Undervaluing Gratitude: Expressers Misunderstand the Consequences of Showing Appreciation.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Three non-randomized behavioral dyadic experiments comparing paired expresser predictions with recipient outcomes.
PubMed 29949445 · doi:10.1177/0956797618772506
What was done
Across three experiments, participants wrote gratitude letters to real recipients. Expressers predicted how surprised, happy, and awkward recipients would feel upon receiving the letter. Recipients were then surveyed to measure how receiving the gratitude expression actually made them feel. The relationship between expressers' expectations and their willingness to express gratitude was also evaluated.
What was found
Expressers significantly underestimated how surprised recipients would be regarding why expressers were grateful, significantly overestimated how awkward recipients would feel, and significantly underestimated how positive recipients would feel. Expected awkwardness and expected mood were both correlated with participants' willingness to express gratitude. The abstract reports no numerical values, confidence intervals, or effect sizes.
Why it matters
Misjudging the social impact of prosocial actions can deter individuals from engaging in behaviors that enhance mutual well-being. This study demonstrates a systematic egocentric bias where people undervalue the positive reception of expressing gratitude.
Limits
The abstract does not report sample sizes, effect sizes, statistical test metrics, or participant demographics. It is unclear what specific interpersonal relationships were tested, and structured letter-writing experiments may not fully reflect spontaneous, everyday gratitude interactions.
Cited by
- supports Experimental psychological research demonstrates that people are systematically overly pessimistic about how positively others will respond to social engagement.