Examining the Social Benefits of Gratitude Among Middle Adolescents: A Correlational Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the social benefits of gratitude among middle adolescents. Using correlational analysis the hypothesis which states that the level of gratitude is positively related to the level of social maturity resulting in more satisfying social relations with adolescent peers, was tested. The sample consisted of 100 middle adolescents high school students studying in 4 private and government schools in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The purposive sampling technique was adopted to assess a male and female adolescent students belonging to the age group of 14 to 17 years. The Gratitude Questionnaire, developed by McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang, and the Social Maturity Scale developed by Nalini Rao was used to study the effect of gratitude on social maturity. The findings suggested there is a significant relationship between gratitude and social maturity among middle adolescents. The correlational analysis indicated that this statistically positive relationship can be interpreted as low levels of gratitude being characterized by low social maturity whereas higher levels of gratitude is associated with high socially maturity.