GOING BEYOND OBLIGATIONS TO KEEP YOUR PARTNER GRATEFUL IN THE LONG RUN: EFFECTS OF RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AND PERCEIVED OBLIGATIONS ON GRATITUDE

ERI SASAKI

Publication

GOING BEYOND OBLIGATIONS TO KEEP YOUR PARTNER GRATEFUL IN THE LONG RUN: EFFECTS OF RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AND PERCEIVED OBLIGATIONS ON GRATITUDE

ERI SASAKI

Abstract

While gratitude brings many benefits to a relationship, it is not always elicited in response to a partner’s kind actions. The present research examined how a salient relationship characteristic, relationship length, influences gratitude towards a positive partner act among dating couples, by employing a dyadic daily diary methodology. Multilevel modeling analyses showed that individuals in longer relationship experienced less gratitude towards a positive partner’s act, possibly through a process of adaptation to the partner’s positive acts, and at the same time, because they hold higher expectations of benevolence from their partner. Additional multilevel analyses found that the perceived obligatory nature of the positive partner actions moderated the effects of relationship length on gratitude, such that when a partner’s positive gesture was perceived to be non-obligatory, the effect of relationship length on gratitude was negligible. Implications on facilitating gratitude experiences in longer relationships will be discussed.