Eaton R J, Bradley G, Morrissey S
a School of Applied Psychology, Behavioural Bases of Health and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University , Gold Coast , Australia .
Psychol Health Med. 2014;19(4):473-89. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2013.824593. Epub 2013 Aug 8.
This study assessed the extent to which being predisposed towards engaging in acts of gratitude and forgiveness is associated with enhanced quality of life (QoL), and whether these associations are mediated by positive and negative affective states. The study sample comprised 327 people with one of three chronic illnesses (arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes). Participants completed self-report measures of two positive predispositions (the tendencies towards gratitude and forgiveness), two affective states (positive and negative) and three indices of QoL (physical, psychological and satisfaction with life). As hypothesised, gratitude, and to a lesser extent forgiveness, predicted enhanced QoL, with most effects mediated via increased positive affect. Findings support the view that predispositions towards interpersonal gratitude, and possibly interpersonal forgiveness, may bolster the QoL of people living with chronic physical illness. Consistent with contemporary theories of positive emotion, gratitude appears to have its effects via enhancing positive affect. The study adds to the emerging evidence that a predisposition towards gratitude benefits QoL and extends past findings by identifying a mechanism that is important in people with chronic illnesses.
本研究评估了倾向于表达感恩和宽恕行为与生活质量（QoL）提高之间的关联程度，以及这些关联是否由积极和消极情感状态介导。研究样本包括327名患有三种慢性病之一（关节炎、慢性阻塞性肺疾病和糖尿病）的患者。参与者完成了关于两种积极倾向（感恩和宽恕倾向）、两种情感状态（积极和消极）以及生活质量的三个指标（身体、心理和生活满意度）的自我报告测量。正如所假设的那样，感恩以及在较小程度上的宽恕预示着生活质量的提高，大多数影响是通过增加积极情感来介导的。研究结果支持这样一种观点，即人际感恩倾向以及可能的人际宽恕倾向可能会提升患有慢性身体疾病者的生活质量。与当代积极情绪理论一致，感恩似乎是通过增强积极情感来产生作用的。该研究补充了新出现的证据，即感恩倾向有益于生活质量，并通过确定一种对慢性病患者很重要的机制扩展了以往的研究结果。
