Background
According to research, positive emotions, such as inspiration, joy, and awe, are ways that conduct to prosocial behaviors. The Positive Museums Program is a program that has the objective to provide socioemotional learning experiences that helps visitors to identify and practice positive emotions through art, history, science, culture. With such objective, museums that participate in the program design or adapt activities that fits this goal, but also to foster compassion and the commitment in building wellbeing environments.
Hypothesis/Research Questions
Given the above, the following research question arises: Do the activities help visitors identify positive emotions? And if so, Does the intensity of experiencing positive emotions predict prosocial behaviors?
Sample characteristics and sample size
The sample was made up of 105 people that participated in the activity “An Amazing World”, as part of the Positive Museums program, in 2019, which aims to foster positive emotions such as awe, hope and inspiration.
Design
To answer the research question, participants in the activity were asked to identify the emotions they experienced, through a reflexive exercise, in addition to writing a positive message for future visitors. After this exercise, they were given the option of donating to an altruistic organization. Finally, participants, evaluated, through a survey, which emotions they experienced the most and with what intensity.
Results
Results showed that, although there are no significant differences between the 10 proposed emotions, the intensity with which they experienced the emotion predicts prosocial behavior (donation).
Scientific Contribution
The study shows that the activity “An Amazing World” not only does provide an opportunity to visitors to identify and reflect upon positive emotions, but positive emotions connect people in a more altruistic and compassionate way with others.
Keywords: Positive emotions, prosocial behavior