Wishes, Gratitude, and Spending Preferences in Russian Children

Gratitude is an important virtue in any cultural group. In Russian culture, gratitude is a salient and highly promoted trait that is seen as one of the cornerstones of social cohesion. In this study, we investigate wishes, expressions of gratitude, and self-reported spending preferences in 305 Russian 7- to 14-year-olds. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that the younger Russian children were more likely to express concrete gratitude, whereas the older children more frequently expressed connective gratitude. The younger children were also more likely to express wishes for immediate gratification, whereas the older children focused more on self-oriented wishes. Moreover, we found that about one in every six children expressed wishes for well-being of others as their greatest wish. The children’s intent to donate money to charity/poor was predicted by children’s wishes for others’ well-being. These findings are discussed through the lens of Russian culture and history