Introduction by the guest editors

Abstract

In recent years there has been growing academic interest in the topic of gratitude, in psychology, philosophy and education, amongst other fields. Philosophers have pondered the conceptual contours of gratitude and have debated its status as a virtue (Carr, 2015; McConnell, 1993), while educationalists have looked at whether and how gratitude should be fostered in young people (Jackson, 2016), and psychologists have examined the role of gratitude in promoting wellbeing and fostering good social relationships (Davis et al., 2016; Wood et al., 2010). To date, the predominant focus on gratitude has been on its moral and prosocial nature, and/or the positive psychosocial benefits which it confers. In response to this fervent focus on the positive aspects of gratitude, recently academics have called for appropriate critical consideration of the concept of gratitude, and its possible shadow sides (e.g., Morgan, Gulliford & Carr, 2015; Gulliford, Morgan, Abbott & Hemming, 2019).