Abstract: Gratitude is a heated spot of positive psychology research currently. It refers to a generalized tendency to recognize and to respond with grateful emotions to the roles of other people’s benevolence in positive experiences and outcomes that one obtains. Gratitude plays a unique role in predicting well-being. Two theories of mediation model and moderation model explained this mechanism. Gratitude intervention can effectively increase the general level of individuals’ gratitude and thus improve their well-being. It’s strategies mainly include gratitude lists, gratitude contemplation and behavioral expressions of gratitude. Finally, further research should focus on the clarification of the conception and structure of gratitude, the improvement of the measurement tools, the broadening and deepening of the mediation and moderation mechanism, the development of effective intervention strategies, the study of children and adolescent and cross-cultural or localized research.

Key words: gratitude, well-being, prosocial behavior, intervention strategy