and after peak-experiences* characteristically feel lucky, fortunate, graced. A common reaction is ‘I don’t deserve this.’ A common consequence is a feeling of gratitude, in religious persons, to their God, in others, to fate or to nature or to just good fortune…This can go over into worship, giving thanks, adoring, giving praise, oblation, and other reactions which fit very easily into orthodox religious frameworks” ( Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences, 1964, 67-68) * transcendent moments of pure joy and elation

9/11/01

“When the second plane hit the south tower of the World Trade Center, I had just stepped out of an elevator onto the 44th floor. Dust and rubble burst out of the elevator shafts and stairways. There was a lot of panic. I clung to the need to see and feel God’s love. The descent down the stairwells was orderly and efficient. So many people were actively expressing love for one another—helping them, calming their fears, embracing and comforting them. It sounds strange, but one of my abiding impressions was how much there was to be grateful for, and how many people to be grateful to…things got worse for a time, when the towers collapsed I was a block away…I was able to keep somewhat focused on the need to love and be grateful”

Emmons: Gratitude

an affirmation of the goodness in our life and the recognition that the sources of this goodness lie at least partially outside the self.

a sense of joy and thankfulness in response to receiving a gift.

Emmons & McCullough, 2003

201 students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions

  The gratitude group: wrote down up to 5 things in their lives

for which they were grateful or thankful each week

The hassles group: wrote down up to 5 hassles or complaints each week

The neutral (events) group: wrote down up to 5 major events and circumstances that impacted them each week

Participants kept weekly logs of their moods, life appraisals, physical symptoms, and health behaviors for 10 weeks

Examples of Hassles

Hard to find parking Messy kitchen no one will clean Finances depleting quickly Having a horrible test in health

psychology Rude customers on Sunday morning Stupid people driving Doing favor for friend who didn’t

appreciate it

Examples of “Gratitudes”

Waking up this morning Generosity of friends The warmth of family To God for giving me determination Thankful for wonderful parents That I have learned all that I have

learned To the Lord for just another day Grateful to the Rolling Stones

Results

Relative to the other two groups the Gratitude Group:

felt better (delighted vs. terrible) about their lives as a whole

were more optimistic about the upcoming week

reported fewer physical complaints

Effect of Gratitude on recipients of gratitudeMcCullough, Kilpatrick, Emmons and

Larson (2001)

Gratitude motivates moral behavior Receiving expressions of gratitude stimulates

the beneficiaries (recipients of gratitude) to “behave pro-socially in the future.”

Reciprocity Norm…e.g. Christmas Cards Later research has documented that

recipients of gratitude are more likely to give… even to a third party.

Emmons & McCullough,2004: Daily journaling for three weeks

Relative to control groups, the group which felt/expressed Gratitude reported : Greater positive moods (experiencing

happiness in the moment), although no difference in negative moods

Offering others more emotional support or help with a personal problem

Those who knew the participants well rated the participants in the gratitude group as more helpful than those in the other groups.

Research in my Positive Psychology Class

At end of first class meeting, students randomly assigned to one of two groups

Gratitude: think back over the last week and write 5 things you were grateful for

Life Events: think back over the last week and write 5 things that happened to you

Then asked to rate their (1) positive and negative moods, (2) expectations for the upcoming week and (3) feelings about their life in general and (4) a brief Compassion Scale

Positive & Negative Affect in the present moment (PANAS, Watson & Clark, 1988)..e.g. interested, sad, excited, alert, calm

What are your expectations for the upcoming week? pessimistic………………………………

optimisticHow do you feel about your life

as a whole? terrible……………………………………

delighted

Immediately afterwards they rated:

Brief Compassion Scale (Hwang, Plante & Lackey, 2008)

When I hear about someone (a stranger) going through a difficult time, I feel a great deal of compassion for him or her.

I tend to feel compassion for people, even though I do not know them

One of the activities that provide me with the most meaning to my life is helping others in the world when they need help

I would rather engage in activities that help others even though they are strangers, than engage in actions that would help me.

I often have tender feelings toward people (strangers) when they seem to be in need.

RESULTS: significant differences in negative affect [ t(2.74 )= p<.05)]

Negative Affect Optimism about week ahead

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1.2

6.12

1.89

5.58

GratitudesLife Events

RESULTS: significant differences in negative affect [ t(2.74 )= p<.05)]

Gratitudes Life Events0123456

1.261.89

Negative Affect Scores: those who wrote gratitudes had significantly less nega-

tive affect scores

RESULTS: no significant differences in positive affect, global appraisals or optimism

Positive Affect Global Appraisals

Optimism week ahead

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

3.24

6.00 6.12

3.65

5.58 5.58

GratitudesLife Events

RESULTS: no significant differences in compassion scores

Gratitudes Life Events0

1

2

3

4

5

6

75.89 5.70

Compassion Scores

Were those in “Gratitude” Group more grateful than “Events” Group?

Gratitude Score as check on whether randomly assisgning students to write gratitudes or life events for the week had been successful in creating different levels of gratitude?

Gratitude composite score: Grateful, thankful, and appreciative

Results: no difference in gratitude scores

Gratitudes Life Events0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

4.19 4.19

Gra

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No real differences in what students wrote about

Examples of “Life Events:” Being proposed to Won $50 on lottery scratcher Decided to leave a surprise snack for a co-

worker Realized I aced an assignment My husband cuddled me unexpectedly

Perhaps taking a positive psychology course encouraged students to focus on positive events

Improving the research

Use students in other classes

Include 3 groups: Gratitudes Hassles Life events

Have them write daily for an entire week

Strategies from Positive Psychology

“Counting your blessings”: journaling, prayer, savoring life’s joys, disputing negative beliefs

Expressing gratitude to others: thank you notes, Gratitude letters (the Gratitude Visit), changing conversations

Expressing appreciation for others: giving concrete examples of how they show their strengths

Random acts of Kindness

The Gratitude Visit

Powerful exercise, designed by Seligman, that I’ve been using for years

Optional Assignment: Write a letter expressing your gratitude

to someone you have never fully expressed gratitude

Make an appointment and read the letter to them

Write up the experience, answering specific questions –very emotional