Gratitude and Compassion

Question 1

Define gratitude

Answer 1

A positive emotion that may be felt with receipt of a gift

Question 2

Is gratitude always felt with material things? Always with a person giving?

Answer 2

No, material or not and from a person or not

Question 3

What is the most important factor in to experience gratitude?

Answer 3

Intention

- positive acts are not always helpful and helpful acts are not always positive

Question 4

Do events always need to be positive for us to feel grateful?

Answer 4

No, sometimes we can feel grateful for negative events if we can see the benefit from it

Question 5

When would gratitude increase?

Answer 5

With the perceived cost of the gift

Question 6

What two factors does trait gratitude need?

Answer 6

1) to perceive the positive

2) then appreciate

Question 7

What is an increase in trait gratitude associated with?

Answer 7

1. more empathic concern
2. more helpfulness
3. more forgiving
4. more religious/spiritually oriented
5. more agreeable and less neurotic
6. less materialistic
7. less envious of others

Question 8

What is trait gratitude?

Answer 8

The disposition to appreciate positive aspects of one’s life

Question 9

What is reciprocity?

Answer 9

Fair exchange between two people (quid pro quo)

Question 10

What is one major benefit of trait gratitude?

Answer 10

Protective factors from negative effects of trauma

Question 11

What are all social interactions made up of?

Answer 11

1. Communal sharing
2. Authority ranking
3. Equality matching (give and get the same thing)
4. market pricing (working for a wage)

Question 12

What is one thing that gratitude encourages?

Answer 12

Reciprocity (encourages and strengthens relationships)

Question 13

What does gratitude tend to increase?

Answer 13

Commitment (but not because of feelings of indebtedness)

Question 14

Does reciprocity have to be with the same person?

Answer 14

No, you can pay it forward

Question 15

What does gratitude decrease?

Answer 15

Aggression and anger (due to feelings of empathy for other people)

Question 16

Is gratitude the same thing as happiness?

Answer 16

No

Question 17

What does gratitude support?

Answer 17

Close relationships (not feeling appreciated is the top reason for divorce)

Question 18

What is responsive behaviour?

Answer 18

1. understand
2. validate
3. care
   - in close relationships, these make your partner feel appreciated by you and appreciates you

Question 19

Why is compassion a more specific emotion than empathy?

Answer 19

Because compassion is strictly related to the emotions of others

Question 20

What is empathy?

Answer 20

Understanding and vicariously experiencing the reality of another such as thoughts, feelings and experiences (without it being explicitly communicated)

Question 21

What is compassion?

Answer 21

Other-oriented emotional state in response to another’s suffering and motivates prosocial behaviour to alleviate suffering

Question 22

Who are the people who are happier?

Answer 22

Those who give more

Question 23

What makes people compassionate?

Answer 23

1. synchrony (feeds into compassion which feeds into helping)
   - similarity and liking increase with synchronous activity
2. meditation (mindfulness and compassion meditation)
3. attachment (study with subliminal priming of a source of security led to greater feelings of compassion)