ABSTRACT
This study is an extension of findings of previous studies conducted by Seligman et al. (2005) and Toepfer et al. (2012) that indicate how writing a thank-you letter can increase happiness. This study examines the effect of delayed feedback from the receiver of the thank-you letters on the happiness of the person who wrote the letter. Every week for three consecutive weeks, 45 college participants were asked to write one thank-you letter to people who had had positive effects on their life but had not been given proper thank-you letters and delivered it personally during the same week. Participants were also randomly assigned to two experimental groups based on the time of the feedback obtained from the receivers, either directly during the meeting (n = 22) or delayed after the meeting (n = 23). The results suggest that when the feedback from the receivers was given directly, it could generate more happiness in the senders than if the feedback was delayed.
