Abstract
The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between types of school adjustment and interpersonal gratitude, and the causal relationship between interpersonal gratitude and school adjustment in elementary school children. In the first study, 624 elementary school students who were in 4th to 6th grade, completed a questionnaire. Results of ANOVA indicated that students who were satisfied with school life and who recognized infringing behavior had a higher degree of interpersonal gratitude than students who were unapproved as classmates and were unsatisfied with school life. In the second study, 616 elementary school students who were in the 4th to 6th grade, completed questionnaires twice during a six months period. Cross-lagged effect model revealed that (a) interpersonal gratitude and approval from classmates have reciprocal causal relationships and (b) approval from classmate and victimization from classmates have reciprocal causal relationships. In addition, (c) in girls, victimization from classmates may foster interpersonal gratitude. Finally, from these results, individual support was discussed.
