PSY30011 Psychology of Wellbeing Assignment 1B: Reading Blog Student Number: 101108329 Due Date: 11th May Critical Review: The Psychology Of Gratitude The purpose of the chapter written by Eamons (2004) was to emphasise the importance of studying gratitude, to introduce the key perspectives outlined in each chapter and to highlight the author's main aim in advancing the scientif i c application of gratitude. The author def i nes gratitude as an emotional phenomenon that is experienced in response to received benef i ts involving feelings of appreciation, goodwill and a disposition for action. The primary argument by the author is that the study of gratitude is meaningful because of its widespread presence across a range of disciplines prevalent in both historical and contemporary literature. This claim is strengthened through the author's extensive use of philosophical and historical evidence throughout the entire chapter. For example, the history of terminology is compared through the writings of Pruyser (1069) on pleasant feelings of gratitude, Kant (1797, 1964) on the honouring of another kind individual, and Brown (1820) on the loving emotion associated with gratitude. These historical and philosophical references on terminology strengthen the author's argument that gratitude is important to study because of its widespread presence.
Further to this, the author uses multiple historical references to back up their argument that gratitude is important to study due to its prevalence in literature on morality. For example, the author compares historical literature from well-known philosophers such as Hume (1988, p466) on the controversy of "ingratitude" and Simmel (1908/1950) on the impact of gratitude and morals of exchange. The variety of historical evidence on the morality of gratitude strengthens the author's argument that the study of gratitude is widespread. The central argument that gratitude is meaningful due to its widespread presence across literature is however weakened through the author's lack of contemporary references. The author claims that there is a large amount of contemporary literature on the benef i ts of gratitude, however only one contemporary book by Breathnach (1966) is referred to. Similarly, the author describes the widespread study of gratitude by notable contemporary psychologists, however there is no evidence of specif i ed psychologists. The lack of contemporary referencing weakens the credibility of the author's central argument that the study of gratitude is widespread from a contemporary context. On the other hand, a further notable strength of the main argument that gratitude is important to study is that the author provides a balanced perspective on both the positive and negative connotations of gratitude in society. For example, the author highlights the perspective of Aristotle and Solomon (1995) who believed that gratitude was not virtuous because of its similarities to the experience of being in debt to someone and therefore infers a lack of self-suf f i ciency. The balance of these perspectives alludes to a sense of neutrality in the author's argument and thus
strengthens the central argument that gratitude is important through the objective nature of the authors writing. The author provides