Engagement as flourishing: The contribution of positive emotions and coping to adolescents' engagement at school and with learning

TLDR

Fredrickson’s broaden‑and‑build theory posits that frequent positive emotions broaden cognition and build resources, yet its application to adolescents in school settings remains largely unexplored. This study examined how positive emotions, coping, and engagement interrelate among 293 middle‑school students. The authors assessed students’ positive and negative emotions during school, measured adaptive coping, and evaluated engagement levels across grades 7–10. Positive emotions predicted higher engagement, mediated in part by adaptive coping, while negative emotions were linked to lower engagement, supporting broaden‑and‑build theory in adolescents. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Abstract

Abstract Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden and build theory postulates that the experience of frequent positive emotions serves to broaden humans' thoughts and behaviors, resulting in accrual of resources, including coping resources, which catalyze upward spirals toward future well‐being. Initial research supports the tenets of broaden and build; however, few if any, studies have examined this theory with children or adolescents, particularly in the context of school experiences. This study explored the role of positive emotions during school, coping, and student engagement among a sample of 293 students in grades 7 to 10. As expected, frequent positive emotions during school were associated with higher levels of student engagement and negative emotions with lower levels of engagement. Positive emotions, but not negative emotions, were associated with adaptive coping, which was then associated with student engagement. The association between positive emotions and engagement was partially mediated by adaptive coping. Results support the broaden and build theory and the role of positive emotions in students' engagement at school and with learning. Implications and future directions for research are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.