【令和3年度　一般公募プロジェクト】The Psychology of a Thank-you Gift: Gratitude or Indebtedness?

研究課題　　　　　　The Psychology of a Thank-you Gift: Gratitude or Indebtedness?

研究代表者　　　　　Oishi Shigehiro　University of Virginia　Professor

本センター担当教員　内田由紀子　京都大学こころの未来研究センター　教授

連携研究者　　　　　Sharon Akimoto　Carleton College　Professor

Research Purpose
Gratitude and indebtedness are conceptually intertwined, so much so that some researchers consider them to be opposite sides of the same coin (Naito, Wangwan, & Tani, 2005). Previous research (e.g., Greenberg & Westscott, 1983; Shen et al., 2011) suggests that indebtedness leads more to material repayment than it does to continuation of the relationship, yet this important theoretical point has not been examined. The main purpose of the research is to examine the relative importance of indebtedness vs. gratitude in material repayment and relationship continuation.

Expected Results
We predict that those who feel indebted by being helped by a partner on a challenging team task will seek to return the favor by “”paying back”” the partner, whereas those who feel grateful are interested in continuing the relationship with the partner.