In a curious twist to the traditional narrative surrounding gratitude, recent research published in the Journal of Personality & Social Psychology proposes that expressing thanks might not always be beneficial.
Gratitude, often encapsulated in a simple “thank you,” is universally recognized as a positive response that strengthens social bonds and interpersonal relationships. Extensive research has documented its benefits, from enhancing emotional connections to fostering mutual cooperation within various social settings. However, the act of expressing gratitude, particularly within close relationships, can sometimes yield unexpectedly negative reactions, complicating our understanding of its social utility.
In Study 1, researchers Jiaqi Yu and Shereen J. Chaudhry analyzed 335 real-world acceptance speeches from major film and music ceremonies in China and the United States, focusing on whether awardees thanked their close others during these public acknowledgments. The study aimed to capture naturally occurring expressions of gratitude in a high-profile setting. The analysis coded speeches for mentions of gratitude towards close relatives and friends, comparing the frequency between the two cultural contexts. Results showed a significant cultural difference: 19.3% of Chinese awardees thanked close others, versus 71.1% of American awardees.
Study 2 involved 273 participants who were presented with a choice between recording a personal audio thank-you message for a close other or completing a neutral filler task. This design tested the inclination to express gratitude directly in a controlled, yet personal context. The key measure was the choice to send a thank-you message versus choosing the filler task. The findings revealed that only 32% of participants from China chose to send a thank-you message, compared to 56.7% of participants from the United States, indicating a cultural reservation towards direct expressions of gratitude.
Study 3 presented 402 participants with various hypothetical scenarios where an individual performed a favor for them. The scenarios varied by the relational closeness of the favor doer (close other vs. distant other). Participants assessed their likelihood of expressing gratitude in each scenario, ranging from -50 (extremely unlikely to express gratitude) to +50 (extremely likely to express gratitude). The results confirmed that Chinese participants were less likely to express gratitude towards close others than Americans, highlighting the impact of relational expectations on gratitude expressions.
Study 4 recruited 94 participants, examining both the emotional response of gratitude and its outward expression following hypothetical favors. Participants rated their feelings of gratitude and likelihood of expressing gratitude across situations involving both close and distant others. Similar to previous findings, Chinese participants reported lower levels of both feeling and expressing gratitude towards close others, contrasting with the American participants’ responses.
In Study 5, 199 participants evaluated how much they viewed various actions by close others as duties, using a scale from -30 (definitely not a duty) to +30 (definitely a duty). This study aimed to understand cultural differences in perceived obligations within close relationships. Participants assessed a range of scenarios where a close other performed different actions, gauging whether these actions were seen as obligations or favors. The findings revealed that Chinese participants generally perceived a higher level of duty in these actions than Americans, indicating stronger expectations of close others in Chinese culture.
Study 6 involved 314 participants who were presented with scenarios where the cultural perception of duty for a given favor varied. Participants once again rated their likelihood of expressing gratitude. This study tested the hypothesis that cultural differences in the perception of relational duties would affect gratitude expression. The results showed that when duties were culturally agreed upon, gratitude expression differed minimally between cultures. However, when there was cultural disagreement about duties, Chinese participants were significantly less likely to express gratitude than Americans, highlighting the impact of cultural expectations on gratitude behaviors.
In the final experiment, 189 participants rated their preference for direct versus indirect gratitude expressions in interactions with close and distant others, using a scale from -30 (strong preference for indirect expressions) to +30 (strong preference for direct expressions). Chinese participants preferred less direct expressions of gratitude towards close others compared to Americans, suggesting that direct expressions might imply a lesser degree of intimacy in Chinese culture. This preference was not observed in interactions involving distant others, where the cultural differences were minimal.
Across these experiments, the consistent pattern suggests that cultural and relational expectations profoundly influence how gratitude is expressed and perceived. In more collectivist cultures like China, expressing gratitude to close others may imply a lack of inherent relational closeness, which contrasts with individualistic cultures like the United States where gratitude is more frequently and openly expressed.
One limitation is the focus on China and the United States, which may not represent the full spectrum of individualistic and collectivist societies. Thus, these findings might not extend to cultures that have different relational norms and expectations that influence the expression of gratitude.
The research, “‘Thanks, but No Thanks’: Gratitude Expression Paradoxically Signals Distance”, was authored by Jiaqi Yu and Shereen J. Chaudhry.