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Links Between Parents’ and Children’s Levels of Gratitude, Life Satisfaction, and Hope

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Abstract

Decades of research confirm familial links in mental illness, but little is known about the relationships between parents’ and children’s levels of positive emotions. The current study used a past, present, and future framework of positive emotions to explore parent and child levels of gratitude, life satisfaction, and hope. Correlations between self-reported levels of gratitude, life satisfaction, and hope were analyzed in a sample of 148 fourth and fifth grade students and their biological parents (137 mothers, 109 fathers). Findings include statistically significant relationships between (1) mother and child gratitude (but not father and child gratitude) and (2) child life satisfaction and both mothers’ and fathers’ life satisfaction. No significant relationships emerged between parent hope and child hope, although higher parent life satisfaction was associated with higher child hope. Research is needed to investigate the causes of the links identified in the current study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological and Social Foundations, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, EDU 105, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Brenna D. Hoy, Shannon M. Suldo & Linda Raffaele Mendez

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  1. Brenna D. Hoy
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  2. Shannon M. Suldo
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Correspondence to Shannon M. Suldo.

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Hoy, B.D., Suldo, S.M. & Mendez, L.R. Links Between Parents’ and Children’s Levels of Gratitude, Life Satisfaction, and Hope. J Happiness Stud 14, 1343–1361 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9386-7

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