The Impact of Gratitude and Spontaneous Self-affirmation on Self-compassion and Gratitude among Young Adults

This study investigates the influence of spontaneous self-affirmation (SSA) and gratitude on self-compassion and altruism among young adults, focusing on their individual and combined effects. Drawing on positive psychology, which emphasizes well-being, positive traits, and flourishing, the study aims to deepen understanding of the mechanisms that foster emotional resilience and prosocial behavior. Using a quantitative, correlational design, data were collected from 230 participants aged 17–26 through standardized self-report measures. Pearson's correlation analyses revealed significant individual associations between gratitude, SSA, and both self-compassion and altruism. However, a multivariate analysis (MANOVA) showed that the interaction effect of SSA and gratitude was not statistically significant. These results suggest that while both SSA and gratitude independently contribute to well-being, their combined effect does not yield additional benefits within this sample. The findings have implications for designing psychological interventions and call for further research exploring these constructs in diverse contexts.