BASIC HOPE, CHARACTER OF SOCIAL BONDS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF GRATEFULNESS

• Authors: Gruszecka E. , Trzebinski J.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The main objective of the study was to observe how two personality factors: the strength of the basic hope, and the level of self-esteem, as well as a character of social bonds between the partners, relate to the characteristics of experiencing gratefulness. 80 participants were asked to recollect memories of events, where other person helped them or presented another positive behavior toward them. Then they have described their experience of gratefulness, and the context of it, by filling a questionnaire prepared for this study. Different kinds of social relationships have to be taken into account when answering the questionnaire. The have also filled a questionnaires measuring the strength of basic hope and the level of self-esteem. The results indicate that the strength of basic hope correlates positively with the quality of gratefulness and with variety of situations in which this feeling is evoked. The feeling of the gratefulness is more intense within a community-like relationships (e.g. between friends or romantic partners) than in exchange-based relationships (e.g. between colleagues or incidental partners). There is no data supporting hypothesis about the self-esteem level as a factor in gratefulness experience. These results, taken together with data from other recent studies, suggest that the strength of basic hope (a belief in two characteristics of the world - its higher sense and positivity toward human beings, see: Erikson, 1963), plays an important role in social interactions and in building the social bonds.

Keywords

EN

BASIC HOPE; GRATEFULNESS; HELPING BEHAVIOR; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; SELF-ESTEEM

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Committee on Psychological Sciences PAS, Warsaw School of Social Psychology
• Journal: Psychological Studies
• Year: 2006
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 17-29
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Gruszecka E.

author

Trzebinski J.

• E. Gruszecka, Szkola Wyzsza Psychologii Spolecznej, Wydzial Zamiejscowy w Sopocie, ul. Polna 16/20, 81-745 Sopot, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07PLAAAA02364929