Abstract
In this chapter I introduce the study of gratitude by emphasizing its importance. I first show how research into “the positive side of life” has been neglected in psychology, but show how this is an important area of investigation. Similarly, I reveal how gratitude has been neglected in the social sciences. Gratitude is an important topic for study because it is a frequently experienced state, and it appears to be one of the strongest components of the good life. I conclude the chapter by describing the goal of this book: to further the science of gratitude. Finally, I provide a brief description of my theory of the function of gratitude. I argue that gratitude is adaptive because it amplifies the good in one’s life.
Sadly, while plumbing the depths of what is worst in life, psychology has lost its connection to the positive side of life – the knowledge about what makes human life most worth living, most fulfilling, most enjoyable and most productive.
–Martin E. P. Seligman (1998)
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Notes
- 1.
A quick note is in order about the total number of citations over the years. Although in general the total number of citations has grown over the years—and at times has grown exponentially—the total number of citations actually decreased from the 1930s to the 1940s. This is likely because of the war effort.
- 2.
I also conducted a literature search using a number of positive and negative state terms, and I also conducted title searches on these variables. Basically all of the literature searchers that I conducted revealed the same story.
- 3.
In this search I used the English Standard Version of the Bible.
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Watkins, P.C. (2014). Introduction: Why a Science of Gratitude?. In: Gratitude and the Good Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7253-3_1
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