The Gratitude Questionnaire - Lab Report Example

The Gratitude Questionnaire This study takes interest in altruism and its correlation to gratitude. In this endeavor the study analyses the two with an aim of independently understanding each of them independently and then looking at the relation between the two. In testing the relation, the study adopts a correlative approach. Correlation requires an understanding of the causal effect relationship between the two, altruism and gratitude. It is in pursuing this relationship that the study makes use of the 6-Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). This tries to calibrate feeling in the likert of scale of 1-7 and in the process identify the specific relation between the two (correlation). This is pursued with due consideration of both validity and reliability both of the data utilized and the resulting observations. Introduction There are 4 types of pro-social behaviors, altruistic, compliant, emotional and public social behaviors. This study focuses on altruistic social behaviors. The essence of the study is to determine the correlation between altruism and gratitude. A thorough discussion of the two terms will precede the ensuing analysis of the correlation between the two. As part of the study, a definition of the 6 Gratitude questionnaires will be forwarded with the aim of understanding the differences. At the same time, and as part of the overall assignment, the study will also describe what is reliability and validity. Altruism Altruistic pro-social behavior is described as providing voluntary assistance stemming from one’s concern for others. It is prompted by sympathy and inherent principles/norms that are congruent with aiding others. As the helper’s actions are often prompted by the needs of others it in most cases represents a cost to them. The question of whether altruistic behavior actually exists has been a contentious issue among scholars as there is a school of thought that argues to the contrary (Carlo & Randall, 2002). All the same, those in support of the existence of altruistic behavior have forwarded 3 lines of evidence. The first line has been a clear illustration of the inheritability of sympathy. Secondly, it has been illustrated that there is a clear longitudinal evidence of consistent pro-social behavior from childhood and adolescence. Lastly, researchers have been able to prove significant kinks between personality variables and pro-social behavior in different situations. As mentioned earlier, the two driving forces for altruistic is sympathy and inherent principles or norms. Empathy is an emotional reaction informed by a particular emotional state and is in line with that state. It is postulated that empathy can translate to sympathy or personal distress. At the same time, research has shown that sympathy acts as a motivator to alleviate suffering or distress shown by another being (McCullough, Kimeldorf & Cohen, 2008). Besides sympathy, altruistic behavior is also linked to inherent norms or principles. In line with most theories, inherent norms or principles are expressed at higher levels or stages of reasoning when individuals are able to formally and systematically gauge their actions. This is highly likely to start occurring in the adolescent stages. As these principles are strongly inherent, persons with norms linked to helping are likely to participate in behaviors associated with helping or benefiting those in need. Additionally, individuals who demonstrate higher levels of moral reasoning are likely to participate in behaviors that are in line with their reasoning as they have obtained a sense of responsibility that is congruent with their principles. These individuals are also less likely to be susceptible to external influences. Existing research has shown that high levels of moral reasoning that often indicates inherent norms or principles are linked to pro-social behavior. Another relation with altruistic pro-social behavior is with social responsibility. Individuals who have high social responsibility are often expected or in most times demonstrate altruistic pro-social behaviors (Carlo & Randall, 2002). This is because they feel or consider it a mandate or a responsibility to act in a manner that is beneficial to the society. Thus individuals who take on responsibility or believe to have an obligation towards them will often translate the same feelings towards external issues. Gratitude Gratitude is plainly described as the appreciation demonstrated or felt by an individual when someone is helpful or kind towards them. It is also described as the sense of joy expressed in receipt of a gift whether tangible or otherwise. It is often described as a mood, trait or emotion. As an emotion it is considered as a moral emotion, in which case it is defined as an orientation towards perceiving and being thankful towards positive things in life. In this sense, it helps promote favorable exchanges and inform positive relationships between individuals and the society at large. Gratitude is thought to serve three functions, one is that it serves as a moral barometer; this is where those expressing gratitude signal the value of their relationship to the beneficiary. The other function is that it acts as a moral reinforce, this is where the expression of gratitude heightens the chances of a similar acts, or according a similar gift in future. Lastly, gratitude also acts as a