Correlation between gratitude and lonelienss

Abstract
Gratitude is known to be related to an optimistic and grateful outlook towards life and involves a positive predisposition in interpreting collective events throughout society. (Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley & Joseph, 2008) Typically, loneliness exists when a person’s social networks are fewer than expected and less satisfying than that person desires (Peplau & Caldwell, 1978). Researchers hypothesized that gratitude and loneliness have a negatively correlated relationship. This study looks at seventy participants that completed the gratitude questionnaire: six item scale (McCullough, Emmons & Tsang, 2002) and UCLA loneliness scale, version 3 (Russell, 1996). Results did not support researcher’s hypothesis, as they indicated that gratitude and loneliness are not significantly correlated, r (68) = -.206, p = .087. A strong significance could be demonstrated with further research if researchers heed limitations within this study as gratitude provides as an effective interventional tool in promoting pro-social behavior (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

Keywords: gratitude, loneliness, well-being, relationship, social connections

The Correlation between Gratitude and Loneliness Gratitude is defined as the positive emotion an individual feels when another person has deliberately given, or attempted to give, something of value (Bartlett, Condon, Cruz, Baumann & Desteno, 2012). Often gratitude is used as a positive psychological development tool to promote social support, reduce stress, depression and feelings of loneliness (Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley & Joseph, 2008). Loneliness is explained as an intense feeling of solitude creating an individual to display extreme emotions ranging from unexplained dread, desperation and restlessness (Peplau, 1955). Typically, loneliness exists when a person’s social networks are fewer than expected and less satisfying than that person desires (Peplau & Caldwell, 1978). Previous research looks at these two variables separately as they influence ones wellbeing. Stemming off their investigations, this proposal seeks to looks at gratitude as it directly correlates to the feelings of loneliness to determine if the two variables relate to one another. A recent article investigated gratitude’s direct role in facilitating and strengthening social relationships beyond generous behavior (Bartlett et al., 2012). By using two individual studies, researchers tempted to prove that gratitude plays a vital role in building and maintaining social interaction. The desire to spend more time with another person is a key component in building new relationships and fostering existing ones; study one provides this support for gratitude’s capability to build and maintain these relationships by manipulating the social decisions that people make. Within study two, findings support researchers’ hypothesis showing that gratitude promotes social behavior even in the face of cost (Bartlett et al, 2012).
A study by Emmons and McCullough (2003), examined the effects of a grateful attitude on psychological and physical well-being. During the first study, participants showed more optimism and consistent improvements in their global well-being during their journal entries. Within the second study, the more gratitude felt not only increased the participant’s positive affect but decreased their negative outlook. Both studies indicated that gratitude intervention not only improves individual health by increasing the amount and quality of sleep participants receive but produces a positive effect on mental thinking. Overall, Emmons and McCullough (2003) concluded that with conscious focus on individual blessings the more interpersonal and emotional benefits one will endure.
In another article researchers looked at previous studies to determine if individual ambivalence over emotional expression related to personal gratitude and well-being indexes (Chen, L., Chen, M., & Tsai, 2012). Researchers did a correlational analysis by measuring participant’s happiness, loneliness, depression, and gratitude findings. The first study looked at the correlation between gratitude and subjective happiness; as the second study looked at the correlation to the entire questionnaire set. Results showed that ambivalence over emotional expression held a moderate relationship between gratitude and well-being indexes. A moderate correlation was represented between loneliness and depression and all data entered showed that gender plays a significant role with gratitude and overall happiness. Surprisingly, females tend to be more grateful and a negative correlation was found between age and gratitude.
According to two longitudinal studies, gratitude directly fosters social support and protects individuals from stress and depression which creates feelings of loneliness (Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley & Joseph, 2008). Both studies hold a direct model where gratitude leads to higher levels of social support and lower levels of stress and depression. Indicating that the more social interactions and connections one is involved one relates to ones overall happiness. Also, these studies indicate that gratitude relates to variables of the Big Five factors of personality. Another article discusses the implications of loneliness as emotional suffering, social insufficiency and alienation. A study was conducted to test the growth and diversity of cultural background and its influence on loneliness. North Americans tended to show higher levels of loneliness than cultures that exhibit extreme ethnic differences. Overall, this study indicates that an individual’s cultural surroundings affect loneliness. The increase of loneliness is stronger than the spread of perceived social connections, stronger for friends than family and harder for women than men (Cacioppo, Fowler & Christakis, 2009). Studies indicate that loneliness is spread through the lack of social connections creating an appetite to seek more social interaction which creates an aversive state of loneliness. People who tend to exhibit feelings of loneliness are generally linked to others who are lonely as well; therefore, reinforcing the loneliness behavior. Overall, research shows that gratitude is known to be related to an optimistic and grateful outlook towards life and loneliness is a reinforced through cultural diversity and social connections. This proposal hypothesis that gratitude and loneliness have a significant yet negatively correlated relationship. Human interaction is a vital role when ceasing feelings of loneliness as gratitude is an effective interventional tool to increase one’s well-being (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).
Methods
Participants
