Science & the Big Questions

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Making Nice

Topics: Altruism David DeSteno Emotion Flourishing Gratitude Happiness Social Relationships

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Giving Thanks May Make Your Brain More Altruistic

Topics: Altruism Generosity Gratitude

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How Cultural Differences Shape Your Gratitude

Topics: Gratitude Values

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Why Gratitude Is Wasted on Thanksgiving

Topics: David DeSteno Emotion Gratitude

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The Science of Gratitude

Topics: Gratitude Happiness

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The Positive Impact of Gratitude on Mental and Physical Health

Topics: Gratitude

New Year’s Resolutions That Will Actually Lead to Happiness

Set goals to improve your well-being — not your wallet or your waistline.

The Atlantic

Topics: Forgiveness Gratitude Happiness

The Science of Generosity

Let’s end the year with a moment of gratitude.

Elemental, Medium

Topics: Altruism Empathy Generosity Gratitude

Want to Be Happier? Evidence-Based Tricks to Get You There

Laurie Santos, the host of The Happiness Lab podcast, shares the science of cultivating gratitude and reframing positive thinking.

Life Kit, NPR

Topics: Gratitude Happiness Social Relationships

Express Gratitude — Not Because You Will Benefit From It, But Others Might

Gratitude has a strong connection to well-being, but more than that, two psychologists say, it could have a powerful effect on others. So, don’t hold back when it comes to expressing it.

The Conversation

Topics: Gratitude Happiness

How to Mix Compassion and Cooperation Into Social Distancing

COVID-19 is threatening our social ties because it scrambles the ways we normally support our friends and communities.

Los Angeles Times

Topics: Bonding Compassion Cooperation David DeSteno Emotion Gratitude Resilience

Gratitude Helps You Cooperate. Does It Also Make You a Sucker?

The clear signal of honest, generous intent that comes with feeling and expressing gratitude can cut both ways. Having more “cooperators” in a group means there are more opportunities for these good people to work together. But it also means there are more opportunities for bad actors to exploit.

Behavioral Scientist

Topics: Cooperation David DeSteno Emotion Fairness Generosity Gratitude Honesty Trust

Research Shows Gratitude Has a Drastically Positive Impact

It’s a parent virtue of sorts — one that, when cultivated, gives rise to others.

Sojourners

Topics: David DeSteno Emotion Generosity Gratitude Honesty Resilience Self-Control

Calling Donors to Thank Them Doesn’t Make Them More Likely to Give Again

Like any personal touch, there’s a chance this common fundraising step makes people feel warm and fuzzy inside. But a five-year research project found that it doesn’t make donors more generous.

The Conversation

Topics: Generosity Gratitude

The Fast Track to a Life Well Lived Is Feeling Grateful

The more gratitude people feel toward those who have helped them, the more diligently they will work to pay them back.

Aeon

Topics: Emotion Ethics Gratitude Morality Self-Control

Gratitude Makes Us Care

When and why gratitude helps us care about other people.

Character & Context, Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Topics: Altruism Gratitude

The Yale Happiness Class, Distilled

The psychology professor Laurie Santos delivers the “shortest possible crash-course version” of the university’s most popular course ever.

The Atlantic

Topics: Gratitude Happiness

When Employees Feel Grateful, They’re Less Likely to Be Dishonest

According to new research.

Harvard Business Review

Topics: David DeSteno Ethics Gratitude Honesty Morality Self-Control

If You Feel Thankful, Write It Down. It’s Good for Your Health

A growing body of research shows keeping a log of what you are thankful for can lower stress, help you sleep better, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease. But it’s not for everyone.

Shots, NPR

Topics: Gratitude

Gratitude Has a Dark Side

In certain contexts, practicing gratitude can diminish well-being.

Quartz at Work

Topics: Gratitude Happiness Michael McCullough Robert Emmons

The Secret to Happiness? Gratitude.

Knowing how to manufacture a feeling of gratitude is a skill that really can make every aspect of your life better.

Men’s Health

Topics: Gratitude Michael McCullough Robert Emmons

The Universe, Meaning, Culture, Gratitude, and Human Nature

The Psychology Podcast recap for November 2018.

Beautiful Minds, Scientific American

Topics: Cultural Evolution Gratitude Meaning Scott Barry Kaufman Universe

You Can Force Yourself to Be More Grateful for Your Life

With practice, you can be happier and more grateful for your life.

Lifehacker

Topics: Emotion Gratitude Happiness

When You’re Grateful, Your Brain Becomes More Charitable

How does being thankful about things in your own life relate to any selfless concern you may have about the well-being of others? A neuroscientist explores the gratitude/altruism connection.

The Conversation

Topics: Altruism Generosity Gratitude

The Science Of Gratitude: How Being Thankful Makes Us Happier

The evidence that it really does improve our lives.

On Point, WBUR

Topics: David DeSteno Emotion Gratitude

Benefits of a Year-Round Attitude of Gratitude in the Workplace

Gratitude is a recognition of our interdependence, of the fact that success is the result of team effort.

Forbes

Topics: Gratitude Success

For Couples, Gratitude Is a Boomerang

Expressing appreciation for the little things leads to bigger things, such as building stronger ties and sustaining relationships.