Simple 'thank you' has added benefits

LOS ANGELES - Simply saying "thank you" may benefit both the recipient and the person who express gratitude, according to the results of studies conducted by researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

The studies, published in the latest issue of Psychological Science, found that saying "thank you" strengthens relationships by causing the person expressing thanks to feel more responsible for the recipient's welfare.

To understand how expressing gratitude helps strengthen relationships, the researchers conducted three different studies.