Published

2025-03-14

Does Gratitude Satisfice?

¿Satisface la gratitud?

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984

Keywords:

Gratitude, Maximizing, Satisficing, Decision making, Positive emotion, Bounded rationality (en)

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Authors

  • Bala Subramanian R Rajagiri Business School, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, India
  • Munish Thakur Professor at XLRI School of Management.

 Our emotion plays a crucial role in evaluating and choosing a suitable alternative, though they may not be rational. Experimental studies on Gratitude show that the feeling of Gratitude has its own bias in decision-making. The influence of Gratitude on evaluating alternatives, related to maximizing tendency, is explored in this paper by studying the students’ decision-making process (n = 157 and n =126) through two studies. We found that Gratitude does influence ‘maximizing tendency.’ We found a logarithmic relationship between Gratitude and that ‘maximizing tendency.’ The results have been discussed, followed by future research directions.

Nuestras emociones desempeñan un papel crucial a la hora de evaluar y elegir una alternativa adecuada, aunque no sean racionales. Los estudios experimentales sobre la Gratitud muestran que el sentimiento de Gratitud tiene su propio sesgo en la toma de decisiones. La influencia de la Gratitud en la evaluación de alternativas, relacionada con la tendencia a maximizar, se explora en este trabajo estudiando el proceso de toma de decisiones de los estudiantes a través de dos estudios (n = 157 y n =126). Se utilizó la regresión jerárquica para examinar la influencia de la gratitud en la «tendencia maximizadora». Se encontró una relación logarítmica entre la gratitud y esa 'tendencia maximizadora'. Se han discutido los resultados, seguidos de futuras direcciones de investigación.

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How to Cite

APA

Subramanian R, B. and Thakur, M. (2025). Does Gratitude Satisfice?. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 34(1), 49–63. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984

ACM

[1]
Subramanian R, B. and Thakur, M. 2025. Does Gratitude Satisfice?. Revista Colombiana de Psicología. 34, 1 (Mar. 2025), 49–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984.

ACS

(1)
Subramanian R, B.; Thakur, M. Does Gratitude Satisfice?. Rev. colomb. psicol. 2025, 34, 49-63.

ABNT

SUBRAMANIAN R, B.; THAKUR, M. Does Gratitude Satisfice?. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, [S. l.], v. 34, n. 1, p. 49–63, 2025. DOI: 10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/111984. Acesso em: 29 mar. 2025.

Chicago

Subramanian R, Bala, and Munish Thakur. 2025. “Does Gratitude Satisfice?”. Revista Colombiana De Psicología 34 (1):49-63. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984.

Harvard

Subramanian R, B. and Thakur, M. (2025) “Does Gratitude Satisfice?”, Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 34(1), pp. 49–63. doi: 10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984.

IEEE

[1]
B. Subramanian R and M. Thakur, “Does Gratitude Satisfice?”, Rev. colomb. psicol., vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 49–63, Mar. 2025.

MLA

Subramanian R, B., and M. Thakur. “Does Gratitude Satisfice?”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, vol. 34, no. 1, Mar. 2025, pp. 49-63, doi:10.15446/rcp.v34n1.111984.

Turabian

Subramanian R, Bala, and Munish Thakur. “Does Gratitude Satisfice?”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología 34, no. 1 (March 14, 2025): 49–63. Accessed March 29, 2025. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/111984.

Vancouver

1.
Subramanian R B, Thakur M. Does Gratitude Satisfice?. Rev. colomb. psicol. [Internet]. 2025 Mar. 14 [cited 2025 Mar. 29];34(1):49-63. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/111984

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