An empirical exploration of the normative dimensions of gratitude

This volume attests that the topic of gratitude has recently gained considerable academic ground. It has been the subject of lively debate in philosophical and psychological circles and enthusiasm for the topic shows no sign of waning. However, while there has been an academic appetite for dialogue about gratitude, there has been relatively scant examination of lay understandings of the notion. Thus, whilst we have witnessed debate from eminent philosophers and psychologists as to how gratitude should be defined and understood, we have seen comparatively little exploration of laypeople’s conceptions of gratitude and of how lay understandings ultimately compare with those of “experts”, be they psychologists or philosophers.
The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues’“Attitude for Gratitude” research project sought to remedy this lacuna by canvassing the views of laypeople across a range of demographic variables, in a series of interrelated studies. We have examined whether features that laypeople associate with gratitude resonate with terms used in definitions offered by philosophers and psychologists, and if the conditions on gratitude