Better to Give or to Receive?: The Role of Dispositional Gratitude Wendy Wolfe, Vann Scott, Olivia Singleton, Amanda Herring, William Worrell, Jonathan Shay, Wendy Lozo, & Cosima Hoetger Results Introduction Method With one exception, results showed no significant main effects of condition on explicit or implicit measures of experienced gratitude. Reaction time to gratitude-relevant words on the Lexical Task was significantly different across condition. However, this main effect was qualified by a significant interaction with DG (GRAT), [F(2,18) = 3.77, p < .05]. The nature of the interaction is shown in Figure 1. While there were no main effects of condition on the explicit measures of experienced gratitude, the interaction between DG (GQ-6) and gratitude list word count approached statistical significance [F(2, 27) = 3.04, p = .06]. Figure 2 depicts the nature of the interaction trend. For graphing purposes, the continuous DG data is illustrated on the basis of a median split on the GQ-6 and GRAT to form High DG and low DG groups. Gratitude has been associated with interpersonal and intrapersonal benefits, such as facilitating the development and strengthening of social bonds and protecting individuals from depression. Gratitude has been conceptualized as an attitude, a moral virtue, a habit, an emotion, and a personality trait. Researchers’ definitions have ranged from broad general definitions to narrow, research specific conceptualizations. Most recently, it has been discussed as existing at multiple levels: as an affective trait (i.e., dispositional gratitude), as a mood state, and as a momentary experience elicited by daily events (McCullough, Tsang, & Emmons, 2004). In examining gratitude as an emotional experience and an affective trait, McCullough et al. (2004) found a positive correlation between dispositional gratitude (DG) and gratitude as a mood state, such that those with a disposition towards gratitude reported feeling more grateful over a three week period. McCullough et al.’s (2004) research also revealed that the relationship between grateful mood and gratitude-related experiences depended on DG. More daily, gratitude-eliciting experiences predicted a more grateful mood for those lower in DG but not for those higher in DG, which suggests that, for those higher in DG, grateful mood is more strongly influenced by personality characteristics than momentary occurrences. However, as in similar research, the study only focused on the impact of being the beneficiary of gratitude-related events. It is possible that being a benefactor is more likely to activate gratitude in high DG individuals. The present study attempted to determine if this is the case. Participants Participants were 33 undergraduate students, who received course credit for participation (68 % female; 65 % Caucasian; M age = 24). Materials and Procedure Our study was conducted in two sessions. In Session 1 (administered on-line using Survey Monkey), two measures of DG were given, the Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test (GRAT) and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). These were embedded in a series of other measures, including measures to explore DG related constructs (e.g., Satisfaction with Life Scale). Participants were then randomly assigned into three conditions: Benefactor, Beneficiary, and Control. Session 2 was conducted in the Psychology Department. Participants were asked to complete two timed tasks along with another participant (actually a research confederate), a Block Design Task from the WISC-III and a Trail Making Task (both used as distracter tasks in our study). In the Beneficiary condition, the participant lacked lead in his or her pencil and received a pencil from the confederate. In the Benefactor condition, the confederate lacked lead in his or her pencil, prompting assistance from the participant. In the control condition, both participant and confederate completed the tasks with properly functioning pencils. Next, measures of experienced gratitude were administered in a counter-balanced order. The Lexical Decision Task requires participants to quickly distinguish between word and non-words. Embedded in the series of neutral words are gratitude-related words. Greater accuracy and reaction time to gratitude-related words is an indication that the benefit-triggered gratitude manipulation activated schemas related to the construct at an implicit level. The gratitude list asks participants to enumerate (in 10 min.) the things they are grateful for. A greater number of words expressed on the gratitude list illustrates experienced gratitude at an explicit level of awareness. Next, participants completed a series of manipulation check measures and a demographic questionnaire. Conclusion Our results illustrate a difference in how exchanges of assistance activate experienced gratitude among those with varying degrees of DG. Consistent with the literature, those lower in DG feel grateful at an explicit level of awareness primarily when they receive assistance. At an implicit level, they seem to become less in touch with feelings of gratitude when they have provided assistance. Those higher in DG are more likely to have that feeling activated after they provide assistance, particularly on an implicit level of awareness. It is surprising that experienced gratitude (on the Lexical Task and the Gratitude List) was not higher among participants high in DG, regardless of condition. Given our small number of participants, we are seeking to replicate this study and to explore the role of other constructs measured in our study on the relationship between DG and benefit-triggered gratitude. If these results are replicated, therapeutic and wellness based interventions that seek to increase feelings of gratitude would seem likely to benefit from assessing DG to develop more targeted interventions. Hypotheses Being a benefactor in gratitude-related situations is more likely to activate a state of gratitude in high DG individuals. In other words, we hypothesized that individuals who tend to be grateful as a general state may feel more grateful after they have provided assistance than after they have received it. Consistent with past research findings, we hypothesized that a state of gratitude will be activated among low DG individuals when they are a beneficiary of assistance. Key Reference McCullough, M. E., Tsang, J., & Emmons, R. A. (2004). Gratitude in intermediate affective terrain: Links of grateful moods to individual differences and daily emotional experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 295-309. For further information, contact: Wendy Wolfe, wendy.wolfe@armstrong.edu Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA (3/13/2013)