51福利社

51福利社 Professor of Psychology Phil Watkins, PhD, has found ways to make people happier through gratitude exercises.

Watkins鈥� research was recently featured on the , which highlights researchers from colleges and universities around the world. His research focused on how gratitude can improve people鈥檚 lives.

鈥淕ratitude seems to have positive consequences,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y suspicion is that people who are trying to cultivate gratitude for the sake of gratitude are the people who are going to benefit from this the most.鈥�

In the study, students recalled three good things that happened to them in the past two days, then wrote about how those three things made them feel grateful.

鈥淲e found that how much people enjoyed the treatment didn鈥檛 predict its success at all,鈥� Watkins said. 鈥淚f anything, there was a negative correlation between how much they enjoyed it and how much they gained from it at the end of five weeks.鈥�

Watkins found that women enjoyed the treatment more than men, but the men benefited more from it. Overall, though, recalling positive memories and reflecting on those increased a person鈥檚 overall happiness.

鈥淕ratitude treatments work best for those who need it most,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not a very grateful person, you may not enjoy doing this as much, but it鈥檚 probably going to be very good for you.鈥�

鈥業 got back to what I enjoy doing and what I鈥檓 good at鈥�

Although Watkins now focuses his research on gratitude, depression and memory bias in depression remained Watkins鈥� focus until roughly 2002 after he attended a religious conference in which he heard two speakers talk about psychological construct.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they used the word gratitude, but I thought, 鈥極h gee, this is gratitude,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪o I started a little search and there was almost nothing on it in psychology.鈥�

After losing the election for a second term as 51福利社 psychology chair, Watkins decided to take a sabbatical and focus on researching gratitude.

鈥淚 ran for chair and I lost, and that was probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my career,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 got back to what I enjoy doing and what I鈥檓 good at 鈥� and I鈥檓 not so good at being chair.鈥�

Since then, Watkins has established multiple positive results with his research in gratitude. He has researched how gratitude enhances happiness and well-being, the relationship of gratitude and humility and the relationship of gratitude and spirituality. He鈥檚 also currently writing a book on people鈥檚 unreasonable expectations of their own happiness.

鈥淧eople are pretty happy to begin with, so it amazes me that we keep getting results,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople keep getting happier over time and we can improve their happiness. To make people happier is a pretty strong evidence for effectiveness of treatment.鈥