The Role of Gratitude in Appreciative Joy's Contribution to Subjective Well-Being.
Rong Wang, Jingyi Zhou, Yang Zhang, Xiaodan Gu, Xianglong Zeng
International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie April 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1002/ijop.70010 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAppreciative joy—taking delight in others' happiness—and gratitude are related but distinct emotions. A cross-sectional survey of adults found a moderate positive correlation between the two, and gratitude partly explained how appreciative joy relates to subjective well-being. A randomized controlled trial tested four weeks of appreciative joy meditation training. At a one-month follow-up, the training increased both appreciative joy and gratitude, and changes in gratitude were driven by changes in appreciative joy. Although subjective well-being improved immediately after the training, the data did not confirm that appreciative joy or gratitude caused that improvement. The findings clarify how Buddhist meditation practices may boost well-being through gratitude.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey and randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4-week intervention, 1-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Appreciative joy Four immeasurables Gratitude Subjective well‐being |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | Appreciative joy meditation training increased appreciative joy and gratitude at one-month follow-up, but changes in these emotions did not mediate the intervention's effect on subjective well-being. |
Abstract
Appreciative joy is one of four immeasurables emphasised in Buddhism. There are similarities and differences between appreciative joy and gratitude, but their combined roles in improving subjective well-being (SWB) are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between appreciative joy and gratitude and their contribution to SWB. Study 1 utilised a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the relationships among appreciative joy, gratitude, and SWB. Study 2 used a randomised controlled trial to explore the effects of a four-week appreciative joy meditation (AJM) training and the underlying mechanisms. The results of Study 1 indicated a moderate positive correlation between appreciative joy and gratitude, and gratitude partially mediated the appreciative joy-SWB relationship. Study 2 further supported the idea that AJM training could increase appreciative joy and gratitude at the one-month follow-up. Furthermore, changes in gratitude caused by the intervention were mediated by appreciative joy. However, since SWB significantly improved at post-measures, we cannot conclude that appreciative joy and gratitude mediated the intervention effect on SWB. Our findings expand the underlying mechanisms of appreciative joy beyond interpersonal domains and highlight the importance of gratitude in understanding the effects of the Buddhist four immeasurable meditations.