Scientists have figured out how people react to appreciation. The result was surprising

Phrases like "Thanks more!" or "Thank you for your help!" have become commonplace in everyday communication. However, a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology challenges this belief.

The authors of the paper - Lara Akin, Anuradha Amarasekera, Christina Castaneto and Tiara Cash - conducted two large-scale experiments involving more than 1,400 people. They tested how different forms of gratitude affect a person's willingness to help in the future.

Experiment #1: Video messages for the new kid on the block

In the first experiment, over 600 students recorded a welcome video for a "new student" (actually a member of the research team). In response, they received one of three video messages:

• thanking the act ("Thank you! That was very nice of you"),

• thanking them for their personal qualities ("Thank you! You're a very kind person"),

• or simply acknowledging receipt of the video without expressing gratitude.

Participants were then asked to write up to five short greetings for other students. This was seen as an indicator of willingness to help in the future. The result was unexpected: there were no differences in the number of messages written between groups.

Experiment #2: Charity and letters

More than 800 adults participated in the second study. They first made a donation and two days later received a 'thank you letter' from the organisation - one of three:

• one thanking them for the deed itself,

• thanking them for their kindness and generosity as individuals,

• or simply notifying them that the donation had been received (no thanks).

Participants could then donate again - this time from a conditional $1 bonus. Here, too, the researchers found: those who received a thank-you letter (of either type) donated more on average (42 cents each) than those who received a neutral notice (34 cents). However, there was no difference between the two types of thank yous.

Conclusion: thank calmly and sincerely

Although expressing gratitude does not guarantee repeated help, it still has social value. It can make the person thanking feel better and strengthen the relationship. But it does not seem to be worth worrying about how gratitude is phrased - the essence is more important than the form.

The authors emphasise that people often have doubts about the "right" way to say thank you, and this prevents them from expressing gratitude at all. Their work shows that even a simple "thank you" already matters. The main thing is to remember to say it.