Meta-analyses of the reliabilities of four measures of gratitude.

Empirical studies of gratitude correlates and intervention have been numerous since the early 2000s, but there has been less attention to the psychometric properties of the measures of gratitude used in these studies. This paper identifies four commonly used measures of gratitude, and presents a meta-analytic synthesis of the internal consistency reliabilities of these measures. Across 74 studies consisting of 34,053 participants, the average internal consistency is very good (=.82). The four measures differed in an expectable way, with measures with more items generally having higher reliability than measures with fewer items. Measures are slightly more reliable with early adult and adult samples than with adolescent samples. One measure, the GQ-6, has been used in diverse contexts. Results show higher reliability in the United States and English-speaking countries, and similar reliability with paper-pencil and electronic administration. Findings are discussed in terms of measurement selection and future measurement development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]