The Psychology of Gratitude

by Robert A. Emmons (Editor), Michael E. McCullough (Editor)

Gratitude, like other positive emotions, has inspired many theological and philosophical writings, but it has inspired very little vigorous, empirical research. In an effort to remedy this oversight, this volume brings together prominent scientists from various disciplines to examine what has become known as the most-neglected emotion. The volume begins with the historical, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of gratitude, then presents the current research perspectives from social, personality, and developmental psychology, as well as from primatology, anthropology, and biology. The volume also includes a comprehensive, annotated bibliography of research on gratitude. This work contributes a great deal to the growing positive psychology initiative and to the scientific investigation of positive human emotions. It will be an invaluable resource for researchers and students in social, personality, and developmental, clinical, and health psychology, as well as to
sociologists and cultural anthropologists.

Genres: Psychology, Academic

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis where he has taught since 1988. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign. He is the author of over 200 original publications in peer‑reviewed journals or chapters and has written or edited eight books, including The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns (Guilford Press), The Psychology of Gratitude (Oxford University Press), Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier (Houghton-Mifflin), Gratitude Works! A Twenty-One Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity (Jossey-Bass) and The Little Book of Gratitude (Hachette). A leader in the positive psychology movement, Dr. Emmons is founding editor and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology. His research focuses on the psychology of gratitude and joy as they relate to human flourishing. Professor Emmons speaks regularly at medical and psychological conferences and at public events. Dr. Emmons has received research funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, the John M. Templeton Foundation, and the National Institute for Disability Research and Rehabilitation. His research has been featured in dozens of popular media outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, Time, NPR, PBS, Consumer Reports, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Today Show. He lives with his wife of 24 years, Yvonne and their two sons and two dogs in Davis, California.

Reviews

[Walker Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

****1/2

[Tim Cheneval · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable exploration of the contours of gratitude, thankfulness and human emotion and disposition. It is a dense read and can be tough to digest at times, but the insights about human nature as it relates to positive emotions are tremendous.

[Aleš Bednařík · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toto je kniha najviac napchatá informáciami o tom, čo je to vďačnosť. Prechádza rôznymi kontextami od tých etologických, cez antropologické až po neurologické štúdie.

[Lisa Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book chock-full of white papers and research. The information is good, but it is not written for the general population.

I did use some of the research from here in my book The Upside of Down Times: Discovering the Power of Gratitude