Longitudinal relationship between trait gratitude and subjective well-being in adolescents: Evidence from the bi-factor model

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have rarely explored the predictive causality relationship between trait gratitude and subjective well-being (SWB) that has been demonstrated to have a bi-factor structure (i.e., three specific factors and a general factor of SWB). A sample of 494 adolescents participated in a two-wave study including the measurements of trait gratitude and SWB. We employed structural equation modeling techniques to assess cross-lagged effects between trait gratitude and the bi-factor structure of SWB (i.e., life satisfaction, negative affect, positive affect and the general SWB factor) in four models. The results showed that trait gratitude could predict life satisfaction and positive affect, but could not predict negative affect and the general SWB factor over two months. Besides, there was no evidence for the reverse or reciprocal relationships between trait gratitude and the bi-factor structure of SWB. Implications and future directions of the findings were discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Trait gratitude
• subjective well-being
• bi-factor model
• longitudinal research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31700945,31800942]; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [GK201903106]; Young Talent fund of University Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi, China [20180206].