Gratitude Reduces Consumption of Depleting Resources

Sustaining finite public resources presents a dilemma between acting in self-interest for present benefit versus working toward lone-term collective gain. Given gratitude's links to prosociality and self-control, the present studies investigated whether gratitude would promote sustainable resource extraction under conditions of rapidly depleting resources. In Study 1 (N = 155), participants were randomly assigned to experience an emotional state (gratitude or neutral) prior to playing a resource dilemma game in which the common pool was manipulated to indicate either a sustained or depleting resource status. Neutral participants increased their point taking when the pool was depleting compared with when it was sustained; however, this pattern was not observed for grateful participants. Study 2 (N = 224) replicated these findings while also showing the effect of gratitude to be distinct from happiness. These findings show that gratitude, as opposed to a general positive emotional state. buffers against overtaking in resource dilemmas and suggests that this emotion may be useful in promoting sustainable behavior.