The Impact of Gratitude and Hope on the Optimism among College Students- An Analysis using Broaden and Build Theory

Abstract

Gratitude is defined as being thankful in all sorts of situations, be it tangible benefits like receiving a gift or something intangible. Hope is the belief of aspiring a better future despite the present circumstances and optimism is the quality of inclining towards the positive aspects of life rather than the negative ones. The study aimed to study the relationship between gratitude, hope and optimism and examine how gratitude and hope impact optimism among college students. The hypotheses of the study were that there will be a significant association between gratitude, hope and optimism as well as gratitude and hope will be the significant predictor of optimism. The study consisted of a sample size of 140 college students (70 females & 70 males) within the age group of 18-23 years. For this study, The Gratitude Questionnaire-Six Item Form, The Trait Hope Scale, Optimism/Pessimism Instrument were utilised and the collected data was analysed by correlation and regression. The findings of the research showed that there is a positive relationship between gratitude and hope but not between gratitude and optimism as well as hope and optimism. Furthermore, hope is a significant predictor of optimism, unlike gratitude.