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PROVO — Thanksgiving is a great time to think about what you are grateful for, and BYU researchers have found not only thinking about gratitude, but expressing your gratitude to others and to God is what really brings the holiday magic to your life.
A new study from BYU professors found those who express gratitude to another person or to God experience higher levels of empathy. Along with empathy, those who express their gratefulness to others experienced "transcendent indebtedness," which means recognizing that good things in their lives came from people and from God, a BYU news release said.
The experiment was conducted by assigning participants randomly to one of three conditions: creating a list of things they're grateful for, writing a letter to someone they appreciate, or expressing gratitude to God for his actions in their lives. The participants did this exercise weekly for a month.
Study participants with the highest levels of empathy and indebtedness were found to be more likely to donate to charity than those who just felt gratitude. Participants who only wrote a list of what they were grateful for actually showed suppressed levels of empathy during the experiment.
"Our research shows that when you express gratitude to other people in your life, and ultimately to God, you have higher levels of empathy and indebtedness and are more likely to offer love and service to those around you," said Jenae Nelson, who holds a doctorate from BYU and co-authored the study. "Beyond listing things that you're grateful for, we're learning that gratitude is more complete when you think of people in your life that you're grateful for."
If you're ending your gratitude practice without recognizing the people you're grateful for, then you're missing out on the magic of gratitude.
–Jenae Nelson, study co-author
Nelson worked with BYU psychology professors Sam Hardy and Dianne Tice on the study. The researchers said making gratitude lists isn't a bad practice but channeling that gratitude toward people and to deity builds stronger relationships and makes the gratitude more meaningful.
"If you're ending your gratitude practice without recognizing the people you're grateful for, then you're missing out on the magic of gratitude," Nelson said. "We now know that gratitude builds and strengthens relationships by working in harmony with indebtedness and empathy, which cause us to turn outward."
Recognizing God's hand is particularly impactful, Nelson said. In the experiment, participants assigned to write about God's involvement in their lives reported the highest levels of joy among all participants.
"When we focus on material things, we tend to look inward. But the minute you switch to acknowledging the people around you and recognizing the things God has done for you, you unlock the benefits of gratitude by activating empathy and indebtedness, which orient you toward helping others," Nelson added.
For those looking to enhance the spirit of thankfulness this holiday, this research shows expressing your gratitude to others and God for what they have done for you is the best place to start.
"Remembering who you are grateful to is better than remembering what you are grateful for," Tice said.
