Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass., 1999. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-202).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass., 1999. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-202).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass., 1999. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-202).

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Thesis advisor: Jean M. Bartunek / Thesis advisor: Myeong-Gu Seo / My dissertation builds theory about gratitude at work. Drawing from Affective Events Theory, I suggest two different forms of gratitude: state gratitude and job gratitude. State gratitude refers to grateful moods or emotions which tend to last short term, whereas job gratitude refers to employees’ grateful attitudes particularly toward their jobs that tend to last longer. Empirically, I conducted three related studies. In the first study, I developed and validated the 7-item measure of job gratitude using a series of surveys that confirmed a satisfactory content and construct validity of the measure. Using an experience sampling procedure, in the second study I suggested and tested a theoretical model of state gratitude at work. A series of longitudinal surveys with 135 employees showed that state gratitude that is captured by a 3 week long daily survey is positively associated with in-role behaviors through the desire to reciprocate benevolence. My analyses also showed that the availability of extrinsic job rewards negatively moderates the positive impact of state gratitude on helping behaviors through the desire to reciprocate benevolence. Employees’ job dependency also negatively moderates the positive impact of state gratitude on both helping and in-role behaviors through the desire to reciprocate benevolence. The third study proposed and tested a theoretical model of job gratitude. My analyses showed that through the mechanism of intended help, job gratitude is positively associated with extra-role behaviors including helping behaviors, organizational citizenship behaviors directed to an organization, and voice behaviors. Taken together, my dissertation enriches theories in emotion literature by exploring a particular type of discrete, social, and moral emotions. My dissertation also contributes to gratitude literature outside of organizational studies, as it broadens the scope of impacts of gratitude in work contexts. Lastly, this dissertation contributes to Organizational Positive Scholarship by shedding light on the experiences of the recipients’ of prosocial behaviors. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Management and Organization.

Gratitude has been found to have many positive benefits, whether it is introspective or interpersonal in nature. This research explored the differential effects of an interpersonal and intrapersonal gratitude intervention on subjective well-being (SWB). Participants were assigned to one of three intervention conditions that were characterized by a weekly writing task—an interpersonal gratitude letter (n = 73), an intrapersonal gratitude journal (n = 65), or a learning journal (n = 67), which served as the control. A four-week, repeated gratitude intervention design was conducted, wherein participants' SWB was assessed across 12-time points, including a pre- and post-intervention SWB battery to assess the intervention’s overall impact. Participants in both gratitude conditions reported an overall increase in positive affect, supported by text analysis. However, participants who wrote gratitude letters had significantly less negative affect compared to the gratitude journal participants. Further analysis revealed a significant difference in SBW between the two gratitude conditions. Specifically, participants who experienced the intrapersonal gratitude journal-writing task reported a significant improvement in life satisfaction, while participants in the interpersonal gratitude letter-writing task evidenced a significant improvement in perceived social support. The control condition unexpectedly exhibited an increase in SWB that was likely due to the salience of the participants’ scholastic accomplishments. Finally, individual differences, including The Big Five, predicted gratitude and positive affect, consistent with prior research. / M.S. / Gratitude has been found in prior research to have many positive benefits, whether it is introspective or interpersonal in nature. However, not as much research has been conducted to understand if gratitude expressed introspectively or interpersonally is psychologically different in relation to one’s wellbeing. This research therefore explored the psychological benefits—and differences— between intrapersonal and interpersonal gratitude using a gratitude intervention over four consecutive weeks. Participants were either assigned a thank-you letter (interpersonal condition), an introspective gratitude journal (intrapersonal condition), or a learning journal (control condition). Results demonstrated that those who completed the gratitude letter felt more socially supported, while those who completed the gratitude journal saw an improvement in life satisfaction and how grateful they felt. The control group also found an improvement in their life satisfaction, which may have also been due to the introspective nature of their writing task. Feelings of positivity were greater in both gratitude groups compared to those in the control group. The study provided evidence for the psychological differences between introspective and interpersonal gratitude, and the positive role they both serve.

Keywords: emotion, gratitude, social dilemma, cooperation / The emergence of the positive psychology movement has inspired research on positive emotions over the years; yet, several constructs have received limited attention. One of such is gratitude. Research has demonstrated that gratitude leads to prosocial behaviors, such as the engagement in effortful assistance to others, or involving in gift-exchanges in dyadic relationships. However, few studies have directly examined the effects of gratitude on cooperation, particularly, in a social dilemma context. Therefore, the current research aims at investigating the impact of gratitude on cooperative behaviors in a public good game. Traditional methodology in emotion research induces emotions exogenously, i.e. with the use of recall procedures, imagination of scenarios or video clips. Here, a new methodology is introduced where the emotion of gratitude is induced endogenously, within a public good game. Using this new induction procedure, it was found that endogenous gratitude motivated cooperative behaviors. In addition, it was also of interest to investigate the potential influences of contextual factors on the gratitude-cooperation linkage. Studies were systematically conducted to examine three contextual variables, namely; human contact through handshaking, threat of exclusion, and perspective-taking through empathy induction. Results across the four studies suggest that the emotion of gratitude acts as a motivator for cooperative behaviors in the presence of an exclusion option and empathy induction. / Leung, Hildie. / Advisers: Winton Wing-tung Au; Darius Kwan-shing Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-06, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-85). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: Dept. of Psychology. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 99-106.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-73).