Savoring to Happiness: exploring Gratitude and Forgiveness as mediators

Abstract

The objective of the study is to explore the mediating roles that gratitude and forgiveness play in the relationship between savoring and happiness. Additionally, it aims to emphasize the significance of enhancing these psychological characteristics in order to improve the elderly's well-being and to offer a theoretical foundation for strategies meant to encourage healthy aging and raise the levels of happiness among them. Convenience sampling was used to choose individuals who were elderly from both urban and rural parts of Haryana. The study used the general questionnaires the Savoring Beliefs Inventory (SBI), Gratitude Questionnaire-6, Heartland Forgiveness Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire for data collection. A total of 220 valid questionnaires were obtained for analysis. Correlation analysis indicated positive association of savoring with gratitude, forgiveness, and happiness.
Mediation analysis depicts that savoring strongly predicts the extent of gratitude, which served as a significant predictor of happiness among the elderly. Moreover, gratitude and forgiveness tendencies together play a significant chain-mediating role between savoring and happiness. Mediated through the chain-mediating effects of gratitude and forgiveness, Savoring has a significant positive impact on happiness amongst elderly people. Therefore, fostering traits of gratitude and forgiveness among the elderly population may enhance their savoring and happiness.