The efficacy of three types of gratitude interventions for promoting defending behavior in response to school bullying among Chinese early adolescents

ERCT Criteria Breakdown

• Level 1 Criteria

  • C

    Class-level RCT

    • The trial randomized at the class level (16 classes) rather than assigning different conditions to students within the same class.
    • "A four-armed randomized controlled trial design was employed. The 16 classes were randomly assigned at the class level to one of four conditions, including three intervention groups and one control group." (p. 10/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Study 2 involved the development of a gratitude curriculum and employed a four-armed randomized controlled trial with 16 classes, in which adolescents were randomly assigned to a gratitude curriculum intervention, a gratitude journal intervention, a gratitude visit intervention, or a control condition." (p. 2/26) 2) "A four-armed randomized controlled trial design was employed. The 16 classes were randomly assigned at the class level to one of four conditions, including three intervention groups and one control group." (p. 10/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion C requires that randomization be done at the class level (or at the stronger school level), to reduce contamination that can occur when different students within the same class receive different conditions. The paper explicitly reports that the "16 classes were randomly assigned at the class level" to four arms. This directly satisfies the required unit of randomization for criterion C. Final sentence: Criterion C is met because randomization was performed at the class level.
  • E

    Exam-based Assessment

    • Outcomes were measured with self-report questionnaires rather than standardized exam-based assessments.
    • "Participating adolescents were asked to complete the self-report questionnaires in classrooms during class sessions lasting approximately 35 minutes." (p. 6/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Participating adolescents were asked to complete the self-report questionnaires in classrooms during class sessions lasting approximately 35 minutes." (p. 6/26) 2) "Gratitude was measured using the Adolescent Gratitude Scale [24], which includes 23 items." (p. 7/26) 3) "Defending behavior was assessed using the Adolescent Defending Behaviors Questionnaire [3]." (p. 7/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion E requires standardized exam-based assessments (e.g., state or national achievement tests) rather than self-report instruments or other non-exam measures. This paper measures gratitude and defending behavior using self-report psychometric questionnaires (Adolescent Gratitude Scale; Adolescent Defending Behaviors Questionnaire). These are not standardized academic exams and do not constitute exam-based assessment of educational achievement. Final sentence: Criterion E is not met because the outcomes are based on self-report scales, not standardized exams.
  • T

    Term Duration

    • Outcomes were measured within about 7–8 weeks of intervention start, which is shorter than a full academic term.
    • "All three interventions were delivered in students’ regular classrooms over a seven-week period, with one 40-minutes session per week conducted during normal instructional time." (p. 10/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "All three interventions were delivered in students’ regular classrooms over a seven-week period, with one 40-minutes session per week conducted during normal instructional time." (p. 10/26) 2) "Within one week after the completion of the intervention, posttest data (T2) were collected..." (p. 11/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion T requires outcomes to be measured at least one full academic term (typically about 3–4 months) after the intervention begins. The intervention lasted "a seven-week period" and the posttest was collected "within one week after the completion of the intervention." This implies the main posttest occurred roughly 7–8 weeks after the intervention started, which is shorter than a typical academic term. Final sentence: Criterion T is not met because the primary outcome measurement occurred about 7–8 weeks after the intervention began, not at least one term later.
  • D

    Documented Control Group

    • The control condition is clearly described, sample sizes are given, and baseline equivalence across groups is reported.
    • "The control group did not receive any intervention during the study period." (p. 11/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The final sample included 112 students in the gratitude curriculum group... 98 students in the gratitude journal group... 103 students in the gratitude visits group... and 101 students in the control group..." (p. 10/26) 2) "The control group did not receive any intervention during the study period." (p. 11/26) 3) "There was no significant difference among the four groups in the pretest variables: gratitude, F (3, 410) = 1.19, p = 0.313, defending behavior, F (3, 410) = 0.78, p = 0.506, assertive defending, F (3, 410) = 1.53, p = 0.207, reporting to an authority, F (3, 410) = 1.28, p = 0.281, comforting victims, F (3, 410) = 1.90, p = 0.128, or aggressive defending, F (3, 410) = 1.03, p = 0.380." (p. 15/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion D requires that the control group be well documented, including what it received and sufficient descriptive information to understand comparability. The paper states that the control group "did not receive any intervention during the study period," provides the control group size (101), and reports baseline analyses showing no statistically significant differences among the four groups on the main pretest variables. Final sentence: Criterion D is met because the control condition, group sizes, and baseline equivalence are clearly reported.

