However, a recent paper by Tyler Renshaw and Rachel Olinger at Louisiana State University casts all this work into doubt. Their study examined research on whether gratitude is beneficial for youth in schools by meta-analyzing studies from 2006 to 2014, including some of ours. They basically found that measures of gratitude in youth are not as accurate or consistent as they need to be for scientific purposes, that gratitude interventions with youth in school and in after-school programs were ineffective, and that enthusiasm for promoting gratitude in youth and in schools should be tempered with further research in this area.
According to Renshaw and Olinger, researchers like us are facing three main obstacles: the homogenous samples, the lack of uniformity in how gratitude should be practiced in school, and a narrow theoretical understanding of the causes and consequences of gratitude when practiced in school. For instance, the majority of studies they could include in their review focused on adolescents, and the intervention studies have all been done with ethnically homogenous populations. With the field so nascent, researchers have yet to settle on a common set of practices that should characterize gratitude interventions for youth.
Finally, little is known from the studies about how gratitude influences processes and outcomes that are important to schools (like students’ prosocial and academic behaviors and social-emotional skills or how these things lead to school-specific subjective well-being and quality of school climate).
This meta-analysis highlights how much more work we still have to do. Indeed, overcoming these three limitations are major goals of the Youth Gratitude Project. As part of this effort, the research is targeting a wide age range of students (ages 4-18) from multiple ethnic backgrounds and examining processes and outcomes relevant to schools, like achievement, grit, social conduct, relationships with peers and teachers, and school satisfaction.
Renshaw and Olinger also found that gratitude interventions have not proven effective. Here, however, their findings might be premature. The small number of interventions that have been done formally—and, specifically, the six that could be included in their review—has been limited by the types of gratitude induction activities (such as counting blessings or letter writing) and settings (during school and in after-school programs). In other words, researchers and educators are still trying to figure out what techniques and settings work best in fostering gratitude among kids—and we’re still a few years away from definitive conclusions.
It is, for example, worth considering variables that could moderate intervention effects before drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of gratitude interventions, such as how often students engage in gratitude practices—a major factor influencing the effects of any positive psychology technique. Other variables matter, too, such as students’ enjoyment of the lessons, and the effectiveness with which the lessons are delivered.
Unlike other intervention research, the YGP curriculum addresses these critical variables head-on. It’s including such variables to determine intervention effectiveness, and it’s including teacher training, so that lessons can be experienced as a natural part of the school day and be better personalized by students and educators. This will undoubtedly go a long way in helping to identify and craft more standard and effective techniques for interventions.
How gratitude is practiced matters
The GGSC's coverage of gratitude is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation as part of our Expanding Gratitude project.
The main idea of the YGP curriculum is that varied gratitude practices, such as journaling, that genuinely build on students’ strengths and guide them to have more meaningful interactions and discussion with peers, teachers, and other adults more regularly should help students feel more socially competent and connected, be more satisfied with school, have better mental health and emotional well-being, and be more motivated about school and their future.
Preliminary evidence for the effects of our gratitude and purpose curriculum so far indicate that it is helping to decrease depression, anxiety, and antisocial behavior and increase hope, emotional regulation, and search for purpose. We will soon explore effects on other outcomes of interest to schools and move to fill many of the crucial gaps in this research area.
In short, research on what good gratitude is to youth development, students, and schools is trickling in and better tools for measuring gratitude in children will soon be available to help advance basic and applied research.
What practices should gratitude interventions include? They should start by identifying and engaging students’ character strengths and interests; and they should let students appreciate the different benefits and benefactors in their lives for themselves. Let’s go beyond lists and dry journals. As my story shows, when people “get” us and help us through tough times, gratitude grows. Bringing the full spectrum of human experience into grateful focus is key, and it seems to be a missing ingredient from youth intervention studies done so far too. My research so far suggests that this is the way to go.
In the meantime, schools participating in the YGP curriculum have shared anecdotes about students’ and parents’ enthusiasm for the gratitude lessons. Indeed, the character strength and gratitude exercises have not only been affirmational—strengthening pride in students’ achievements and building a sense of community—but they have also been hijacking much of the wall space at the Open Houses! In my opinion, this may be because the lessons are helping students to appreciate the value of altruistic choices in school and recognize the good intentions of others, which helps them feel supported in reaching for better. I imagine that’s good for teachers, staff, and neighborhoods, too.
It’s hard to say where gratitude research will lead us. But my childhood experiences tell me that it’s a project well worth pursuing.
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