Examining gratitude in children and youth with disabilities : is there a difference between children and youth with motor disabilities and intellectual disabilities?

This study examined gratitude in children and youth with disabilities. Participants (N = 72) were all children and youth from Reykjadalur, summer camp for individuals with disabilities. Very few studies exist on this topic. However, research on gratitude in general is ample and on how practicing gratitude affects people without disabilities. In this study, the aim was to examine whether there was a difference between children and youth with intellectual and motor disabilities when it came to gratitude and how it is expressed. The parents of the participants answered the GQ-6 questionnaire for their children, as well as background questions and elaborations on expressed gratitude of their children. No significant differences were found between the two groups. Results indicated that there were no differences between the groups in gratitude levels or how they expressed gratitude. There was however a significant difference within the intellectual disabled participants regarding how they expressed gratitude and for what they were grateful for. How age and developmental attributes affect ways of expressing gratitude warrants more focus in future studies. For future research, it would also be good to have more participants in a wider age range. Keywords: disabilities, youth, children, gratitude.

Author dc:creator

• Kara Björk Sævarsdóttir 2000-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn í Reykjavík

• Sálfræði
• Fötlun
• Unglingar
• Börn
• Tilfinningar
• Psychology
• Gratitude
• Disabilities
• Adolescents
• Children

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1946/44746

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/44746