• Level 2 Criteria

  • S

    School-level RCT

    • Randomization was at the class level within two schools, not at the school level.
    • "The 16 classes were randomly assigned at the class level to one of four conditions..." (p. 10/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "To ensure balance across grade levels and schools, 16 relatively homogeneous classes that volunteered to participate were recruited from the initial pool of Study 1." (p. 10/26) 2) "A four-armed randomized controlled trial design was employed. The 16 classes were randomly assigned at the class level to one of four conditions, including three intervention groups and one control group." (p. 10/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion S requires randomization at the school level (i.e., schools assigned to intervention vs control), not merely classes within the same schools. The paper reports recruiting 16 classes "to ensure balance across grade levels and schools" and then randomizing "at the class level." There is no indication that entire schools were randomized to conditions. Final sentence: Criterion S is not met because assignment was at the class level, not the school level.
  • I

    Independent Conduct

    • The paper does not document that the evaluation was conducted by an independent third party separate from the intervention developers.
    • "Study 2, which developed a gratitude curriculum, used a four-armed randomized controlled trial..." (p. 5/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Study 2, which developed a gratitude curriculum, used a four-armed randomized controlled trial to examine whether three types of gratitude interventions (i.e., gratitude curriculum, gratitude journal, and gratitude visits) could enhance adolescents’ gratitude and, in turn, improve their defending behavior." (p. 5/26) 2) "Two graduate students majoring in mental health education and serving as full-time teaching interns implemented the three intervention conditions concurrently in two schools." (p. 11/26) 3) "During the formal intervention period, the entire research process was carried out under the joint supervision of one university professor and two school-based mental health teachers, in order to ensure the professionalism and standardization of intervention implementation." (p. 14/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion I requires clear documentation that study conduct (especially evaluation, data collection, and/or analysis) is independent from the intervention designers, or that independence safeguards are described. The paper indicates that the research team "developed a gratitude curriculum" and describes implementation by graduate student interns under supervision. However, it does not state that evaluation/data collection/analysis were performed by an external independent evaluator with no involvement in the intervention development. Final sentence: Criterion I is not met because independence from the intervention developers is not clearly documented.
  • Y

    Year Duration

    • Outcomes were measured far short of 75% of an academic year, and criterion T is also not met.
    • "All three interventions were delivered in students’ regular classrooms over a seven-week period..." (p. 10/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "All three interventions were delivered in students’ regular classrooms over a seven-week period, with one 40-minutes session per week conducted during normal instructional time." (p. 10/26) 2) "Within one week after the completion of the intervention, posttest data (T2) were collected..." (p. 11/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion Y requires outcomes to be measured at least 75% of an academic year after the intervention begins. The intervention lasted seven weeks and the posttest occurred within one week after completion, implying roughly 7–8 weeks of elapsed time from the start to outcome measurement, which is far less than 75% of a school year. Additionally, ERCT rules specify that if criterion T is not met, then criterion Y is not met. Since T is not met here, Y cannot be met. Final sentence: Criterion Y is not met because outcomes were measured after about 7–8 weeks and T is not met.
  • B

