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Happy People Become Happier through Kindness: A Counting Kindnesses Intervention

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Abstract

We examined the relationship between the character strength of kindness and subjective happiness (Study 1), and the effects of a counting kindnesses intervention on subjective happiness (Study 2). In Study 1, participants were 175 Japanese undergraduate students and in Study 2, participants were 119 Japanese women (71 in the intervention group and 48 in the control group). Results showed that: (a) Happy people scored higher on their motivation to perform, and their recognition and enactment of kind behaviors. (b) Happy people have more happy memories in daily life in terms of both quantity and quality. (c) Subjective happiness was increased simply by counting one’s own acts of kindness for one week. (d) Happy people became more kind and grateful through the counting kindnesses intervention. Discussion centers on the importance of kindness in producing subjective happiness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Tohoku Gakuin University, 2-1-1 Tenjinzawa, 981-3193, Izumi-ku, Sendai, JAPAN

    Keiko Otake

  2. Kobe College, Japan

    Satoshi Shimai

  3. Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

    Junko Tanaka-Matsumi & Kanako Otsui

  4. University of Michigan, USA

    Barbara L. Fredrickson

Authors
  1. Keiko Otake
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  2. Satoshi Shimai
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  3. Junko Tanaka-Matsumi
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  4. Kanako Otsui
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  5. Barbara L. Fredrickson
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Correspondence to Keiko Otake.

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Otake, K., Shimai, S., Tanaka-Matsumi, J. et al. Happy People Become Happier through Kindness: A Counting Kindnesses Intervention. J Happiness Stud 7, 361–375 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-005-3650-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-005-3650-z

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