Social construction of gratitude: combined effect of contextual factors and benefactor-recipient relationships on interpersonal gratitude

Although gratitude has been extensively studied, the combined effects of multiple determinants on gratitude have not been thoroughly examined, particularly within Chinese cultural contexts. Through four studies (N = 992), we explored how contextual factors (helping motive attributions and types of help) and benefactor-recipient relationship (horizontal and vertical relationships) inform interpersonal gratitude. The results revealed that recipients experienced more gratitude when help was attributed to autonomous motivation rather than controlled motivation; autonomy-oriented help elicited more gratitude from recipients than dependency-oriented help. Additionally, the benefactor-recipient relationship had a significant impact on the recipients’ experience of gratitude. Importantly, across both horizontal and vertical relationships, the results provided evidence supporting the interactive effects of different types of help and benefactor-recipient relationships on interpersonal gratitude. Our findings highlight the role of how multiple determinants shaped gratitude, which offer a more nuanced perspective on the formation of gratitude in Chinese cultural contexts.