Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

  A Circle of Well-Being Gratitude and Joy One of the beautiful holiday connections in the United States is the Thanksgiving to Christmas festivities. Just after Thanksgiving, I noticed that a former student posted a photo of an ultrasound. She and her husband had smiles as they hugged. She posted her Spring due date. Great Expectations! We know a lot about gratitude. Saying thanks, writing gratitude letters, and keeping a gratitude journal are annual reminders of things we can do to promote our wellbeing and make the world a nicer place. That’s Thanksgiving. But psychologists have also begun the study of joy, which until recently has been hidden amongst a sea of happiness research. Enter Philip Watkins and his colleagues who find evidence that sets joy apart from other good feelings. Psychologists link the emotion of joy to good news. It’s not just any good news but something we long for—something we look forward to, hope for, and expect. Moreover, joy is not like getting ...

  Can the practice of gratitude actually improve mental health? Many studies extol the benefits of expressing gratitude. What’s different about this study by Joel Wong and his colleagues are the participants. All of them were psychotherapy patients. The research question: Would gratitude writing add value to psychotherapy?   The patients All 293 volunteers were young adults having an average age of 22 and the youngest were age 18. Most were women (65%). And most identified as “White/European.” They were seeking psychotherapy services at a university. The plan The researchers randomly assigned the patients to one of three groups. 1. Gratitude Letter writing and Psychotherapy . In three gratitude sessions, the participants wrote letters of thanks to people—most wrote to friends, mothers, and fathers. They had the option to send their letters or not—23% sent a letter. 2. Expressive Writing and Psychotherapy . In their sessions, the expressive writing group wrote...

  In the past few decades, psychological scientists have studied gratitude along with other virtues as part of the broad field known as positive psychology, which focuses on well-being in contrast to studies of mental disorders. Expressing gratitude is one of those classic virtues encouraged in many cultures. Short Summary Two psychological scientists studied the effects of expressing gratitude over a period of 10 weeks. Those in the gratitude group felt better and had fewer health symptoms than those in other groups. The Experiment In 2003, two psychological scientists published the results of several studies. Robert Emmons of the University of California, Davis and Michael McCullough of the University of Miami assigned volunteers to one of three groups, which the research team called Gratitude, Hassles, and Events. The study required 10 weekly reports. Here’s what the scientists told each group. Gratitude group The gratitude group were asked to think about their past week...

  Demons, Spirits, and Scary Spirituality Evangelical Christians are warned against activities that invite Satan or evil spirits into their lives. “Don’t read Harry Potter.” Stay away from the Ouija board.” “Yoga is a pathway to spiritual evil.”  Christians who read the Bible in a literal or near literal way have plenty of texts to give them reasons to believe they are in the midst of millennia-old spiritual warfare and the battle is getting more intense as some see the end of the world in sight. In 2020, I completed writing a textbook on Counseling and Psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians . One topic that struck me as unique is the subject of Chapter 14, “ Devils, Demons, and Deliverance. ”  When I looked at books that offer approaches to Christian Counseling, I noticed a gaping hole when it came to helping Christians troubled by what they understand as demonic influence or the work of the devil in their lives. 12 Things to Know About Christian...

 The Big 12 of Gratitude Thanksgiving is more than turkey and pumpkin pie — it’s a reminder of something deeper: gratitude. But here’s the secret… you don’t have to wait for the holiday table to enjoy its benefits. Gratitude isn’t just a religious practice or a polite “thank you.” It’s a mindset that changes how we see the world, and science shows it can transform our lives. Why Gratitude Matters 1. Across cultures and faiths, gratitude is celebrated as a virtue. 2. Psychologists describe it as a positive emotion directed toward those who give us gifts or kindness. 3. For people of faith, gratitude often points back to God. For everyone else, it’s simply a way of recognizing the good in life. Either way, gratitude is powerful — and it pays off in ways you might not expect. Ad. Read more about Gratitude and Faith in Chapter 4 of Living Well Buy on AMAZON The Big 12 Blessings of Gratitude Grateful people tend to experience: 1. More positive emotions 2. Greater life satisf...

When Reward Systems Fail to Reward On a recent trip, I used rewards to pay for part of a hotel stay, purchase a quick lunch at McDonalds, and pay for my wife’s jacket at Sam’s Club. Some reward systems work better than others. We also stopped at a place X for hot drinks. Alas, my reward had expired. Yesterday I stopped by my local X and was told I was one visit away from a reward. I smiled and thought they don’t know how to do rewards. It’s not just that the rewards expired too soon but they don't always offer rewards on items I particularly like. Give me points toward things I like and I will come more often. Effective reward systems must actually reward someone for their loyalty.  That’s hard to do when people have different tastes. However, companies like McDonalds, Subway, and Firehouse Subs get it right. Loyal customers earn points on a tier system. You can select from a variety of low cost items or save points for better items--things you would actually buy there l...