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The Effect of Gratitude on Elementary School Students’ Subjective Well-Being in Schools: The Mediating Role of Prosocial Behavior

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediational role of prosocial behavior on the relationship between gratitude and subjective well-being (SWB) in school (school satisfaction, positive affect in school, and negative affect in school) in elementary school students. We also explored the moderating effect of gender. A total of 706 Chinese elementary school students (375 males and 331 females) from classes in Grades 4 through 6 completed a packet of questionnaires. This packet consisted of the Gratitude Questionnaire, the Elementary School Students’ Subjective Well-Being in School Scale, and the Prosocial Dimension adapted from the Mental Health Scale of Primary and Secondary School Students. The results showed that individual differences in elementary school students’ (1) gratitude significantly related to SWB in school; (2) prosocial behavior partially mediated the relations between gratitude and school satisfaction and positive affect in school; (3) gender moderated the relation between gratitude and school satisfaction, with boys showing greater benefits of gratitude. Limitations and practical applications of the study are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Project of Key Research Base for Humanities and Social Sciences Research of Ordinary Higher Institutions in Guangdong Province (No. 11JDXM19001) and “12th Five-Year” Plan of Philosophy and Social Science Development in Guangzhou City (No. 11Y24). This study was also supported by Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, and Research Center for Crisis Intervention and Psychological Service of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University. We gratefully acknowledge the reviewers for their very helpful comments and suggestions. We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of schools, teaching staff and students who participated in this study.

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  1. School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, People’s Republic of China

    Lili Tian & Minmin Du

  2. Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    E. Scott Huebner

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  1. Lili Tian
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  2. Minmin Du
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Correspondence to Lili Tian.

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Tian, L., Du, M. & Huebner, E.S. The Effect of Gratitude on Elementary School Students’ Subjective Well-Being in Schools: The Mediating Role of Prosocial Behavior. Soc Indic Res 122, 887–904 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0712-9

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