Helping those who helped: the impacts of holistic thinking on acts of kindness in gratitude

Abstract

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread distress and uncertainty globally. However, amidst these challenging times, traces of gratitude surfaced within the sentiments of some people. This study seeks to understand why only some people experienced gratitude and to explore the underlying mental processes involved. Specifically, this study propose that holistic thinking plays a causal role, that is holistic thinking elicits the experience of gratitude. This study went beyond traditional self-report measures of gratitude, by operationalising gratitude as acts of kindness. Contrary to the hypotheses, results demonstrated that participants primed with holistic thinking did not have a greater tendency to display an act of kindness, such as choosing to donate, compared to those in the control condition. Additionally, they did not show an inclination to make a larger impact, given that the study focused on a single act of kindness, such as donating a larger percentage. This paper discusses possible explanations for null findings and potential limitations of the study. Lastly, this paper concludes with theoretical and practical implications of the causal relationship between holistic thinking and gratitude, had significant findings emerged.