Magnitude of Gratitude Pilot Study: Observing an Effective Anxiety Induction and Measuring Gratitude’s Self-Perceived Impact on Anxiety Levels

Disciplines

Counseling Psychology | Psychology | Social Psychology

Abstract (300 words maximum)

  • Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023), impacting various aspects of well-being. Because of this prevalence, understanding how to safely induce anxiety and explore potential interventions are crucial areas of psychological research. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a safe, short-term anxiety induction technique proposed by Almazrouei et al. (2022), where participants answer general knowledge questions under conditions that inspire social evaluative threats and a sense of loss of control. Additionally, given recent research suggesting that gratitude has positive effects on well-being and stress levels (Atad & Russo-Netzer, 2021; Hamka, 2023), this study also investigates gratitude's role in reducing immediate anxiety through gratitude journaling. Participants will first complete a timed assessment adapted from Almazrouei et al. (2022), followed by a randomized 5-minute journaling task. Participants will be assigned to one of three journaling conditions: gratitude journaling, complaining, or childhood story detailing (serving as the control group). After the journaling task, participants will complete the PANAS-SF scale and additional opinion-based questions to assess the effectiveness of the anxiety induction and the perceived impact of their journaling task. At the end of the study, all participants will be debriefed. We hypothesize that the anxiety induction task will successfully elevate participants' anxiety levels, that the gratitude journaling group will report a more positive affect compared to the complaining and control groups, and that the gratitude journaling group will provide more positive feedback about their journaling assignment than the other two groups.

Academic department under which the project should be listed

RCHSS - Psychological Science

Primary Investigator (PI) Name

Dr. Tyler Collette

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Magnitude of Gratitude Pilot Study: Observing an Effective Anxiety Induction and Measuring Gratitude’s Self-Perceived Impact on Anxiety Levels

  • Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023), impacting various aspects of well-being. Because of this prevalence, understanding how to safely induce anxiety and explore potential interventions are crucial areas of psychological research. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a safe, short-term anxiety induction technique proposed by Almazrouei et al. (2022), where participants answer general knowledge questions under conditions that inspire social evaluative threats and a sense of loss of control. Additionally, given recent research suggesting that gratitude has positive effects on well-being and stress levels (Atad & Russo-Netzer, 2021; Hamka, 2023), this study also investigates gratitude's role in reducing immediate anxiety through gratitude journaling. Participants will first complete a timed assessment adapted from Almazrouei et al. (2022), followed by a randomized 5-minute journaling task. Participants will be assigned to one of three journaling conditions: gratitude journaling, complaining, or childhood story detailing (serving as the control group). After the journaling task, participants will complete the PANAS-SF scale and additional opinion-based questions to assess the effectiveness of the anxiety induction and the perceived impact of their journaling task. At the end of the study, all participants will be debriefed. We hypothesize that the anxiety induction task will successfully elevate participants' anxiety levels, that the gratitude journaling group will report a more positive affect compared to the complaining and control groups, and that the gratitude journaling group will provide more positive feedback about their journaling assignment than the other two groups.