Gratitude, self-monitoring and social intelligence: A prosocial relationship?

Abstract

To date, gratitude has been discussed as a positive construct that is linked to various prosocial outcomes, including helping behaviours and altruism, as well as intrapersonal and interpersonal gains such as life satisfaction and social bonds. The emphasis on gratitude as positive has created a dearth of research examining its potential shadow side. This current paper attempts to explore gratitude in a more critical light in order to question whether gratitude always functions in a prosocial manner. First, the theoretical relationship between gratitude, ingratiation and impression management behaviours are explored with reference to social intelligence (SI) and self-monitoring as key constructs that might underlie gratitude's shadow side. This argument outlines that the apparent prosocial nature of gratitude might, sometimes, mask manipulative and self-serving goals. Preliminary empirical evidence of the relationship between gratitude, SI and self-monitoring is then provided. In Study 1, three-hundred-and-eleven participants completed self-report measures on gratitude, self-monitoring and social intelligence. The results demonstrate smallto-medium and significant correlational links between these constructs. Study 2 explored whether practicing gratitude can lead to changes in impression management skills, specifically social intelligence, through the design and delivery of a gratitude versus pride intervention. This small scale intervention (N = 36) provides the first preliminary evidence that practicing gratitude can function to increase participants' levels of social intelligence. The possible prosocial and manipulative functions of this relationship are discussed alongside suggestions for future research avenues.

Understanding the Social Determinants of Mental Health of Undergraduate Students in Bangladesh: Interview Study

“…These 8 emotions cover the circular space of the valence-arousal dimension [ 56 ], a common framework for recording emotional experience, which assumes that all human emotions are distributed in a 2D space. Previous works [ 37 , 44 , 46 ] show that this approach of asking emotions from the valence-arousal dimension is particularly suitable for apps where users need to give frequent quick inputs on their mood, and it offers a reliable tool for researchers to analyze user behavior. One might argue that self-reported moods might not cover all mood archetypes; however, a vast amount of psychology literature [ 37 , 44 , 46 ] validates the use of our or similar to our self-report methods.…”

“…Previous works [ 37 , 44 , 46 ] show that this approach of asking emotions from the valence-arousal dimension is particularly suitable for apps where users need to give frequent quick inputs on their mood, and it offers a reliable tool for researchers to analyze user behavior. One might argue that self-reported moods might not cover all mood archetypes; however, a vast amount of psychology literature [ 37 , 44 , 46 ] validates the use of our or similar to our self-report methods. In addition to the ease and convenience of the implementation of these methods, self-reported methods provide users with enough control over their interaction with the system, which does not make them feel they are part of an experiment and instead generate data closer to the real world [ 44 , 57 ].…”

“…In a country like Bangladesh, where social and family structures are hierarchical, traditional, and community based [ 10 , 31 , 36 ], social and family relationships play an important role in people’s daily lives, and recording one’s mental condition after interactions with family members and social peers seems to be a useful way of monitoring and improving their mental health. Past research suggests that patterns of mobile phone calls can reveal important information about an individual’s mental state and relationships with their friends and family [ 37 ]. In addition, mobile phone communication history helps one identify various forms of social closeness [ 38 ].…”

What Is Gratitude? Ingratitude Provides the Answer

“…It is also important, as Morgan and Gulliford (2018) pointed out, to understand the benefactor's intention in providing what might only appear to be a benefit, or when a benefit is given with clear expectation of some payback. Moreover, gratitude may be owed even in the absence of a benefit, as when a would-be benefactor tries very hard to provide a benefit but without success; the intention to provide a benefit might be sufficient (Gulliford, Morgan, Hemming, & Abbott, 2019). Similarly, opportunities to reciprocate are not always available; as McConnell (1993) argued, people are only considered ungrateful if they typically fail to reciprocate to their benefactors when it would be possible to do so.…”

Social intelligence in 6-7-year-old children: features and application results of pedagogical diagnostics

“…In the last twenty years, the attention of scientists has been given to the research of the relationship between social intelligence and general self-control (Slovas & Cemanova, 2009); solving interpersonal situations as an indicator of social intelligence (Vasil'ova & Vyrost, 2004); the ratio of gratitude, self-control, and social intelligence (Guilford, Morgan, & Hemming, 2019); diagnostics of social intelligence (Silvera et al, 2001); measuring this phenomenon (Ushakov, 2004), professional characteristics of teachers' social intelligence and the influence of the educational managerial style on their social and emotional intelligence (Turker & Tanriogen, 2019); the role of emotional intelligence and social competences of teachers in overcoming difficulties in working with students with special needs (Skura & Swiderska, 2021); and the relationship between social intelligence, perceived antisocial (gang) behavior, and fear and stigmatization of primary and secondary teachers (Thorndike, 1920).…”