Gratitude Among Adults with Physical Disabilities: A Gender-Based Study

The present study examined gratitude among adults with physical disabilities from a gender-based perspective. The study aimed to assess the pattern of gratitude among male and female adults and to determine whether significant gender differences existed in gratitude levels. A total of 102 adults aged 25–40 years, comprising 51 males and 51 females, were selected purposively from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. All participants had postgraduate-level education. Gratitude was assessed using the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) developed by McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang (2002). Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression analysis were employed to examine the data. The descriptive findings indicated moderate levels of gratitude overall, with variations across the six GQ-6 items. Female participants reported comparatively higher mean scores on Items 1, 4, 5, and 6, whereas male participants showed a slightly higher mean on Item 3; the mean scores on Item 2 were identical for both groups. Correlation analysis revealed several significant associations among the GQ-6 items, including positive relationships between Items 1 and 2 (r = .672, p < .01), Items 1 and 4 (r = .605, p < .01), and Items 4 and 5 (r = .595, p < .01). The relationship between gender and individual gratitude items was not statistically significant. Similarly, ANOVA revealed no significant gender differences across any of the six gratitude items (p > .05). The regression model was also nonsignificant, F (6, 95) = 0.992, p = .436, indicating that the six gratitude items did not significantly predict gender. Overall, the findings suggest that gratitude is experienced across genders among adults with physical disabilities, with no statistically significant gender-based differences. The study highlights the importance of recognizing gratitude as a positive psychological resource and provides a basis for further research on gratitude, well-being, social support, and psychological adjustment among adults living with physical disabilities.