1. Phronesis and academic psychology: A case in gratitude
Graham du Plessis, Carol Saccaggi & Tharina Guse
Department of Psychology, UJ
2015 WAIC, Johannesburg, South Africa
6-10 July 2015

2. Structure of Presentation
University of Johannesburg (UJ) and our 1st year students
Contextualizing the intervention
The sciency stuff of what was done - in brief ;)
Surprising Discoveries
The phronesis of being and living in the world – a lecturers learning?

3. UJ and our 1st Year Students
Rethinking & Reinventing
A large university
1st Year Profile
A new University
Emerging Adulthood –
Higher Education as a key transition period
South Africa and transformation
UJ as a complete university, university of the people – the university of choice for the newly empowered SA masses. University in SA is still very elite – only 10% of highschool leavers manage to go to university. And of these, 30% drop out in their first year.
At UJ, 37% of students are first generation university students
May 2015 – 35% of 1st year students at UJ don’t have enough to eat

4. Contextualizing the Intervention
What can we do for the “1st year experience
What do they need?

5. The “Sciency” stuff
Bracketing the researchers?

6. The “Sciency” stuff Positive Psychology Intervention
Grounded in Mindfulness
Gratitude as a primary intervention
4 Streams of 1500 students – 2 Campuses
Quasi-Experimental Design
14 Weeks – Mindfulness and Gratitude Exercises
Questionnaires – SPANE, MHC-SF, SWLS
Focus Groups

7. Surprising Discoveries!
The power of focusing on what is “right, good and working”!
Seeing our students in a different way – seeing the humanness
A practical wisdom in an academic
context

8. The power of focusing on what is “right, good and working”
17% of Gratitude? – being there!
Changes in well-being
An honest and mindful sharing = deeper understandings
Agent for change? – Developing collaborative relationships?

9. The power of focusing on what is “right, good and working”
“This was one of my greatest experience in life, the letter was addressed to my Aunt and I was expressing my appreciation for her love and support in the change of my career choice. She was the first person to tell me that I should do what I love and not what will get me paid… I appreciate her and wouldn't be happy in the field of psychology if it wasn't for her. At the end of my reading she teared up as well and told me she loves me… she also told me to keep at what I'm doing because its bringing the best out of me.

10. “right, good and working”
I wrote a letter to my mother and told her how much i appreciate what she did for
me. Because i had many things to thank for ,my experience in doing this was good
and touching at the same time.I read her the letter with all my heart and she even
ended up crying because she did not know how much i appreciated what she did
for me.
This exercise help me to see that it is very useful to tell people about things we
appreciate which they do to us …I also learned that saying thanks every time help
with the emotional well being of ourselves and people involved because after
doing that I felt so relaxed and free minded and i was like wow! i never thought this
will be a best thing to relax my soul. I am really excited that i did this and I like my
psychology course because if it was not because of it i would have not took the
decision my own self.

11. Seeing the Humanness A powerful effect on the researchers
Started to see students very differently
Shifting knowledge to awareness

12. Seeing the Humanness
“I made new friends for the first time on campus, so now I do not eat alone”

13. Practical wisdom in an Academic Context?
The wisdom virtue of practical though?
Juxtaposing academic knowledge with the business of being and living in the world – breathing life to teaching and learning
Shifting knowledge to awareness for both students and staff

14. Contact Details Graham du Plessis Department of Psychology
University of Johannesburg
Tel: