TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive psychological interventions for children
T2 - A comparison of gratitude and best possible selves approaches
AU - Owens, Rhea L.
AU - Patterson, Meagan M.
PY - 2013/7/1
Y1 - 2013/7/1
N2 - Many studies have found benefits of positive psychological interventions, such as gratitude promotion or thinking about best possible selves, for adolescents and adults. Almost no research, however, has been conducted on the efficacy of such interventions for children. The authors primary goal was to compare the outcomes of gratitude promotion and best possible selves interventions to a control condition, using a sample of elementary school-aged children (N = 62, ages 5-11 years). Children participated in once-weekly intervention sessions in which they were asked to draw a picture of something for which they were grateful that day (gratitude condition), a future version of themselves as happy and engaged (best possible selves condition), or something they had done that day (control condition). Analyses of the content of children's drawings indicated that children of this age were capable of articulating things for which they were grateful and positive future selves. Outcomes for the gratitude condition did not differ from the control condition; however, participants in the best possible selves condition showed greater gains in self-esteem than those in the gratitude or control conditions.
AB - Many studies have found benefits of positive psychological interventions, such as gratitude promotion or thinking about best possible selves, for adolescents and adults. Almost no research, however, has been conducted on the efficacy of such interventions for children. The authors primary goal was to compare the outcomes of gratitude promotion and best possible selves interventions to a control condition, using a sample of elementary school-aged children (N = 62, ages 5-11 years). Children participated in once-weekly intervention sessions in which they were asked to draw a picture of something for which they were grateful that day (gratitude condition), a future version of themselves as happy and engaged (best possible selves condition), or something they had done that day (control condition). Analyses of the content of children's drawings indicated that children of this age were capable of articulating things for which they were grateful and positive future selves. Outcomes for the gratitude condition did not differ from the control condition; however, participants in the best possible selves condition showed greater gains in self-esteem than those in the gratitude or control conditions.
KW - affect
KW - gratitude
KW - intervention
KW - life satisfaction
KW - positive psychology
KW - possible selves
KW - self-esteem
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879109911&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84879109911&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00221325.2012.697496
DO - 10.1080/00221325.2012.697496
M3 - Article
C2 - 23991613
AN - SCOPUS:84879109911
SN - 0022-1325
VL - 174
SP - 403
EP - 428
JO - Journal of Genetic Psychology
JF - Journal of Genetic Psychology
IS - 4
ER -