Developing Gratitude in Children and Adolescents

Gratitude, a virtue, develops during childhood and adolescence. This book shows how adults can encourage its development, fostering consideration for others and strengthening connections.

Jonathan R. H. Tudge (Edited by), Lia Beatriz de Lucca Freitas (Edited by)

9781316633755, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 September 2019

305 pages, 16 b/w illus. 9 tables
22.8 x 15 x 1.6 cm, 0.45 kg

'Tudge and Freitas deliver on a state-of-the-art compendium of our understanding of gratitude amidst all of its complexities. Each chapter systematically focuses on this topic across a wide range of theoretical frameworks, cultural and philosophical perspectives, and methodological approaches. The volume is certain to be an exemplary resource for scholars, practitioners, and curious readers alike.' Gustavo Carlo, University of Missouri

In popular opinion, gratitude means saying 'thank you'. While politeness and appreciation are certainly important, gratitude is a larger issue. Appropriately defined, it encompasses the strengthening of human relationships and qualifies as a moral virtue. This important and timely volume provides the conceptual framework for studying the development of gratitude, with a comprehensive and international set of authors approaching the topic from philosophical, psychological, and educational perspectives. The first section provides the theoretical underpinnings for the study of gratitude as a virtue. In the next section, the authors examine the ways in which gratitude develops, including key cross-cultural variations and some possible effects of its development. The final section then considers the links between parent and child gratitude, and the ways in which parents and teachers can help to encourage gratitude, both in their everyday practices and by using literary texts.

1. Developing gratitude: an introduction Jonathan R. H. Tudge and Lia B. L. Freitas
2. Towards a psychological study of the virtues Yves de La Taille
3. Gratitude in special relationships Terrance McConnell
4. Assessing influences on gratitude experience: age-related differences in how gratitude is understood and experienced Blaire Morgan and Liz Gulliford
5. Gratitude and moral obligation Sara E. Mendonça and Fernanda Palhares
6. Cross-cultural variations in the development of gratitude Ayse Payir, Sara E. Mendonça, Yue Liang, Irina L. Mokrova, Fernanda Palhares and Selin Zeytinoglu
7. Gratitude in adolescence Samantha Bausert and Jeffrey J. Froh
8. The development of gratitude and its relation to spending preferences and materialism Lisa Kiang, Elisa A. Merçon-Vargas, Sara E. Mendonça, Ayse Payir and Lia O'Brien
9. Relations between parents' and children's gratitude Lia O'Brien, Yue Liang, Elisa A. Merçon-Vargas, Uzama S. Price and Ebony D. Leon
10. Parent socialization of children's gratitude Andrea M. Hussong, Hillary A. Langley, Jennifer L. Coffman, Amy G. Halberstadt and Philip R. Costanzo
11. Children's and parents' understanding of gratitude Meagan A. Ramsey, Amy L. Gentzler and Boglarka Vizy
12. Developing gratitude as a practice for teachers Kerry Howells
13. Teaching gratitude through literature David Carr and Tom Harrison.

Subject Areas: Educational psychology [JNC], Education [JN], Child & developmental psychology [JMC]