Another Reason to Say “Thanks”

Practicing gratitude has been shown to bolster intimate relationships, but the benefits of expressing appreciation may reverberate even further. According to a new paper, displays of gratitude may also encourage friendly feelings and helpful behavior in people uninvolved in the exchange.

In one of eight experiments, participants watched a video in which someone described to a romantic partner a recent experience running a race. In a control condition, the race and its spectators were described positively; in an active “gratitude” condition, the speaker specifically thanked the partner for offering support at the event. Participants who witnessed the gratitude video were more willing than those who watched the positive video to disclose personal information to the speaker, indicating more positive feelings toward that person. In subsequent experiments, subjects were also more likely to express a willingness to both affiliate with and offer help to the speaker’s romantic partner—in other words, the person who was originally thanked for giving support.

“The demonstration of gratitude, when sincere, can have ripple effects,” explains lead author Sara Algoe, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Even if you suspect the other person knows how you feel, she advises: “Don’t underestimate the value of actually saying ‘thanks’ for things that you’re grateful for.”