Poster #124 - Gratitude Conversations: An Online Parenting Program to Foster Children’s Gratitude

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Moral Development

Integrative Statement

Previous findings show that parents’ intentional socialization efforts are associated with children’s gratitude expression at ages 6-9 (Hussong, Langley, Coffman, Halberstadt & Costanzo, 2018). In the current study, we tested whether an online parent training program could enhance gratitude socialization efforts in this same sample when children were 9-13 years old. We defined gratitude as a socioemotional process that unfolds in the moment as children become aware of having received something of value, interpret the giver’s intentions in line with gratitude-inducing attributions, experience related positive affect, and express gratitude-motivated appreciation (Rothenberg et al., 2017). We designed the program to improve parents’ communication skills when discussing times when children have been grateful as well as times when children have missed the opportunity to experience gratitude. This approach dovetails with aspects of parent emotion socialization as described by Eisenberg and colleagues (Eisenberg, Spinrad & Cumberland, 1998). The program relied heavily on behavioral parent-adolescent communication training (Robin & Foster, 2002) and utilized a variety of behavioral change strategies (e.g., psycho-education, modeling, skill evaluation and reflection). Key skills included prompting children to identify various dimensions of gratitude and engaging in positive communication skills that convey child-centered listening (CARE) and developmentally-appropriate sharing (SHARE; see Figure 1). Dyads in the sample completed a baseline survey and lab-based tasks before engaging in an online parent training program immediately (n=48, the program group) or after a one-month delay (n=47, the control group). Dyads in both randomly assigned conditions completed a post-test survey one month after baseline (89% mothers; 52% females; 81% European American). We coded gratitude conversations within each dyad at both pre-test and post-test for the extent to which parents discussed different aspects of gratitude and used CARE and SHARE communication skills during gratitude and missed opportunity discussions. At post-test, parents were more likely to report engaging in daily acts of gratitude socialization with their children if they were in the program versus the control group (B=0.34; t(94)=2.82, p<.01; e.g., talking to children about shared experiences and emphasizing reasons they may be thankful; asking children about their feelings when they receive something special; asking children to think about why someone gave them something special; praising children for appropriately expressing gratitude; helping children label their feelings after they received a gift or act of kindness). As is found in other skills-based parent training programs, parents in the program, but not control, condition experienced a drop in confidence regarding their gratitude conversation skills after training (B=-0.29; t(94)=-2.61,p<.01). However, program parents, as compared to control parents, were also more likely to use child-centered effective communication strategies during gratitude conversations in discussions about times when children were grateful (B=.34; t(94)=2.75, p<.01) as well as ungrateful (B=.35; t(94)=2.42, p<.05). Findings suggest that parents may be coached to engage in gratitude socialization through an online training program and provide insights into the development of gratitude during the transition to adolescence.

Authors

• Andrea M Hussong, UNC-CH
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer L Coffman, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author

• Taylor E Thomas, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author