New Study Challenges Beliefs About Gratitude and Future Kindness

Expressions of gratitude, such as “Thank you! You are so kind!” are commonly exchanged in everyday interactions. These statements are believed to encourage future acts of kindness from the recipient. However, a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology challenges this long-held belief, suggesting that gratitude may not always lead to increased helping behavior in the future.

The research utilized a rigorous methodology known as a Registered Report, which ensures that the experimental design, hypotheses, and analytical plans are evaluated by experts prior to conducting the study. This approach enhances transparency and reliability in scientific research.

Gratitude in Experimentation

The investigation involved two large pre-registered experiments. In the first study, more than 600 university students participated in an activity where they recorded a welcome video for a new student, portrayed by a member of the research team. In response, each participant received one of three different pre-recorded video messages.

One group received a message thanking them for their specific act of kindness: “Thank you! What you did was very kind.” Another group was thanked for their character: “Thank you! You are very kind.” The control group received a neutral acknowledgment that their video had been received, without any expression of gratitude.

Afterward, participants were invited to write up to five additional welcome notes for other incoming students, which served as a measure of their willingness to help in the future. The results indicated no significant differences in the number of notes written across the three groups. This finding suggests that receiving gratitude, whether personalized or general, might not influence future helping behaviors as previously suggested by earlier research.

Exploring Kindness Through Donations

The second experiment aimed to further explore the relationship between gratitude and helping behavior, this time focusing on monetary donations. Over 800 adults participated in an online survey that initially provided them with an opportunity to donate to charity. Two days later, participants returned to complete a follow-up survey, which included a thank-you letter from the charity.

Similar to the first study, participants were assigned to receive one of three messages: a thank you for their donation, a thank you for their character, or a simple acknowledgment of their donation without any gratitude expressed. The study measured how much additional money participants chose to donate to another charity.

The findings revealed that those who received a thank-you letter donated more than those who received only an acknowledgment of their donation. Specifically, participants thanked for their kind act contributed an average of 42 cents, while those thanked for their character also gave 42 cents. In contrast, the control group donated only 34 cents. Although the type of gratitude expressed did not significantly affect donation amounts, the presence of a thank-you note appeared to encourage further generosity.

Implications of the Findings

The results of this research highlight a nuanced perspective on gratitude. While the findings indicate that the specific content of gratitude may not be crucial in promoting future helping behavior, they do not diminish the importance of expressing appreciation. Gratitude can enhance the emotional well-being of the person expressing it and strengthen social connections.

The study suggests that individuals may benefit from focusing less on the exact wording of their gratitude and more on the act of expressing appreciation itself. Many people often hesitate to convey their thanks due to uncertainty about how to articulate their feelings, which can discourage them from sharing sincere acknowledgments.

Kelton Travis, an honors undergraduate student in psychology at Simon Fraser University, co-authored this study alongside Lara B Aknin, who receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The other researchers, Anurada Amarasekera, Kristina Castaneto, and Tiara A Cash, disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointments.

As society continues to navigate interpersonal relationships, understanding the dynamics of gratitude may encourage more open expressions of appreciation, fostering a more generous and supportive community.