Abstract
Gratitude interventions have been consistently found to enhance individuals’ gratitude level. However, most of the existing gratitude interventions require handwriting that is difficult to sustain among young adults who often use social networking sites. This study thus proposed and tested a social media-based gratitude intervention. Thirty-three undergraduate students aged between 18 and 24 years were randomly assigned to gratitude group and control group. Participants in the gratitude group were instructed to post one picture with a caption related to gratitude on Instagram for 7 days. Likewise, the control group was to post a picture with caption related to colour. All participants answered Big Five Inventory short version before the intervention as well as the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Items Form, Perceived Stress Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale before and after the intervention. Analysis of covariance (controlling personality traits, pre- and post-measured stress and life satisfaction) indicated that students in the gratitude condition reported higher levels of gratitude than those in the control group. No significant difference was observed for post-measured stress and life satisfaction. Overall, the preliminary findings support that the gratitude intervention through Instagram is a promising method to increase gratitude among young adults.
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Koay, SH., Ng, AT., Tham, SK. et al. Gratitude Intervention on Instagram: An Experimental Study. Psychol Stud 65, 168–173 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-019-00547-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-019-00547-6