Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Emotion. 2012 Feb;12(1):163-8. doi: 10.1037/a0024024. Epub 2011 Jun 27.
Theory and evidence suggest that everyday positive emotions may be potent factors in resilience during periods of chronic stress, yet the body of evidence is scant. Even less research focuses on the adaptive functions of specific positive emotions in this critical context. In the current research, 54 women with metastatic breast cancer provided information about their emotional responses to benefits received to test hypotheses regarding the social functions of gratitude. One set of analyses provide support for the hypothesized role of ego-transcendence in feeling gratitude upon receipt of a benefit from another person. As predicted, in a second set of analyses, grateful responding to received benefits predicted an increase in perceived social support over three months only for women low in ambivalence over emotional expression. These findings add to evidence regarding the social causes and consequences of gratitude, supporting a view of gratitude as an other-focused positive emotion that functions to promote high-quality relationships. Discussion focuses on the chronically stressful context as an important testing ground for theory on gratitude and other positive emotions.
理论和证据表明，在慢性压力期间，日常积极情绪可能是韧性的有力因素，但证据不足。在这种关键情况下，关注特定积极情绪的适应功能的研究就更少了。在当前的研究中，54 名转移性乳腺癌女性提供了有关她们对收到的好处的情绪反应的信息，以测试关于感激之情的社会功能的假设。一组分析为假设的自我超越在从他人那里获得好处时产生感激之情的作用提供了支持。正如预测的那样，在第二组分析中，对于情绪表达矛盾程度较低的女性，对收到的好处表示感激会预测在三个月内感知到的社会支持增加。这些发现增加了关于感激之情的社会原因和后果的证据，支持将感激之情视为一种关注他人的积极情绪，它可以促进高质量的人际关系。讨论的重点是慢性压力环境作为感激和其他积极情绪理论的重要试验场。