Researchers’ recruited seventy individuals to be in the study by a convenience sampling method. Out of these seventy participants, 51 % were male and 49 % were female. 26 % of participants ranged between the ages of eighteen to twenty, 31 % were between the ages of twenty-one to twenty-four years old and 43 % were twenty-five years old and older. Subjects were not compensated.
Measures
This proposal uses two different surveys. The first survey is The Gratitude Questionnaire: Six Item Form (GQ-6) (McCullough, Emmons, &Tsang, 2002). Participants answered six items on a one to seven scale having one representing the response of “strongly disagree” and seven showing a response of “strongly agree”. A sample item is “I am grateful to a wide variety of people”. Items three and six listed on the questionnaire are reversed scored responses to hinder any response bias. Scores are added up showing that the higher the score the higher amount of gratitude one exhibits.
The second self-reporting questionnaire is the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Version 3. (Russell, 1996) This scale assesses the feelings of loneliness and/or social isolation. An example from the loneliness scale would be “How often do you feel completely alone?” These statements are answered using a four point scoring system ranging from four points being “often”, three points equaling “sometimes”, two points meaning “rarely” and one point being “never”. If the individual’s scores are between fifteen to twenty points then they are considered to be experiencing normal feelings of loneliness. Scores above thirty indicates that a person is experiencing severe feelings of loneliness. This scale has been associated with diagnosing mental and physical health outcomes within individuals.
Procedures
For this study, participants were recruited through four Virginia Commonwealth University students. Each student reached out to fifteen patrons by convenience sampling methods. All sixty participants were made aware of the researching standards and goals. Both questionnaires and demographic information were distributed by hand and/or electronically depending on participants’ preference for means to complete the information. All participants’ scores were kept anonymous. Students entered data into SPSS 19.9 and conducted a correlation analysis to determine a correlation between gratitude and loneliness.
Results
The alpha coefficient was set at 0.05. The mean score on the gratitude questionnaire is (M =34.70) and (SD = 4.68) and the mean score on the loneliness scale is (M = 19.20) and (SD = 6.30). A Pearson r correlation was used test the hypothesis that increases in gratitude would be associated with decreases in loneliness. Results did not support the hypothesis, as gratitude and loneliness were not significantly correlated, r(68) = -.206, p = .087.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to look at gratitude and loneliness to determine if these variables relate to one another. Researchers hypothesized that gratitude and loneliness would negatively correlate. Findings did not support the original hypothesis. Results of the analysis did not show a significant relationship between gratitude and loneliness. It is important to note that the data did show a p value of .087 which demonstrates that a possible significance could exist between the two variables because it approaches a .05 significance level. It is possible that there is indeed not a significant relationship between gratitude and loneliness or that the significant findings are a result of the study’s limitations.
There are limitations that could have skewed these results. Researchers used a convenience sampling method by asking friends and/or family to complete surveys on gratitude and loneliness creating a limited sample size of the population. Therefore, this study is not accurately portraying the larger population. As well, by using participants well-known to researchers this study is vulnerable to social desirability bias which creates participants to answer questionnaires within a desirable manner.
Other limitations to the study relate to the way in which surveys were administered. By not administrating surveys within a professional, scientific and isolated environment participants did not take surveys sincerely. With researchers using social settings to administer questionnaires, participants are not likely to exhibit true feelings of loneliness since subjects were surrounded by people. As well, some researchers did not take the time to present the materials objectively. Overall, these limitations may have skewed the validity of the results.
Further researchers should heed these limitations and test appropriate subjects that represent the larger population. Accurate steps should be taken in administering materials and methods objectively. As well, researchers should investigate different methods to accurate represent measures that could show a significant finding between gratitude and loneliness.
Previous research by Emmons & Crumpler (2000) linked gratitude with one’s well-being and goal attainment showing that gratitude is an attitude towards life as a source of human strength. The more optimistic and positive outlook one holds, the higher expectations one holds for themselves. In another article, ambivalence over emotional expression held a moderate relationship between gratitude and well-being and a moderate correlation between loneliness and depression as it played a significant role in overall happiness (Chen, Chen & Tsai, 2000). This study, with more precautions taken, could potentially demonstrate a relationship, whether significant or not, between gratitude and loneliness. Separately each variable has proven to be a vital role within an individual’s psychological and physical well-being. The appreciation one holds, whether it is feelings of loneliness and/or gratitude, is shown through an individual’s emotional outlook. By proving a significant relationship between these two variables could provide as a noteworthy counseling method for those truly in need.

References
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References: Karademas, E. (2006). Self-efficacy, social support and well-being: The mediating role of optimism. Personality and Individual Differences. 40 (6), 1281-1290. http://dx.doi.org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1016/j.paid.2005.10.019 McCullough, M Peplau, H. (1955). Loneliness. The American Journal of Nursing, 55 (12), 1476-1481 Peplau, H Russell, D. (1996). The UCLA loneliness scale (version 3):  Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 20-40. Wood, A.M., Maltby, J., Gillett, R., Linley, P. A., & Joseph, S., (2008) The role of gratitude in the development of social support, stress and depression: Two longitudinal studies. Journal of Research in Personality,42(4), 854-871