What does this research mean for the field?

Individuals with higher trait gratitude are more likely to engage in costly prosocial actions aimed at advancing the greater good, challenging the notion that gratitude merely reinforces the status quo. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONTRADICTORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate whether gratitude motivates individuals to engage in costly prosocial actions aimed at advancing societal change and the greater good rather than reinforcing the status quo.

August 23, 2026EmotionOpen Access

Glad to help out: Grateful people are more likely to engage in costly prosocial action.

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Authors

RLRandy T. Lee KBKirstan Brodie JRJ. R. Richardson

Discussion

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Overview

Experimental studies demonstrate that higher trait gratitude predicts greater willingness to perform costly prosocial actions, suggesting gratitude drives societal change rather than complacency.

Key Points

To investigate whether gratitude motivates individuals to engage in costly prosocial actions aimed at advancing societal change and the greater good rather than reinforcing the status quo.
Evaluated the impact of state and trait gratitude across experimental cohorts, including a general sample (N = 360) and a U.S. college student sample (Study 4b; N = 362).
Measured participants' self-reported intentions to participate in costly prosocial behaviors following gratitude-related assessments.
State gratitude manipulations did not produce a significant increase in costly prosocial action intentions across the tested samples (N = 360 and N = 362).
Higher levels of trait gratitude consistently correlated with greater intentions to engage in costly prosocial actions.
The evidence challenges assertions that gratitude fosters complacency or maintains the status quo, showing it instead drives costly efforts for social improvement.

Cite This Study

Lee et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8aad667677a341144458fd https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001722

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August 23, 2026EmotionOpen Access

Glad to help out: Grateful people are more likely to engage in costly prosocial action.

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

RLRandy T. Lee KBKirstan Brodie JRJ. R. Richardson

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Experimental studies demonstrate that higher trait gratitude predicts greater willingness to perform costly prosocial actions, suggesting gratitude drives societal change rather than complacency.

Key Points

To investigate whether gratitude motivates individuals to engage in costly prosocial actions aimed at advancing societal change and the greater good rather than reinforcing the status quo.
Evaluated the impact of state and trait gratitude across experimental cohorts, including a general sample (N = 360) and a U.S. college student sample (Study 4b; N = 362).
Measured participants' self-reported intentions to participate in costly prosocial behaviors following gratitude-related assessments.
State gratitude manipulations did not produce a significant increase in costly prosocial action intentions across the tested samples (N = 360 and N = 362).
Higher levels of trait gratitude consistently correlated with greater intentions to engage in costly prosocial actions.
The evidence challenges assertions that gratitude fosters complacency or maintains the status quo, showing it instead drives costly efforts for social improvement.

Cite This Study

Lee et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8aad667677a341144458fd https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001722

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