gratitude research n.

Scientific studies that examine how feelings of gratitude and
thankfulness affect a person's emotional well-being.

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Example Citations
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He dives into the delightfully named fields of "happiness math" and
"forgiveness studies." According to the data, once people reach a
threshold of about $10,000 a year per person, money has little to do
with contentment. People are happy if they are optimistic, grateful
and forgiving. He quotes an expert in gratitude research: "if you
only think about your disappointments and unsatisfied wants, you may
be prone to unhappiness. If you're fully aware of your
disappointments but at the same time thankful for the good that has
happened and for your chance to live, you may show higher indices of
well-being."
--John Leland, "Happiness Math," The New York Times, February 8,
2004

Gratitude research is part of the growing field of positive
psychology, which focuses on the strengths of human beings. In simple
terms, it's an empirical test of counting one's blessings.
--Jane Lampman, "Gratitude grows as salutary habit," Christian
Science Monitor, November 28, 2003

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Earliest Citation
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"Grateful people are happier, more optimistic, more satisfied with
their lives," says Michael McCullough, a University of Miami
psychology professor. "They are more empathetic toward others. We
even have a bit of evidence that grateful people are viewed as
kinder, more helpful and more supportive than less-grateful people."


Gratitude has come under increased scientific study in the last five
years, part of a trend in psychological research whose findings show
the personal benefits of positive emotions.

"If you want a strategy to increase your happiness, there's a lot out
there that will help. You can take pharmaceuticals like Prozac. But
gratitude is something that doesn't have side effects," said Robert
Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California at
Davis who, with McCullough, conducted the most widely cited study on
gratitude. ...

There's more to gratitude research than charting people's emotions to
look for benefits. The professors involved say the findings have
potentially profound ramifications on society.
--Jeff Diamant, "Your mind tends to thank you for feeling so
thankful," The Star-Ledger, November 26, 2003