Cultural Differences in the Positive Effects of Gratitude on Well-being

Are there cultural differences in the positive effects of gratitude on well-being? The current research examined whether and how cultural orientations (i.e., individualism vs. collectivism) could qualify the effects of gratitude on physical and psychological well-being. Study 1 assessed participants’ cultural orientations (i.e., collectivism vs. individualism) and tested the moderating role of cultural orientations in the relationship between gratitude and well-being. In Study 2, we recruited participants with diverse cultural backgrounds (i.e., Eastern Asians vs. European Americans) and compared the effects of gratitude across cultures. Finally, in order to establish the causal relationship, Study 3 manipulated participants’ cultural orientations. The findings indicated that (a) gratitude has positive effects on psychological and physical well-being across cultures; (b) people with a collectivistic cultural background tend to report gratitude for external factors such as family, friend, and circumstance whereas those with an individualistic cultural background tend to report gratitude for internal factors such as characteristics, ability, and talent; (c) the gratitude for the external factors, compared to the gratitude for the internal factors, is more beneficial to well-being among people with the collectivistic cultural background while the reverse pattern emerges among those with the individualistic cultural background.