moral motive, as part of this function, gratitude establishes a sense of meaning and connection to individuals, societies and God. Understanding gratitude and its nature is important while studying human interactions and seeking to understand social interactions. Perhaps its most crucial aspect is its link to positive emotional reactions and proper behavior. The positive reaction to people is associated with multiple effects such as health, resilience, positivity and development (McCullough, Kimeldorf & Cohen, 2008). Gratitude, like multiple other positive emotions, increases the chances of problem resolution. Indeed, one reason why people bounce back from negative or draining situations is because they experience positive emotions such as gratitude which downplays the effects of negative situations. In studying horrifying experiences such as the September 11 attacks, psychologists and other social scientists have demonstrated that gratitude was the second most expressed emotion following compassion (Cheung, 2014). These links can be seen among all individuals. In studying the correlation between altruist pro-social behavior and gratitude one must seek to understand the link between the two. It is not certain that both being positive emotions they must relate positively, a negative correlation might also occur. However, determination of whether it is a negative or positive relation that exists can only be done by looking at the effects each has on the other or to the individuals. In this case, altruist pro-social behavior is largely portrayed as a responsibility to a less fortunate or an individual in need. On the contrary, gratitude is not prompted by need or an unfortunate situation but is activated by a need to be appreciative (McCullough, Kimeldorf & Cohen, 2008). In essence, both have the same effect on the recipient as they are both positive actions. In tracing the commonalities, one is able to identify that both altruism and gratitude stem from ones feel of responsibility towards the other person. However, this might be the only commonality. The other question worth looking at is whether either of the two leads to another, can gratitude lead to altruism or altruism lead to gratitude. In most cases, gratitude will lead to altruism. One might express altruist pro-social behavior through association that is having at one time been in a similar situation and having survived it due to expression of the same action by a different person. Measuring Gratitude There are a couple of ways to measure gratitude. A popular way is to write down a list on the things people feel grateful about. This approach allows researchers to come up with things that individuals feel grateful about. An alternate approach is to document stories people talk about as well as the things they feel grateful about and then code these stories for gratefulness themes. However, none of these approaches appear sufficient enough as compared to the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). This is a 6 item questionnaire in which respondents endorse every item based on a 7 item Likert scale, this ranges from 1 which represents strongly disagree to 7 which represents strongly agree. Results indicate that the 6 items correlate strongly with each other, and one overall factor seems to tap the scale content. Scores of the GQ-6 correlate reliably with peers’ rating of target persons’ gratitude level; people scoring high on this scale report feeling more thankful and more grateful (Snyder, Lopez & Pedrotti, 2011). Scores on the GQ-6 relate in predictable ways to other positive psychology or positive emotions such as optimism, hope and altruism. It is likely that a high score in gratitude as measured by the GQ-6 are less concerned with material goods, and are more likely expected to engage in altruist behavior. In using the GQ-6 questionnaire, some aspects must be considered to ensure the validity or reliability of the results. Validity addresses the foundation or accuracy of the information being relied upon to make a conclusion. On the other hand, reliability addresses the issue of efficiency, the dependability of the results in making decisions in the real world. To ensure these aspects, reliability and dependability, one must look at the sufficiency of the sample size, and the strength of the relationship between the items under consideration (in this case altruism). If these aspects are considered sufficiently then it is more likely that the results can be both reliable and valid. Such results can help in establishing the actual relationship (correlation) between altruism and gratitude. Reference Carlo, G., & Randall, B.A. (2002). The Development of a Measure of Prosocial Behaviors for Late Adolescents. Unpublished Manuscript. The Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NB. Cheung, I. (2014). Assessing Prosocial Behaviours in Late Adolescents: The Prosocial Tendencies Measure. Unpublished Manuscript. The Department of Psychology, Huron University College at Western, London, ON. McCullough, M.E., Kimeldorf, M.B., & Cohen, A.D. (2008).An Adaptation for Altruism? The Social Causes, Social Effects, and Social Evolution of Gratitude. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 281-285. Snyder, C. R., Lopez, S. J., & Pedrotti, J. T. (2011). Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations of human strengths. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE. Read More