Blaire Morgan

Gratitude in the UK: A new prototype analysis and a cross-cultural comparison

The present research examined gratitude in the UK, contrasted features of gratitude with those identified in the USA, and explored whether gratitude is associated with virtue. In three studies, we demonstrated that gratitude is prototypically organized; that there are cross-cultural differences between UK and US descriptions of gratitude; and that judgments of gratitude are closely related to judgments of virtue. Study 1 demonstrated that the frequencies of negative attributes are considerably greater in the UK than in the USA. We suggest that gratitude has a common core with culturally ubiquitous features, but also socially constructed elements specific to individual cultures. Study 2 noted discrepancies between centrality and frequency ratings. We propose that prototype analyses should consider both intuitive frequency ratings and the deliberative processes involved in assessing centrality. In Study 3, we noted a significant correlation between judgments of gratitude and judgments of virtue, suggesting the two are intrinsically linked.

Educating Gratitude: Some Conceptual and Moral Misgivings.

In a rapidly expanding academic literature on gratitude, psychologists, philosophers and educational theorists have argued that gratitude is not just of great psycho-social importance but also of moral significance. It would therefore seem to follow that the promotion of gratitude is also of moral educational significance. In this regard, recent attempts by psychologists to develop practical interventions designed to make people more grateful should be of some interest. However, while appreciating some benefits of such work, this article argues that much of it falls short of the educational task of developing an adequate pedagogy of gratitude focused on assisting learners’ acquaintance with the complex normative grammar (moral and conceptual) of gratitude discourse. With reference to ongoing work by the authors, the article proceeds to explore further this important dimension of educating gratitude.

Learning and teaching virtuous gratitude

Gratitude has been widely regarded by philosophers, psychologists and educational theorists as a personal and/or pro-social response of some moral significance. Indeed, beyond its more obvious value as a basic form of social association and reciprocation, gratitude has also been conceived as a moral virtue—if not, more grandly, as a ‘parent of the virtues’. Insofar, one might also expect the promotion of gratitude to be a matter of some educational importance. Despite this, and notwithstanding recent psychological attempts to develop practical interventions designed to promote gratitude, this paper argues not just that the educational role of such interventions is open to serious question, but also that—beyond any requirement of the young to express thanks as a matter of routine social reciprocation—the status of gratitude as an educable virtue is more complex and problematic than has often been previously supposed.

Exploring the Impact of Social Media and Parents on Young People’s Character and Virtues

An abundance of theoretical and empirical work has documented how character and virtues, as well as positive relationships and institutions, are intrinsically linked to well-being and individual and collective flourishing. Evidence of this can be seen in the work of (positive) psychologists, philosophers and educationalists alike. Importantly, however, alongside this academic interest a groundswell of public interest in character and virtues has been generated in recent years. In the UK context, terms such as ‘resilience’, ‘grit’, ‘gratitude’ and ‘honesty’ have appeared in various media outlets, and the desire to cultivate good character in young people has led to ‘Character Education’ becoming part of the political agenda. Educational resources and curricula that aim to promote reflection and development of key virtues are being rolled out in schools, with demand for such resources continuing to rise. Two questions are frequently raised in response to such initiatives: (1) how is the success of such character education programmes impacted by outside influences, especially conflicting value messages, and (2) how can we measure character and virtues and demonstrate the efficacy of educational interventions.