Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT02570685

Psychosocial Benefits of Gratitude Journals

This randomized controlled study will examine the effects of different interpersonal gratitude journals compared to a neutral control journal on psycho social outcomes.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Happiness Behavior Personal Satisfaction

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Limerick

Limerick, Munster, ROI, Ireland

About this study

This randomized controlled study will examine the effect of a) a reflective interpersonal gratitude journal, and b) an reflective and behavioral interpersonal gratitude journal, versus (c) an active control journal, on life satisfaction and other secondary outcomes. Explanatory mechanisms will be tested utilizing the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of these three conditions with three week, one month and three month follow-up assessments.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • English language proficiency

Exclusion criteria

  • under the age of 18

Treatment and study plan

Reflective Interpersonal Gratitude

Behavioral

Participants were given the following instructions in their journal: Writing is a great way to reflect on your daily events, helping to look back and focus on the good things in our lives. There are many things in our lives, big and small, which we might be grateful for. For the next three weeks, 3 times a week (9 days in total), reflect back on your day and think of the people you met and interacted with and are grateful for. Please write down in the space provided a number of positive social interactions over the day or friendships/relationships you are grateful for…..

Reflective-Behavioral Gratitude

Behavioral

Participants were given the following identical instructions as the reflective journal in addition to this "At the end of each week, express this gratitude to a friend of your choice face-to-face or through e-mail, facebook, a kind note, tell him/her how much you appreciate something specific that he/she does and reflect on how your friend's reaction and how you feel."

Neutral Control Journal

Behavioral

Writing is a great way to reflect on your daily events, helping to look back and reflect on our lives. For the next three weeks, 3 times a week (9 days in total), please write in the spaces provided things that happened during the day.

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in life satisfaction levels over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

Secondary outcomes

  1. National Institute of Health Social Relationships Companionship Scale which assess Friendship Quality and Loneliness. Cyranowski, J. M., Zill, N., Bode, R., Butt, Z., Kelly, M. A., Pilkonis, P. A., & Cella, D. (2013).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in social relationships over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

  2. The Gratitude Questionnaire-Six Item Form (GQ-6) McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. (2002).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in gratitude levels over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

Other outcomes

  1. The Expression of Gratitude in Relationships Scale. Lambert, N. M., Clarke, M. S., Durtschi, J. A., Fincham, F. D., & Graham, S. M. (2010).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in levels of gratitude expression over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

  2. The Four- item Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Funk, J. L., & Rogge, R. D. (2007).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in relationship satisfaction levels over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

  3. Depressive symptoms: CES-D 10 (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale 10 item scale) Short Form. Andresen, E. M., Malmgren, J. A., Carter, W. B., & Patrick, D. L. (1994).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in depressive symptom levels over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

  4. Relationship closeness: Inclusion of other in the Self Scale Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Smollan, D. (1992).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    Used to assess changes in relationship closeness over the course of the intervention and follow-ups.

  5. Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences , can use the Positive Feelings/affect subscale Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi. D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2009).

    Time frame: Baseline, immediate post-intervention at three weeks,1 month, 3 months

    potential moderator

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Limerick

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Psychosocial Benefits of Gratitude Journals: A Randomized Controlled Intervention Trial

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Oct 7, 2015
Registry last updated
Mar 2, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.