Feeling the intangible: antecedents of gratitude toward intangible benefactors

Gratitude is felt when we perceive we have received a valuable good that is intended for our benefit. Although the majority of empirical research on gratitude has looked at benefit transactions between tangible benefactors, people also experience gratitude toward more intangible benefactors such as God, governments, corporations, and collectives. We apply construal level theory to gratitude toward intangible benefactors to shed light on how these abstract agents might elicit gratitude differently from more concrete benefactors. We review research on the antecedents of gratitude, including variables related to the benefactor, the recipient, relationship variables, and the benefit. We make predictions for how gratitude toward intangible benefactors such as God or the government may diverge from prototypical interpersonal gratitude, and we provide a roadmap for future research.