Kind-heartedness connects the world:
Need for relatedness as key attachment of gratitude and charitable donation
Introduction
When individuals feel a sense of gratitude (McCullough et al.,
2011 ), they tend to behave prosocially towards both their
benefactor and strangers (indirect reciprocity) (DeSteno et al. ,
2006). Although previous studies have suggested that gratitude
supports indirect reciprocity (Nowak & Roch, 2007), the
mechanisms underlying this process have not been identified.
This study focuses on a beneficiary’s need for relatedness and
hypothesizes that the need for relatedness mediates the
relationships between gratitude and indirect reciprocity.
Need for Relatedness and Prosocial Behavior
The need for relatedness (NFR) refers to “the desire to feel
connected to others—to love and care, and to be loved and cared
for.” It is one of the fundamental human needs (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
NFR satisfaction increases prosocial behavior. For example, in an
experiment by Pavey et al . (2011), individuals whose NFR was
primed donated more to charity and cooperated more with others
than those in an unprimed control condition. Prentice & Sheldon
(2014) found that this effect was unique for relatedness satisfaction
priming but relatedness dissatisfaction priming.
NFR satisfaction promotes prosocial behavior.
Gratitude and Need for Relatedness (NFR)
“Find Bind Remind Theory” suggests that the feeling of gratitude
evolved to facilitate and maintain an individual’s relationship with a
benefactor (Algoe, 2012). From this theory, the feeling of gratitude
could a beneficiary’s NFR . In fact, previous studies have shown that
gratitude (T1) relates to and predicts the NFR of a beneficiary (T2)
(Kashdan, 2009; Lee et al., 2015).
Gratitude increases beneficiaries’ NFR.
Hypothesis
Gratitude promotes prosocial behavior
via satisfying NFR.
Feeling of gratitude promoted prosocial behavior via satisfying need for relatedness
Yuma Shiraki (shiraki.yuma44@gmail.com) Tasuku Igarashi
Method
Experimental design
・One factor between subjects (Gratitude, Control)
Participant
・167 crowdsourcing workers (42 female, Mean age = 33.39, SD = 9.28)
Manipulation of Emotion
Participants in the gratitude condition performed an emotion induction
task (Ellsworth & Smith, 1988). They were asked to recall an event
where they felt gratitude towards someone and to describe the event in
detail. To encourage participants in this group to recall the event vividly,
they were asked to type on a computer screen their responses to two
questions: “When was the situation and what happened?” and “Why
did you feel gratitude?” Participants in the neutral condition were
simply asked to recall an event that happened in the last week.
Manipulation checks and Measurement of NFR
After the manipulation of emotion, each participant’s emotional state
was measured using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included three
gratitude items (e.g., “How appreciative do you feel now?”; α = .887)
and six NFR satisfaction items (e.g., “I feel a bond with other people.”; α
= .880). All the items were rated 1 (Not at all) to 7 (Extremely).
Prosocial behavior (Donation behavior)
Participants were told that they could donate some of the money they
would receive from their participation to the Save the Children Fund
(https://www.savethechildren.net/) and that their rewards would be
adjusted by the amount of their donation. That is, their remuneration
would be reduced by an amount equal to the size of their donation.
After these instructions, participants decided how much they would
donate. Whether they donated or not was used as a measure of
donation behavior.
Note of Caution
After the experiment, participants were debriefed and received their
entire remuneration regardless of their donation decision. In fact, the
total amount of the donations that participants had offered was
donated to the Save the Children Fund by the experimenter.
Summary
Result and Discussion
Manipulation check
Gratitude manipulations were successful
Participants in gratitude condition felt more gratitude than those
in control condition (p < .001)
Correlation analysis
To check the relationships among variables, we conducted a
correlation analysis.
Inconsistent with previous studies, we found that the feeling of
gratitude didn’t promote donation behavior (r = .086, p = .277).
However, because NFR satisfaction correlated with gratitude and
charitable donation, we tested the indirect effect of gratitude on
donation behavior via satisfying NFR.
Testing indirect effect
To test the indirect effect of gratitude, we conducted an SEM
analysis (Figure below). Results suggested that gratitude promotes
donation behavior via satisfying NFR (z = 2.30, p = .021).
Gratitude .449** NFR .235** Donation
Score Satisfaction Behavior
** p < .01
Consistent with our hypothesis, the indirect effect was significant.
It was found that NFR satisfaction played a key role in the effect of
gratitude on prosocial behavior (i.e., donation). This suggests that
gratitude doesn’t simply increase beneficiary’s prosocial tendency,
as indicated by previous studies (Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006).
Previous research has found that the feeling of gratitude
promotes not only prosocial behavior but also other behaviors
such as forgiveness, mimicry, and so on. Although researchers have
argued these effects from various other viewpoints, it is possible
that NFR satisfaction integrates these effects.
Gratitude Prosocial
Prosocial
NFR Prosocial