In the master thesis we studied the correlation between gratitude, life satisfaction, motivation for personal growth and high sensitivity. In the theoretical part we presented the theoretical background and findings of previous research in this area, followed by a quantitative study in the empirical part.
The study included 210 participants, of which 187 were female (89%) and 23 were male (11%). The survey was conducted in an online survey, www.1ka.arnes.si, in which the demographic questions were designed and all the measurement instruments used were entered. Six questionnaires were used in the following order: the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six Item Form (GQ-6), the Gratitude, Resentment and Appreciation Scale (GRAT), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Satisfaction with Family Life Scale (SWFLS), the the Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II (PGIS-II), and the Highly Sensitive Person Questionnaire (HSP). The data were then analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software.
In order to obtain the most reliable results, two gratitude questionnaires, the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six Item Form (GQ-6) and the Gratitude, Resentment and Appreciation Scale (GRAT), were used in our study to measure gratitude.
The results showed that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between gratitude and life satisfaction and gratitude and motivation for personal growth. Since in our study the correlation with both gratitude questionnaires is statistically significant and positive, we can conclude that there is a general trend towards more grateful individuals being more satisfied with life and also more motivated for personal growth. However, we obtained a partially negative correlation between gratitude and high sensitivity. We obtained a statistically significant correlation with only one gratitude questionnaire, the GQ-6. Nevertheless, we got a statistically significant correlation between high sensitivity and two dimensions of the GRAT, namely a negative correlation with the dimension Lack of a Sense of Deprivation and a positive correlation with the dimension Simple Appreciation. Our results suggest that there is a trend towards those individuals who experience more gratitude to be less sensitive or not highly sensitive, but that those who are highly sensitive experience more appreciation - they tend to notice and appreciate everyday things, people and experiences more.
The results, although not generalisable, support the idea that gratitude has a positive impact on our lives, as we have shown that more grateful individuals are more satisfied with life and more motivated to grow as individuals. However, further research on high sensitivity in relation to gratitude is still suggested.
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