Effectiveness of a Gratitude Journal Intervention on Well-Being and Academic Achievement
Keywords:
gratitude journaling, well-being, academic achievement, university studentsAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a structured gratitude journal intervention on enhancing well-being and academic achievement among university students.
Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 undergraduate students from Greece, who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 15) receiving a ten-session gratitude journaling intervention over five weeks or a control group (n = 15) receiving no intervention. Assessments were conducted at three time points: pretest, posttest, and five-month follow-up. Well-being was measured using the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being (RPWB), and academic achievement was assessed via self-reported Grade Point Average (GPA), cross-verified with institutional records. Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used to analyze the data using SPSS-27.
Findings: The results indicated significant improvements in well-being and academic achievement in the experimental group compared to the control group. The mean well-being score in the experimental group increased from 158.42 (SD = 12.35) at pretest to 172.68 (SD = 11.14) at posttest and remained high at follow-up (M = 171.47, SD = 11.92), while the control group showed no meaningful change. Academic achievement also improved significantly in the experimental group, with GPA rising from 2.89 (SD = 0.24) at pretest to 3.18 (SD = 0.21) at follow-up. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant time × group interactions for both variables (p < .001), and Bonferroni post-hoc tests confirmed that gains were maintained over time.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that gratitude journaling is an effective and sustainable intervention for improving psychological well-being and academic performance in university students, with benefits persisting up to five months after the intervention.
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