IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v26y2025i5d10.1007_s10902-025-00895-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stability and Change in Gratitude Expressions for the Fulfilment of Human Needs Categories

Author

Listed:
  • Simone P. Nguyen

    (University of North Carolina Wilmington)

  • Cameron L. Gordon

    (Vancouver Island University)

Abstract

This study examines how major societal events such as the COVID-19 pandemic influence individuals’ expressions of gratitude for various human needs categories. The present study aimed to conceptually replicate (Nguyen, S. P., & Gordon, C. L. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23, 2022) with a larger dataset spanning five years, and to offer a vital theoretical extension pertaining to the constancy/flexibility in individual expression types across time. The journal entries of single day participants (N = 1,941) on Thnx4!, a gratitude journaling website, were coded for the fulfillment of deficiency and growth needs using Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. Gratitude expressions were compared from five time periods: year one and year two of the pandemic; and, one year, two years, and three years before the pandemic. The results of the three year analysis successfully replicated (Nguyen, S. P., & Gordon, C. L. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23, 2022), demonstrating that the pandemic shifted gratitude expressions away from deficiency needs satisfaction and towards the fulfilment of growth needs during year one of the pandemic compared to two years prior. However, the five year analysis suggests a less substantial shift in a larger context. Moreover, repeated measures data analyses based on a subset of multi-day participants (N = 80) who provided journal entries over two weeks revealed how individuals tend to restrict their expressions of gratitude to only one domain, suggesting constancy in gratitude. These findings suggest that there is space for individuals to expand their gratitude, paving the way for innovative interventions aimed at broadening individuals’ appreciation across diverse domains.

Suggested Citation

  • Simone P. Nguyen & Cameron L. Gordon, 2025. "Stability and Change in Gratitude Expressions for the Fulfilment of Human Needs Categories," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(5), pages 1-23, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:26:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-025-00895-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-025-00895-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-025-00895-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-025-00895-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noortje Kloos & Judith Austin & Jan-Willem ‘t Klooster & Constance Drossaert & Ernst Bohlmeijer, 2022. "Appreciating the Good Things in Life During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial and Evaluation of a Gratitude App," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 4001-4025, December.
    2. Da Jiang & Shuang Liu & John Chi-Kin Lee & Liman Man Wai Li, 2021. "Do People Become More or Less Materialistic during Disasters? The Mediating Roles of Mortality Salience and Gratitude," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Simone P. Nguyen & Cameron L. Gordon, 2024. "Children’s Expressions of Gratitude for General and Specific Categories Amid a Pandemic," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1-22, April.
    4. Erin M. Fekete & Nathan T. Deichert, 2022. "A Brief Gratitude Writing Intervention Decreased Stress and Negative Affect During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2427-2448, August.
    5. Shaina A. Kumar & Madison E. Edwards & Hanna M. Grandgenett & Lisa L. Scherer & David DiLillo & Anna E. Jaffe, 2022. "Does Gratitude Promote Resilience During a Pandemic? An Examination of Mental Health and Positivity at the Onset of COVID-19," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 3463-3483, October.
    6. Michelle Kennedy & Tess Bright & Simon Graham & Christina Heris & Shannon K. Bennetts & Renee Fiolet & Elise Davis & Kimberley A. Jones & Janine Mohamed & Caroline Atkinson & Catherine Chamberlain, 2022. "“You Can’t Replace That Feeling of Connection to Culture and Country”: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parents’ Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Simone P. Nguyen & Cameron L. Gordon, 2022. "Gratitude for Categories of Needs Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2881-2901, August.
    8. Da Jiang, 2022. "Feeling Gratitude Is Associated With Better Well-being Across the Life Span: A Daily Diary Study During the COVID-19 Outbreak," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(4), pages 36-45.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simone P. Nguyen & Cameron L. Gordon, 2024. "Children’s Expressions of Gratitude for General and Specific Categories Amid a Pandemic," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1-22, April.
    2. Qingqing Li & Mingjia Liu & Hailan Wang & Yingmin Chen & Zhenrong Fu, 2025. "Longitudinal Associations of Gratitude with Subjective Well-Being and Psychological Well-Being: A Two-Wave Study," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 20(1), pages 217-233, February.
    3. Lina Martinez & Lina Sofia Valenzuela & Victoria Eugenia Soto, 2022. "Well-Being amongst College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Developing Country," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Feng Pan & Ningning Feng & Tong Zhao & Yongjie Jiang & Lijuan Cui, 2024. "“Helping Others Makes Me Feel Better”: Trait Gratitude, Resilience, and Helping Behavior Improve Mental Health during a COVID-19 Lockdown," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 19(3), pages 1437-1457, June.
    5. Bozena Burzynska-Tatjewska & Maciej Stolarski, 2022. "Leaving Past Adversities Behind: Gratitude Intervention Compensates for the Undesirable Effects of Past Time Perspectives on Negative Affect," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-12, October.
    6. Kim J. M. Tönis & Jannis T. Kraiss & Constance H. C. Drossaert & Joyce Karreman & Miriam S. D. Oostinga & Noortje Kloos & Judith Austin & Ernst T. Bohlmeijer, 2024. "Regaining Mental Well-Being in the Aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic with a Digital Multicomponent Positive Psychology Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1-26, October.
    7. Shaina A. Kumar & Madison E. Edwards & Hanna M. Grandgenett & Lisa L. Scherer & David DiLillo & Anna E. Jaffe, 2022. "Does Gratitude Promote Resilience During a Pandemic? An Examination of Mental Health and Positivity at the Onset of COVID-19," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 3463-3483, October.
    8. Zane Asher Green & Sophie Rizwan, 2023. "Art-of-Living Intervention Imparted Through a Blended Learning Approach to Nurture Positivity Among Pakistan’s University Students During COVID-19: A Growth Curve Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 1931-1962, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:26:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-025-00895-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.