Changing for You, for Me: Gratitude Promotes Autonomous Motivation to Make Partner-requested Changes
Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Two studies examined the role of receiving gratitude in promoting motivation to make a partner-requested change. In a cross-sectional study (N = 486), receiving gratitude for change efforts from a romantic partner was associated with greater motivation to make partner-requested changes. This association was distinct from general gratitude received from a partner. Importantly, self-focused autonomous motives mediated this association in this study and a pre-registered experiment (N = 431), demonstrating that gratitude may promote change efforts by making these efforts feel personally motivated and pursued for their inherent value. In Study 2, imagining receiving gratitude (as compared to a control condition) was also associated with increased feelings of reward and gratitude indirectly promoted motivation to make partner requested changes first through increased feelings of personal reward and subsequently through increased self-focused autonomous motives underlying change efforts. These findings have important implications for how couples can foster successful partner changes.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Natalie M. Sisson
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3092549154