Children’s and Adolescents’ Expression of Gratitude Across Societies: Findings From Turkey

This study examined whether children’s expression of gratitude and processes potentially related to this expression, such as wishes and spending preferences, would vary across childhood in an urban center of a majority world country. We collected data from 422 boys and girls aged 7 to 14 years residing in Izmir, Turkey. Results indicated that the expression of connective gratitude was common across all ages, and there was a decrease in the expression of concrete gratitude with an increase in age. There was no relationship between types of wishes and gratitude or wishes and spending preferences; however, girls expressed less concrete gratitude and fewer hedonistic wishes compared with boys. Saving and donating were the most common spending preferences, and with an increase in age, the tendency for spending money to buy things for oneself increased. These findings are discussed in relation to how cultural experiences may influence the development of gratitude in this population