Joyfulness in poverty – stricken context: A research on Argentinian school children’s emotions

GRECO, CAROLINA

Würzburg - Alemania

Congreso; 20th BIENNIAL ISSBD MEETING; 2008

International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development - University of Wúrzburg - Department of Psychology

This study presents an empirical research about positive emotions in childhood. The aims of this work were: a) To find out about the Argentinian school children’s joyfulness in poverty- stricken context; b) To identify the reasons for joyfulness through children’s verbal report; c) To know what things they do in order to feel joyfulness. The Joyfulness can be defined as an intensive emotional state that means being satisfied with the life. It is characterized by the physiological excitement and its greatest expression is the smile (Lazarus, 2000). The research was carried out with 120 school children between 7 and 8 years old. They come from low socio-economic level homes in Mendoza – Argentina. An analogical- visual scale was used in order to test the joyfulness level (Oros, in press). In addition some questions were asked to know about the reason and behaviours related with this experience. The findings of this research will be useful to design programs destined to foster and strengthen such emotions in school children in vulnerable social context and based on children’s opinions. It’s hoped that this research may contribute to an increasing scientific knowledge of issues related to positive development during school age that is a growing area in the worldwide (Barber, Weichold, 2006).