A mechanism for gratitude development in a child

Most scholars consider gratitude as a moral emotion, with only few seeing it as a character trait. As a result, no systematic mechanism has ever been attempted to develop gratitude in children. Given the social issue of widespread lack of gratitude in the one-child generations of China, this article attempts to outline a mechanism of parental moral education for gratitude development. The mechanism is underpinned by love, induction and discipline; and theoretically justified in accordance with key psychological and sociological theories, such as Piaget's theory of moral development, Kohlberg's moral stages theory, attachment theory, Hoffman's internalisation theory, Rest's social justice theory and Baumrind's parenting styles theory. The benefits and potential risks of each strategy of the mechanism are addressed.     

Forgiveness and gratitude trajectories among persons undergoing alcohol addiction therapy

Background: The first studies concerning changes in moral virtues during alcohol addiction therapy were published during the last decade. However, as all of these studies applied a variable-oriented approach, it is impossible to capture differences between starting points and changes in variables of interest. 

Method: In this study, we employed a person-oriented approach to identify trajectories of change in two moral virtues—forgiveness and gratitude—during alcohol addiction treatment. The sample consisted of 358 alcohol-dependent individuals who were receiving outpatient therapy. Measurements were taken (1) at the beginning of the basic treatment, (2) after its completion (5–7?weeks from baseline), and (3) about six months later. Three forgiveness scales and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) were used to assess the patients’ moral virtues. 

Results: Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) revealed four trajectories for self-forgiveness and gratitude, and three trajectories for forgiveness of others and feeling forgiven by God. For patients with a low baseline level of moral virtues, the changes varied depending on the kind of moral virtue. Patients with a relatively high initial level of moral virtues maintained that level in subsequent measurements. Significant correlates of trajectory class membership were gender, education, age, religiosity, diagnosis of coexisting psychiatric disorders, and frequency of attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. 

Conclusions: This study highlights the clinical importance of considering differences at the baseline level and in changes of forgiveness and gratitude, as well as personal and alcohol-related correlates of trajectory group membership among people who participate in alcohol addiction therapy.     

留守儿童网络游戏成瘾与感戴及社会支持的关系

目的 评价留守儿童感戴与网络游戏成瘾的关系,探讨社会支持在其中的中介作用。方法 采用感戴量表、网络游戏成瘾量表、领悟社会支持量表对498名留守儿童进行调查。结果 留守儿童网络游戏成瘾得分男童显著高于女童(t=9.64,P＜0.001),留守儿童感戴(r₁=-0.15)、社会支持(r₂=-0.21)与网络游戏成瘾均显著负相关(P均＜0.001),社会支持在留守儿童感戴与其网络游戏成瘾的关系间起着完全中介作用。结论 感戴对留守儿童网络游戏成瘾具有显著的抑制作用,而这一作用是通过社会支持起作用的。     

医学生感恩与父母教养方式、人格关系

目的考察医学生感恩基本情况,讨论医学生的感恩与其父母教养方式、人格之间的关系。方法采用大学生感戴量表(SCSG)、父母教养方式评价量表(EMBU)、艾森克人格问卷简式量表中国版(EPQ-RSC)对河南某医学院校395名大学生集体施测。结果①在感戴总分上,女生得分高于男生(t=-2.95,P0.05);不同年级和不同生源地医学生在感戴密度上差异显著(F=2.630~2.659,P0.05);②除了父母亲偏爱,父母亲过度干涉外,其他父母教养方式均与感戴总分显著相关(r=-2.90~0.387,P0.01);③父亲情感温暖理解、精神质、内外向、母亲拒绝否认4个变量对感戴总分显著预测力(R2=0.275);④内外向(t=5.477,P0.05)在父亲情感温暖理解与感戴的总分之间起部分中介作用;内外向(t=6.825,P0.05)、精神质(t=-5.239,P0.05)在母亲拒绝否认与感戴总分之间起部分中介效应。结论①人格特征、父母教养方式能够在一定程度上预测医学生的感恩水平;②人格的内外向,精神质因子在父母教养方式两个因子上与感戴总分之间起部分中介效应。     

You are not in the army now! A field study on the impact of a Preparation for Civilian Life program on young soldiers

Recent years have seen the implementation of educational programs aimed at developing future orientation and better employability skills, mostly for people new to or returning to the job market. In a field study, we investigated the impact of a 5-day program on reintegration to civilian life on young Israeli combat soldiers' time preferences, gratitude, patriotism, and perceptions of their combat experience. Questionnaires administered before and after the program revealed a positive effect on future orientation but a negative effect on gratitude and perceptions of the combat experience. Although the positive effect on future orientation is in line with the program design, the negative effects found should be taken into consideration when planning or improving similar educational programs.     

Strengths in older adults: differential effect of savoring,gratitude and optimism on well-being

Objetive: The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of three separate strengths training-based interventions – Gratitude, Savoring, and Optimism – in older adults.

Method: The sample comprised 124 older adults, namely, 74 women and 50 men, non-institutionalized individuals who regularly attend day centers in the provinces of Jaén and Córdoba, southern Spain. Their ages ranged between 60 and 89 years. The measures used were Anxiety, Depression, Life Satisfaction, Positive and Negative Affect, Subjective Happiness, and Resilience.

Results: Training in Gratitude and Savoring increased scores in Life Satisfaction, Positive Affect, Subjective Happiness and Resilience, and reduced Negative Affect, whereas training in Optimism failed to produce a significant change in these variables. The Savoring and Optimism interventions decreased scores in Depression but, contrary to hypothesis, this was not the case for Gratitude.

Conclusion: These results represent an important step in understanding what type of strengths work best when it comes to enhancing well-being in older adults and consequently helping them tackle the challenges of everyday life and recover as quickly as possible from the adverse situations and events that may arise.     

留守儿童感恩、焦虑抑郁与生活满意度的关系研究

目的考察留守儿童感恩、焦虑抑郁与生活满意度的关系。方法采用感恩问卷、焦虑抑郁量表和生活满意度量表对363名留守儿童进行调查。结果回归分析表明,感恩显著正向预测留守儿童的生活满意度(b=0.15,P0.01),焦虑抑郁显著部分中介这一效应(Z=2.06,P0.05)。结论感恩是留守儿童生活满意度的重要促进因素,焦虑抑郁是这一联结的"桥梁"。     

大学生感戴与人际关系困扰的关系研究?

目的：探讨感戴对大学生人际关系困扰的影响,以期为构建和谐的校园人际关系提供积极正面的能量。方法采用感戴问卷、大学生人际关系综合诊断量表,对广东省5所高校共530名在校大学生进行问卷调查。结果(1)大学生人际关系困扰总检出率为46.4%。(2)感戴存在性别和年级交互作用(P <0.05),大一、大二、大四男生及大三女生感戴水平显著高于大三男生(P <0.01);男大学生在与人交谈、待人接物、异性交往及人际关系困扰总分上均显著高于女大学生(P <0.01);大三学生交际交友因子得分显著高于大一和大四学生(P <0.05)。(3)大学生感戴与人际关系困扰总分及与人交谈、交际交友、待人接物、异性交往4个因子均呈显著负相关(P <0.01),不同感戴水平的被试在人际关系困扰总分及各因子上差异有统计学意义(P <0.01),感戴对人际关系困扰总分及各因子具有显著的负向预测作用(P <0.01)。结论大学生感戴与其人际关系困扰关系密切,感戴能有效地预测大学生人际关系困扰。