Psychology

Background: Out-of-class you have been asked to write a gratitude letter in which you express your appreciation for or thanks to another person in your life. Based on scientific research, we know that expressing gratitude in written or verbal form is consistently associated with feeling more positive emotions, optimism, and reporting better health outcomes (for more of a discussion on gratitude read this article).Instructions: Write a letter to anyone (friend, family member, romantic partner, coach, teacher, boss, etc.) you would like to thank. It should follow the same format as a typical letter, starting with Dear [name], and closing with your full name and Student ID number (to assist in grading purposes). The letters should be approximately one typed page, double-spaced and have 12-point font with 1-inch margins.You TAs will be evaluating these letters in terms of whether they showed (1) effort and were content appropriate (e.g., did you express gratitude? was it clear why you were thankful or appreciative?) and (2) formatted correctly (was it long enough? was it formatted as a letter? etc.). Please only write content that you would be comfortable in having your TAs read. Letters will be due as a hard copy at the start of class week 9 (March 5th).Below is a list of questions you can address in your gratitude letter (these are suggestions to help you with your letter but not a requirement):How do you feel your life would be different without this person?Do you have any memories (e.g., things they did or said) that you feel grateful for?What qualities or characteristics does this person have that you appreciate about them?How does this relationship bring you joy or happiness?

The link to gratitude:https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/in-praise-of-gratitude