Linguistic and Thematic Differences in Written Letters of Gratitude to God and Gratitude Toward Others

Authors

• Adam S. Hodge, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
• Heidi M. Ellis, University of North Texas
• Sabrina Zuniga, University of North Texas
• Hansong Zhang, Texas Woman's University
• Cameron W. Davis, Indiana University School of Medicine
• Aaron T. McLaughlin, Georgia State University
• Joshua N. Hook, University of North Texas
• Don E. Davis, Georgia State University
• Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Hope CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Publication Source

Journal of Positive Psychology

Volume Number

19

Issue Number

1

First Page

83

Last Page

94

ISSN

17439760

E-ISSN

17439779

Abstract

There is a dearth of empirical research distinguishing gratitude to God (GTG) from interhuman gratitude (IHG). This study explored linguistic (quantitative) and thematic (qualitative) differences in letters of GTG and letters of IHG. Participants (N = 326 undergraduate students) were randomly assigned to write (a) a letter of GTG, (b) a letter of IHG, or (c) a description of their daily morning routine. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count 2015 was used to examine linguistic differences and conventional content analysis was used to explore thematic differences. Few linguistic differences were observed between the gratitude-writing conditions, but both gratitude conditions reported more affective, cognitive, and past-focused time-oriented language compared to the control condition. Qualitative analyses revealed participants in the GTG condition identified a greater breadth and depth of benefits compared to the IHG condition, and there were unique differences pertaining to non-gratitude expressions. Limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

Keywords

Gratitude, gratitude to God, linguistic analysis, religion, spirituality

Recommended Citation

Published in: Journal of Positive Psychology, Volume 19, Issue 1, January 1, 2024, pages 83-94.