Gratitude, psychological well-being and happiness among college students: a correlational study

Abstract

In the past decade, a large number of studies have been conducted exploring the relationship between gratitude, psychological well-being and happiness. Empirical studies have indicated potential variations in the relationship between gratitude and well-being and few studies have even reported negative association between these constructs. The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between Gratitude, Psychological well-being and Happiness. The study was conducted on a sample of 200 college students. Participants were randomly selected and the sample consisted of both male (n = 67) and female (n = 133). Measures included The Gratitude Questionnaire, Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale, and The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). Findings suggest that there is a positive association among Gratitude, Psychological well-being, its dimensions and Happiness. Limitation and implications of the present study are discussed. The findings of the present study can lay a ground work for conceptualising a theoretical model of Gratitude and its estimator variables. Further research can focus on intervention study to improve Gratitude among adolescence population by implementing Gratitude based therapy, and thereby enhancing their Psychological Well-Being.