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. 2023 Nov 28;16:4799–4816. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S372432

Table 1.

Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Research on the Relationship Between Gratitude and Life Satisfaction

Study Sample Design Main Results
Datu & Mateo (2015)17 409 Filipino undergraduates
Mage = 17.63		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated (r =.43)

  • Presence of meaning in life was found to be a significant mediator in the relationship between gratitude and LS
Kong et al (2014)18 427 Chinese undergraduates
Mage = 21.01		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated (r = 0.19)

  • Social support is a statistical mediator of the correlation between gratitude and self-esteem, and self-esteem is a mediator between social support and LS.
Sun & Kong (2013)19 354 Chinese undergraduates
Mage = 20.95		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated (r = 0.24)

  • Positive affect and negative (measured with PANAS) affect each mediated the relationship between gratitude and LS.
Yang et al (2021)20 494 Chinese adolescents. Mage = 13.26 Two time-points

  • Cross lagged model found that T1 gratitude predicted T2 LS, but T1 LS did not predict T2 gratitude.
Unanue et al (2022)21 487 Chilean adults
Mage = 41.43		 Longitudinal

  • Strong positive correlations between gratitude and LS at all timepoints.

  • Gratitude and predicts later LS, but LS does not predict later gratitude
Unanue et al (2019)22 Chilean working adults.
S1 Mean = 38.30
S2 Mean= 36.94
Study 1 (1 month): 725
Study 2 (3 months): 1,841		 Longitudinal

  • Strong positive correlations between gratitude and LS at all timepoints.

  • Longitudinal analyses in both studies find evidence of a bidirectional relationship, but gratitude predicts later LS at least as well as LS predicts later gratitude.
Lin (2019)23 375 Taiwanese university students.
Mage =20.40 years		 Cross-sectional (SEM analyses)

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r=0.44

  • Partially mediated by positive emotion – somewhat more than half the total effect.
Balgiu (2019)24 325 Romanian undergraduates Mage =20.84 Cross-sectional (SEM analyses)

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.49

  • Much of the effect was accounted for by positive affect and negative affect, although there was also a substantial direct effect.
Aghababaei et al (2018)25 Study 1: 188 Iranian students Mage =21.91
Study 2: 205 Iranian students (Mage = 23.3) and 212 Polish students (Mage = 21.9)		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated in all three samples, with r’s 0.41-0.50
Biber and Brandenburg (2021)26 231 US college students. (Ages not reported). Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.36
Chen et al (2017)27 190 collegiate athletes from Taiwan
Mage = 21.26		 Cross-sectional (plus moderation)

  • Gratitude and life satisfaction positively correlated, r =0.18

  • Relationship moderated by mindfulness (Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale), such that the relationship is stronger in more dispositionally mindful people and nonsignificant at lower levels.
Green et al (2020)28 779 Pakistani university students
Mage =22.3		 Cross-sectional
(plus mediation)

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.41

  • Used Body–Mind–Spirit Wellness Behavior and Characteristic Inventory

  • Positive indirect effects through Body, Mind, and Spirit subscales accounting for roughly half of the total effect.
Shourie and Kaur (2016)29 250 16–18 year-old high school students in India Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.81
Ramzan and Rana (2014)30 206 university teachers in Pakistan, Mage = 38.24 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.46
Chen et al (2012)31 29 collegiate athletes in Taiwan
Mage = 20.3		 Longitudinal (10 one-week intervals)

  • Weekly changes in gratitude within individuals were correlated with changes in life satisfaction.

  • Moderated by Ambivalence over Emotional Expression (AEE), such that the positive correlation was only present at lower levels of AEE.
Chang et al (2022)32 191 Spanish older adults
Mage  = 63.4		 Cross-sectional (plus mediation and moderation)

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.36

  • Moderated effect: gratitude-LS relationship is stronger for people better at understanding emotions of others.

  • Mediation of gratitude-LS by broadening one’s use of emotions.
Datu (2014)33 210 Filipino university students
Mage  = 17.8		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.47
Aghababaei and Tabik (2013)34 256 Iranian students
Mage = 23.38		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.17
JW Zhang (2020)35 S1a: 110 US adult volunteers Mage = 36.1
S1b: 172 US adult volunteers Mage = 39.9
S2: 392 US students Mage = 24.8
S3: 122 US students Mage = 22.3		 Cross-sectional
Study 3 (n=122) has two-timepoints (cross-lagged analysis)

  • Gratitude at T1 predicted LS at T2

  • Mediation by past positive time perspectives in both cross-sectional and cross-lagged studies.
L Zhang et al (2022)36 S2: 298 Chinese college students Mage = 20.1 Two time-points (cross-lagged analysis)

  • Gratitude at T1 predicted LS at T2, but not vice versa.
Hill and Allemand (2011)37 962 Swiss adults
Mage = 52.4		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.49
Xiang and Yuan (2021)38 991 Chinese university students
Mage = 19.1		 Cross-sectional (SEM)

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.28

  • Chain mediation of gratitude→LS by mindfulness and then benign envy and malicious envy
Chen (2013)39 291 adolescent athletes in Taiwan
Mage = 16.8		 Cross-sectional (SEM)

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.28

  • Chain mediation of gratitude→LS by social support from coaches and teammates and subsequently by team satisfaction.
Chen et al (2015)40 300 adolescent athletes in Taiwan
Mage = 16.8		 Cross-sectional (SEM)

  • Correlation between gratitude and LS fully mediated by perceived team cohesion.
Salvador-Ferrer (2017)41 309 Spanish university students
Mage = 21.9		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS significantly negatively correlated r = −0.19
Szcześniak and Soares (2011)42 338 Italian adults
Mage = 32.1		 Cross-sectional

  • Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.49

Abbreviations: SD, Standard Deviation; LS, life satisfaction.