Page No 156-167
Shipra Agrahari and Shubhra Sinha
Vasant Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Varanasi
The present paper aims to understand the relationship between two important variables
in the behavioural repertoire of human beings i.e., gratitude and self-esteem. Both
these are known to have wide and varied impacts on individuals’ psychological state.
However, the relationship between these two variables is rather a complex one and is
also moderated by one’s personality traits. This study was conducted on a sample of
505 adolescents (Male=223 and Female=282) randomly selected from different schools
in Varanasi. Questionnaires of gratitude, self-esteem, and personality traits were
administered to the participants. Data were analysed with the help of correlation and
moderation analysis. The findings present a comprehensive description of the relationship
between gratitude, self-esteem and the moderating effect of the Big Five personality
traits. Major findings revealed a negative relationship between self-esteem and gratitude
for all participants. Besides this, extraversion turned out to be a significant moderator
of this relationship for males whereas openness to experience and agreeableness
were the significant moderators for females. Findings bear important implications for
designing gratitude intervention programs for adolescents and young adults