Studies suggest people who practice gratitude are less likely to cheat. The studies showing this evidence have participants write about a time they are grateful. Then they get them to self report a coin flip for bonus money. The studies find that players who are grateful end up reporting accurately against their own selfish desire to earn more money. This is a great psychological finding because we can figure out how to make society better by practicing gratitude.
Key Takeaways:
- The paper exploring the idea of gratitude and self control was authored by David DeSteno, Fred Duong, Daniel Lim, and Shanyu Kates in a psychology journal
- According to studies, gratitude makes people more connected, which in turns increases self control and resistance to temptation.
- While the science on why gratitude makes people more honest and have self control is debatable, researchers believe it has something to do with obligations to others.
“Gratitude may also give a boost to people’s self-control and make them less likely to give in to the temptation to cheat.”
Read more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201910/gratitude-may-increase-self-control