Baylor Research Reveals How Gratitude Boosts Health, Resilience and Community Bonds

From improving sleep to strengthening caregiving, faculty experts share how gratitude improves well-being and flourishing

by Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin

Credit: Thiago Santos /Collection: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, 254-327-8012
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Intentionally practicing gratitude encourages us to regularly recognize and appreciate the positive aspects of our lives. While research shows that gratitude benefits health, well-being and happiness, it simultaneously fosters new connections and strengthens existing relationships by encouraging positive interactions and prosocial behaviors.

Baylor University’s focus on gratitude draws from its strength in human flourishing research and scholarship. The University’s new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, includes human flourishing as an area of emphasis along with interdisciplinary research and impact, creating a caring community and leading through Christian stewardship – all of which can be connected through gratitude. Baylor researchers from multiple disciplines have explored the role and effects of gratitude and how it can amplify human flourishing in a variety of areas.

Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D.

“Baylor faculty, staff and students are invested in creating a caring community,” said Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Science of Virtues Lab and BRIGHTS Center. “Gratitude helps us find interpersonal relationships, binds us to our friends and reminds us of all the valuable relationships in our lives. [That’s why] we’ve been looking at how to cultivate gratitude in such a way as to really impact flourishing. Not just individual well-being, but also the well-being of other people around them.”

The Science of Cultivating Gratitude

Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D.

Baylor research has found that structured practices, like deep reflection and gratitude letters, can transform fleeting thankfulness into lasting, community-oriented virtues. Leading Baylor positive psychology researchers Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., and Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D., who specialize in the study of gratitude, have explored how gratitude benefits mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, identifying three key science-based mechanisms that cultivate gratitude and improve empathy. When individuals move from general gratitude to appreciating specific "givers" in their lives, they experience increased empathy and generosity, often feeling a desire to “pay it forward.” Engaging in deliberate acts of gratitude boosts the well-being of both the sender and receiver, fostering positive ripple effects that strengthen community connections.

More Sleep Boosts Gratitude and Resilience

Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D.

Did you know that even small increases in sleep – just 46 minutes more per night – can improve your well-being while also boosting gratitude, resilience, flourishing and prosocial behaviors? Baylor sleep researcher Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D., joined forces with human flourishing scholar Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., and undergraduate researcher Alexander Do, B.A. ’24, to find out if better sleep could actually foster positive psychological traits. Their interdisciplinary study revealed that individuals  with extended sleep showed greater resilience, life satisfaction and gratitude than those whose sleep was restricted. Moreover, these benefits expanded beyond mood improvements, indicating that better sleep may support not only individual mental health but also societal prosocial behaviors, as more well-rested individuals were likelier to express gratitude and engage in charitable acts.

Gratitude Matters for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer’s

Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Ph.D.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease and other progressive neurocognitive disorders is challenging, but Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work at Baylor, has found that family caregivers who embrace gratitude experience greater well-being and coping skills. Her extensive research identified three core elements of gratitude: acknowledging personal strengths, valuing strengthened relationships and finding guidance in spirituality. These aspects provide caregivers with emotional support, meaning and improved mental health, suggesting that focusing on the positive qualities of both caregivers and patients can shift perspectives away from deficit-based views, enabling a strengths-based approach to caregiving.

The Effects of Gratitude vs. Indebtedness in Buyer-Seller Relationships

Stephanie M. Mangus, Ph.D. 

Nearly all business exchanges and relationships are built around reciprocity, the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, which carves the way for people to experience two feelings: gratitude and indebtedness. Baylor marketing professor Stephanie M. Mangus, Ph.D., who researches the emotions driving salesperson and customer behaviors, joined faculty from Auburn, Texas A&M and Arkansas to study how feelings of gratitude and indebtedness impact the quality of buyer-seller relationships. They found that gratitude strengthens buyer-seller relationships by increasing commitment, fostering a bond and encouraging prosocial behavior, which leads to improved relationship quality and positive word-of-mouth. In contrast, the researchers discovered that indebtedness often creates discomfort and a desire to repay the benefactor, which can deteriorate relationships and hinder word-of-mouth marketing. The research suggests that salespeople should focus on fostering feelings of gratitude by emphasizing shared values and economic value to enhance client relationships, boost sales and improve overall success.

Embracing Holistic Well-Being

Credit:Kobus Louw/Collection: Collection:E+/Getty Images +

Baylor faculty with expertise in outdoor recreation, health and human performance, nutrition, theology and student health and wellness shared practical ways to integrate gratitude into everyday wellness for better physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Outdoor activities can inspire gratitude for nature and community; sports and exercise foster gratitude through personal growth and teamwork; nourishing food choices can boost clarity, well-being and thankfulness; and finding gratitude in prayer can help us deepen our spiritual lives and recognize blessings in everyday experiences. Individuals can build greater resilience by cultivating gratitude for personal strengths, supportive relationships and small joys, underscoring that gratitude enriches resilience and overall wellness. 

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