Impact of Indirect Gratitude Experience on Life Satisfaction and Perceived Social Support

In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of indirect gratitude experience on life satisfaction and perceived social support. The participants included 68 adults (33 males and 35 females) who were assigned to a direct gratitude group, an indirect gratitude group, or a control group for a 6-day writing intervention. This study shows that gratitude treatment, including direct and indirect gratitude, significantly increases life satisfaction and perceived social support levels in the direct and indirect gratitude groups compared to the control group. There was no significant difference in life satisfaction and social support between the direct and indirect gratitude groups. In addition, changes in the measured values of direct and indirect gratitude before and after the intervention were significant in both life satisfaction and perceived social support, indicating that just reading or seeing other people’s gratitude experiences enhances the feeling of gratitude and its psychological effects. Finally, the limitations of this study and suggestions are discussed.