← Giant Brain Candy
Giant Brain Candy: The Thank-You Letter Visit. In an online trial of happiness exercises, writing a thank-you letter and delivering it in person gave the biggest immediate lift of all. The boost lasted about a month. Source: The gratitude visit.
Growing evidenceThe research
  1. Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.
  2. Mongrain, M., & Anselmo-Matthews, T. (2012). Do positive psychology exercises work? A replication of Seligman et al. (2005). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 382–389.

Journey 5 · Gratitude

The Thank-You Letter Visit

In an online trial of happiness exercises, writing a thank-you letter and delivering it in person gave the biggest immediate lift of all. The boost lasted about a month.

Source: The gratitude visit · Growing evidence

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Giant Brain Candy: It’s the Meaning, Not the Gift. People who read the very same story of being helped felt more grateful when they saw the help as more valuable, more costly to the helper and more freely given. Changing those features changed how grateful people felt. Source: Appraising a kindness.
Giant Brain Candy: Your Thanks Mean More Than You Think. People writing thank-you letters underestimated how surprised and pleased recipients would be, and overestimated how awkward recipients would feel. The more awkwardness they expected, the less willing they were to write. Source: Undervaluing gratitude.
Giant Brain Candy: Thanks That Spread to Bystanders. Across eight experiments with 1,817 people, those who simply watched someone thank another person became more helpful toward the grateful person and more drawn to both of them. Source: The witnessing effect.
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