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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 11, No. 4

Publication Date: August 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/aivp.114.15215

Nahar, N., Parvin, M., & Begum, F. (2023). Gratitude and Resilience of Young Adults: Examining the Mediating Role of Optimism

and Social Support. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(4). 204-216.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Gratitude and Resilience of Young Adults: Examining the

Mediating Role of Optimism and Social Support

Nasrin Nahar

Department of Psychology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Science and Technology University, Gopalganj-8100, Bangladesh

Masuma Parvin

Department of Psychology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Science and Technology University, Gopalganj-8100, Bangladesh

Farjana Begum

Department of Psychology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

The present study explored the mediating effect of social support and optimism in

the relationship between gratitude and resilience of young adults. To achieve this

objective, a package of questionnaire consisting of Gratitude Questionnaire,

Revised Life Orientation Test-Revised, Social Support Questionnaire, and Resilience

Scale for Adults were administered to a convenience sample of 315 students of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University,

Gopalgonj. Their ages ranged from 19 through 26 with a mean age being 22.72 years

(SD = 1.23). The results of independent sample t test reveals that there is no

significant gender difference between male and female in social support number,

optimism and resilience except support satisfaction and gratitude. Results of

Pearson-product moment correlation reveals that gratitude, social support,

optimism and resilience are correlated with one another. Findings of multiple

regression analysis confirm the predictive role of support satisfaction, gratitude

and optimism on resilience. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis confirms the

partial mediating effect of optimism and rejects the mediating role of social support

in the relationship between gratitude and resilience of young adults.

Keywords: Gratitude, Social Support, Optimism, Resilience, Young Adults

INTRODUCTION

The mainstream of psychology has mainly focused on the negative factors that threaten human

mental health (Kardas, Cam, Eskisu, & Gelibolu, 2019). With the emersion of Positive

Psychological movement, a significant redirection towards the exploration of optimal human

flourishing and human strengths have started to be studied (Rusk & Waters 2013). Positive

Psychology can be described as the science of positive subjective experience, positive individual

traits, positive relationships and positive group and institutions (Seligman& Csikszentmihalyi,

2000). Areas recognizing by positive psychology as crucial to the psychological good life include

positive subjective experiences (e.g., happiness, life satisfaction), positive individual traits (e.g.,

character, values, interests), positive relationships (e.g., (friendship, marriage), and positive

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Nahar, N., Parvin, M., & Begum, F. (2023). Gratitude and Resilience of Young Adults: Examining the Mediating Role of Optimism and Social Support.

European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(4). 204-216.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.114.15215

groups and institutions (e.g., families, school, communities). Positive psychology namely

positive individual traits consist of the study of strengths and virtues, such as gratitude,

resilience, optimism, creativity, integrity, curiosity, wisdom and so on while, social support falls

within the positive group and institutions domain.

Young adults are considered to be the building blocks of the society (Kumar & Dixit, 2014) and

nurturing values and strengths among them is one of the core objectives of positive

psychological research at present (Mary & Patra, 2015). Gratitude is a criteria of character

strength and falls within transcendence category classified by Peterson and Seligman in 2004.

Gratitude can be defined as a general state of thankfulness, appreciation as well as joy in

response to receiving gift, whether the gift is a tangible benefit from other person or a time of

peaceful happiness evoked through natural beauty. That is, gratitude requires one to

acknowledge that one has obtained a positive outcome, opportunity, or benefit, due in part to

an external source (Behzadipour, Sadeghi, & Sepahmansour, 2018; Emmons, & McCullough,

2004).

Feelings of gratitude towards God, others, life and existence could lead to mental prosperity

and more satisfying interpersonal relationship (Emmons & Crumpler, 2000). Grateful people

tend to experience more positive emotions, fewer negative emotions (Froh, Yurkewicz, &

Kashdan, 2009) and greater overall well-being (Kardas, Cam, Eskisu, & Gelibolu, 2019; Lin,

2017; Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010); and experimental inductions or training of grateful

feelings lead to increases in self-reported happiness as well (Witvliet, Richie, Root Luna, & Van

Tongeren, 2019; Nguyen, & Gordon, 2019; Behzadipour, et al., 2018; Lyubomirsky, Dickerhoof,

Boehm, & Sheldon, 2011). There is also ample evidence that practicing gratitude can improve

physical health in addition to helping people balance their emotions and improve their

relationship. Research has shown that gratitude can reduce depressive symptom, can reduce

blood pressure, and improve sleep quality as well as improve overall physical health

(Jackowska, Brown, Ronaldson, & Steptoe, 2016; Hill, Allemand, & Roberts, 2013). Gratitude

facilitates healthy eating behavior as well (Fritz, Armenta, Walsh, & Lyubomirsky, 2019).

Gratitude, like other positive emotions, help individuals build psychological and social

resources and promote resilience (Caleon, Ilham, Ong, & Tan, 2019). Resilience can be defined

as the ability to maintain the persistence of one’s orientation towards existential purposes

(Sisto, Vicinanza, Campanozzi, Ricci, Tartaglini, & Tambone, 2019). More specifically, resilience

is the ability to bounce back from adversity and successfully adapt to any situations. Over the

past decades, much progress has been made in understanding the relationship between

gratitude and resilience and a significant relationship has been found between these constructs

(Caleon et al., 2019; Vieselmeyer, Holguin, & Mezulis, 2017; Wilson, 2016; Mary & Patra, 2015).

Additionally, gratitude is linked to a number of positive emotional and social outcomes such as

increased feelings of social connectedness, greater perceived social support, less stress and

reduced depressive symptoms (Lambert, & Fincham, 2011; Wood, Maltby, Gillett, Linley, &

Joseph, 2008). Research has shown that people with high gratitude score tend to get more social

support and buffers from stress and depression (Kong, Ding, & Zhao, 2015). Furthermore,

gratitude also serves as a protective mechanism following trauma or adverse situations

(Vieselmeyer et al., 2017). Like social benefits, gratitude has some personality benefits as well