Components of Appreciative Functioning: A Thematic Analysis of Relevant Literature and Content Analysis of Existing Measurement Scales

Abstract

Background: Growing evidence is linking gratitude with well-being, yet insufficient scholarly attention has been given to how it is defined, understood and measured. To address this issue, gratitude and gratefulness can be usefully distinguished as two types of appreciative functioning. Applying complex dynamic systems theory, appre- ciative functioning is conceptualised as a pattern of cognition and behaviour that involves the interaction of awareness, comprehension, emotions, goals, and relation- ships. The aim of the current work was to explore this system of appreciative function- ing in greater detail. Methods: A deductive thematic analysis of relevant literature was performed in Study 1 to identify psychological and social components of appreciative functioning within an empirically-based systems framework. Study 2 used a content analysis methodol- ogy to quantify the extent to which the components identified in Study 1 are covered by existing scales that assess gratitude and gratefulness. Results: Study 1 identified 32 theoretical components within five overarching domains that comprise the system of appreciative functioning. Gratefulness and grati- tude were found to involve many components, with some shared in common. Study 2 found that existing instruments do not cover the full set of components. Moreover, results indicated that existing scales confound gratitude and gratefulness, and thus they cannot determine the extent to which each construct uniquely relates to well- being outcomes. Conclusions: This work supports the view that gratefulness and gratitude are distinct, yet related, multi-component constructs within a complex system of appreciative func- tioning. Together, these studies provide theoretical groundwork for the construction of multidimensional measurement instruments to extend research into the underlying mechanisms through which appreciative functioning influences well-being.