    Balanced Control Group

    • The interventions were delivered during normal instructional time, and the additional materials/attention appear integral and modest rather than a large unmatched resource increase.
    • "All three interventions were delivered in students’ regular classrooms over a seven-week period, with one 40-minutes session per week conducted during normal instructional time." (p. 10/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "All three interventions were delivered in students’ regular classrooms over a seven-week period, with one 40-minutes session per week conducted during normal instructional time." (p. 10/26) 2) "To minimize disruption to regular instruction, the intervention sessions were integrated into the standard curriculum and delivered in a format consistent with typical classroom teaching practices." (p. 11/26) 3) "The control group did not receive any intervention during the study period." (p. 11/26) 4) "During implementation, commonly used classroom reward strategies such as verbal praise and small gifts, were employed to encourage students’ participation." (p. 11/26) 5) "Upon completion of the intervention, each participating adolescent received a small gift (approximately $5) as compensation." (p. 11/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion B asks whether the control group is balanced in educational time and resources relative to the intervention group, unless any additional resources are integral to what is being tested. Here, the intervention dosage occurred "during normal instructional time" and was "integrated into the standard curriculum," which indicates the intervention did not add extra instructional time beyond the normal school schedule. The control group continued without the gratitude activities, but there is no evidence the intervention group received additional school time compared to control. The intervention did include some additional inputs (facilitator-led sessions, worksheets/activities, and "verbal praise and small gifts"), but these appear modest and integral to delivering the intervention content rather than a separable, large resource increase; additionally, the paper states that "each participating adolescent" received a small gift as compensation, suggesting at least that end-of-study incentive was not limited to the intervention groups. Given the absence of added instructional time and the modest, delivery- integral nature of the extra materials/encouragement, the resource imbalance does not appear severe enough (based on what is documented) to make the control condition unacceptably unbalanced under the ERCT criterion B definition. Final sentence: Criterion B is met because the intervention was delivered within normal instructional time and no large unmatched resource increase (time/budget) is documented beyond integral delivery supports.

• Level 3 Criteria

  • R

    Reproduced

    • No independent replication of this specific RCT was found in the paper or via internet searching as of the ERCT check date.
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) (No statements describing an independent replication of this trial were found in the paper.) Detailed Analysis: Criterion R requires an independent replication by a different research team in a different context, published in a peer-reviewed outlet. The paper itself does not describe that this specific four-armed, class-randomized gratitude-intervention trial has been replicated. Additional internet searching (by title, DOI, and key intervention terms) did not identify a peer-reviewed, independent replication of this specific trial as of 2026-03-14. Final sentence: Criterion R is not met because no independent replication of this specific trial was found.
  • A

    All-subject Exams

    • Because criterion E is not met and outcomes are not standardized exam scores across subjects, the all-subject exam requirement is not met.
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Gratitude was measured using the Adolescent Gratitude Scale [24], which includes 23 items." (p. 7/26) 2) "Defending behavior was assessed using the Adolescent Defending Behaviors Questionnaire [3]." (p. 7/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion A requires standardized exam-based assessment across all main subjects, and ERCT rules specify that if criterion E is not met, criterion A is not met. This paper measures gratitude and defending behavior via self-report questionnaires, not standardized academic exams, and it does not assess academic performance across core subjects. Final sentence: Criterion A is not met because standardized exams are not used (E is not met) and outcomes are not all-subject exam scores.
  • G

    Graduation Tracking

    • The study includes only immediate post-intervention assessment and no long-term follow-up; additionally, Y is not met so G cannot be met.
    • "Second, this study assessed gratitude and defending behavior only within one week after the interventions, and no long-term follow-up was conducted." (p. 21/26)
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Within one week after the completion of the intervention, posttest data (T2) were collected..." (p. 11/26) 2) "Second, this study assessed gratitude and defending behavior only within one week after the interventions, and no long-term follow-up was conducted." (p. 21/26) Detailed Analysis: Criterion G requires tracking participants until graduation from the relevant educational stage. The paper explicitly states that the posttest was collected within one week after completion and that "no long-term follow-up was conducted," which is incompatible with graduation tracking. ERCT rules also specify that if criterion Y (Year Duration) is not met, then criterion G is not met. Since Y is not met for this paper, G cannot be met regardless of any other considerations. Additional internet searching did not identify follow-up publications by the same author team reporting graduation tracking for this cohort as of 2026-03-14. Final sentence: Criterion G is not met because there is no long-term follow-up (and Y is not met), so participants were not tracked to graduation.
  • P

    Pre-Registered

    • No trial registry link/ID or dated statement shows that the protocol was pre-registered before data collection began.
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) (No trial registry identifier, pre-registration link, or pre-registration date is provided in the paper.) Detailed Analysis: Criterion P requires explicit evidence that the study protocol was publicly pre-registered before data collection began, including an identifier/link and timing. The paper reports ethics approval and consent procedures, but it does not provide a registry (e.g., OSF/ISRCTN/ClinicalTrials.gov/ChiCTR) or any pre-registration date. Without such information, pre-registration cannot be verified. Final sentence: Criterion P is not met because no pre-registration record, ID, or date is reported or verifiable from the article.