Promoting positive emotions in Argentinean children in a situation of psychosocial adversity

OROS, LAURA B.; RICHAUD DE MINZI, M. CRISTINA

Philadelphia

Congreso; Second World Congress on Positive Psychology; 2011

Under the premise that positive emotions can optimize psychological resilience and act as an important resource for self-growing in conditions of adversity (Fredrikson, 2009; Tugade and Fredrickson, 2004), an experimental study was conducted to promote positive emotions in Argentinean children under a situation of vulnerability for social and affective development caused by certain risk characteristics in their surrounding family and social environment. The study consisted of the weekly implementation of a program of children activities, developed within the school context, to stimulate emotions such as joy, gratitude, serenity and sympathy, during the school year. 127 boys and girls who attended schools located in marginal neighborhoods in the province of Entre Ríos, and were between 4 and 6 years old, participated voluntarily, and with the informed consent of their parents and/or tutors. The participants completed tests on positive emotions (Oros, unpublished) before and after the implementation of the intervention program. The obtained results indicated a significant improvement in the experience of positive emotions in children, which confirms the idea that it is possible to cultivate and strengthen emotional resource since childhood through the systematic implementation of adequate strategies.