Vol.:(0123456789) Journal of Happiness Studies https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9998-7 1 3 RESEARCH PAPER The Relationship Between Trait Gratitude and Psychological Wellbeing in University Students: The Mediating Role of Afective State and the Moderating Role of State Gratitude Cornelia Măirean 1  · Maria Nicoleta Turliuc 1  · Diana Arghire 1 © Springer Nature B.V. 2018 Abstract Gratitude is a positive psychological characteristic that is connected to wellbeing. This study aims to examine the relation between trait gratitude and psychological wellbeing (PWB), as well as the mediational role of the afective state in the relationship between these concepts. Moreover, we also investigated whether state gratitude moderates the rela- tion between trait gratitude, afective state, and PWB. Participants were 135 undergraduate students who completed a battery of assessments as part of a standard protocol. A gratitude state induction, based on a brief intervention, was also used. Results showed that all the dimensions of trait gratitude were positively associated with the dimensions of psychologi- cal wellbeing. Moreover, the relations between the dimensions of trait gratitude, on the one hand, and psychological wellbeing, on the other hand, were mediated by afective state. State gratitude was not a signifcant moderator for the relations between trait gratitude and PWB. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. Keywords Trait gratitude · State gratitude · Positive afect · Negative afect · Psychological wellbeing 1 Introduction Psychological wellbeing (PWB) describes the eudaemonic nature of wellbeing (Ryf and Keyes 1995; Ryf and Singer 2006), involving a meaningful life, constructive activity, and personal growth (Wood et al. 2009). It is distinct from hedonistic wellbeing, also called subjective wellbeing (SWB), which involves an emotionally pleasant life, characterized by the experience of positive afect, less negative afect, and satisfaction with life (Diener * Cornelia Măirean cornelia.mairean@uaic.ro Maria Nicoleta Turliuc turliuc@uaic.ro Diana Arghire diana.arghire@yahoo.com 1 Psychology Department, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania