Gratitude Texting Touches the Heart: Challenge/Threat Cardiovascular Responses to Gratitude Expression Predict Self-initiation of Gratitude Interventions in Daily Life

Abstract

Gratitude-based interventions are effective in facilitating positive relationships and increasing life satisfaction. However, for some individuals (e.g., with high levels of depression and low trait-gratitude) gratitude expression is threatening and rarely undertaken spontaneously. In this study, we expected to replicate this gratitude expression threat effect. Moreover, we aimed to understand psychophysiological mechanisms of this effect by accounting for cognitive, motivational, and physiological responses to gratitude expression in line with the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat. One hundred ninety-six students (51% women) between the ages of 18 and 31 years old (M = 21.20, SD = 2.08) reported personality measures and completed a laboratory session where they expressed gratitude via text messages after reporting evaluation and motivation towards the task. Their cardiovascular reactivity was monitored continuously. After the session, participants were invited to continue a gratitude intervention for the next three weeks. We found that individuals with higher depression and lower trait-gratitude were less likely to initiate gratitude intervention. This effect was mediated by a cardiovascular marker of threat (total peripheral resistance) that inhibited motivation and behavior. In summary, we replicated and provided further evidence for the role of personality traits in predicting aversive responses to gratitude expression via interventions. These findings contribute to the person-activity fit recommendations.

Positive Emotions Boost Enthusiastic Responsiveness to Capitalization Attempts. Dissecting Self-Report, Physiology, and Behavior

“…This suggests that self-reports are insufficient to explain physiology and, above all, behavior in the capitalization process. For instance, a recent study indicated the benefits of accounting for cardiovascular responses in positive psychological interventions because the cardiovascular response indicates the threat was predictive of lower behavioral engagement in the intervention (Enko et al 2020).…”

“…Going beyond self-report is necessary for explaining which systems need to be engaged in individuals to achieve greater readiness for enthusiastic responding. Moreover, using physiological methods allows researchers to observe behavior without the interpretative difficulties inherent with self-reports (Enko et al, 2020).…”

The Role of Passion in Psychological and Cardiovascular Responses: Extending the Field of Passion and Positive Psychology in New Directions

“…Research in positive psychology has recently started to look at physiological measures. For instance, research has started to look at the link between positive psychology variables such as gratitude ( Enko et al, 2021 ) and emotions ( Kaczmarek et al, 2021 ) and cardiovascular responses. Such efforts in positive psychology are important.…”

How seasons, weather, and part of day influence baseline affective valence in laboratory research participants?

“…The data for this study were derived from seven laboratory experiments that examined the psychophysiology of emotions [ 46 – 50 ]. Details about the studies are presented in ( S1 Table ).…”