Affective Mediators of the Influence of Gratitude on Life Satisfaction in Late Adolescence

The aim of this study is to examine the mediation effects of positive affect and negative affect on the link between gratitude and life satisfaction in late adolescence. Three hundred and fifty-four Chinese university students were asked to conduct the Gratitude Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Structural equation modeling analyses supported fully mediators of positive affect and negative affect of the association between gratitude and life satisfaction. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis found that females with low negative affect scores were more likely to get greater life satisfaction than males, whereas males with high gratitude scores were more likely to get more positive affect than females. The significance and limitations of the present findings are discussed.