How positive emotions quietly shape how students think, learn and connect

In schools, conversations about wellbeing often begin with what’s going wrong: stress, anxiety, disengagement, or behavioural challenges. While these concerns are real and deserve attention, research from Positive Psychology and developmental science suggests that flourishing doesn’t come from reducing the negative alone. It also depends on intentionally cultivating the positive.

Positive emotions such as joy, interest, gratitude, and hope aren’t simply “nice to have” in education. They play a foundational role in how children think, learn, relate to others, and grow over time.

Positive emotions do more than feel good

Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build theory provides a helpful framework for understanding why positive emotions matter so deeply. While negative emotions narrow our focus to deal with immediate threats, positive emotions broaden children’s moment-to-moment thinking and behaviour (Fredrickson, 1998; Fredrickson, 2004). When students experience joy or gratitude, they’re more likely to explore, connect ideas, consider perspectives, and engage creatively with their environment.

Over time, these broadened experiences help to build enduring personal resources. Research shows that positive emotions contribute to the development of cognitive flexibility, social competence, emotional regulation, and resilience … resources that children draw on long after the emotion itself has passed (Fredrickson, 2004).

In other words, positive emotions are not fleeting. They accumulate.

A developmental foundation that begins early

Developmental research shows the impact of positive emotions begins in early childhood. Stifter at al. (2020) highlight that expressions of joy (such as smiling and laughter) emerge early in infancy and act as powerful social signals. These expressions invite connection, strengthen relationships, and encourage exploration.

Studies involving children show that when positive emotions are intentionally elicited, there are immediate benefits for learning-related skills. Induced positive affect has been linked to improved creativity, problem-solving, self-regulation, and cognitive performance (Stifter et al., 2020). Even more compelling are the longitudinal findings: children who display higher levels of positive affect tend to develop stronger empathy, prosocial behaviour, peer relationships, and emotional understanding over time. In fact, positivity in infancy and adolescence predicts higher levels of life satisfaction, and optimism and hope in the workplace as adults (Coffey et al., 2014).

These patterns support the idea of an “upward spiral,” where positive emotions lead to adaptive behaviours, which in turn generate further positive emotional experiences (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2018).

Positive emotions are relational and contagious

Importantly for schools, positive emotions are rarely experienced in isolation. Research consistently shows that joy is socially contagious (Stifter et al., 2020). Children are more likely to feel safe, curious, and engaged when the adults around them model warmth, enthusiasm, and genuine positive regard.

This has direct implications for classroom climates and school culture. Teachers’ emotional expressions, the tone of interactions, and the quality of relationships all shape students’ emotional experiences … and therefore their capacity to learn. Shared positive affect between adults and students has been linked to greater cooperation, internalisation of values, and reduced behavioural difficulties (Stifter et al., 2020).

A balanced view: not constant happiness

Positive Psychology doesn’t argue for constant happiness or the suppression of negative emotions. In fact, developmentally appropriate experiences of frustration, disappointment, and challenge are essential for growth. Instead, the research suggests that regular access to positive emotional experiences helps buffer stress, supports regulation, and enables students to recover more effectively from setbacks (Fredrickson, 2004).

The goal for schools is not forced positivity, but emotional balance, where positive emotions are intentionally cultivated alongside the skills needed to navigate life’s challenges.

What this means for schools

For teachers and school leaders, the evidence points to several practical implications:

• Design for positive emotion: Learning experiences that foster curiosity, connection, autonomy and meaning naturally evoke positive emotions that support engagement and deep learning.
• Prioritise relationships: Warm, responsive teacher-student relationships are a primary pathway through which positive emotions are experienced and shared.
• Model emotional tone: Adult wellbeing matters. Staff emotional climates shape student emotional climates.
• Embed, don’t add-on: Positive emotions can be cultivated through everyday practices by celebrating effort, inviting student voice, creating moments of playfulness, and recognising strengths.

When schools take positive emotions seriously, they’re not lowering expectations or avoiding challenge. They’re strengthening the very foundations that allow children and young people to thrive … academically, socially, and emotionally.

In short … positive emotions are not a distraction from learning. They’re a powerful driver of it.

Written by Aimee Bloom. Aimee is the Product Manager at the Institute of Positive Education. She is responsible for crafting the Institute’s Positive Education Enhanced Curriculum (PEEC) from ELC – 12. An experienced teacher and writer since 2005, Aimee has taught in both primary and secondary contexts, and has written content for a variety of government and non-government agencies. She is passionate about supporting teachers and ensuring the wellbeing of children, both in our schools and around the globe.

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Further Reading and Resources: 

Staff Wellbeing

Interested in boosting teacher wellbeing? Learn and live Positive Education in this eight-week international blended learning online “Discovering Positive Education.”

Student Wellbeing

Keen to boost student wellbeing in quick, fun, and manageable ways? Check out our printed or digital Brain Break resources here.

PEEC Lessons

Are you part of our Primary/Elementary PEEC Community? To learn more, have a look at our sample PEEC lesson about Positivity entitled ‘Building Positive Emotions’.

Hungry for More?

• Ted Talk: Barbara Fredrickson: Positive Emotions Open Our Mind

• Book: ‘Love 2.0’ by Barbara Fredrickson (2013)

• Article: Fredrickson, B. L., & Joiner, T. (2018). Reflections on Positive Emotions and Upward Spirals. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), 194-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617692106

• YouTube: A Lion Called Christian: The Whole Documentary (Full Length)

Activity: Try This at Home

Capitalisation is the relational process of savouring positive events in your life by talking about them with responsive relationship partners. Sharing positive events with someone significant in your life, such as a partner or spouse, can increase feelings of intimacy or closeness. However, it’s important to note that the effectiveness of this strategy correlates with how responsive partners are perceived to be. So, try setting aside some time each day to share something good about your day with someone significant in your life. Remember to also actively listen and ask them questions about their good news. Sharing these moments of good news with each other can be very beneficial, even during difficult life circumstances (Otto et. al., 2015).

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References

Coffey, J., Warren, M., & Gottfried, A. (2014). Does infant happiness forecast adult life satisfaction? Examining subjective well-being in the first quarter century of life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 16, 1401–1421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9556-x

Fredrickson, B. L. (1998). What Good Are Positive Emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 300-319. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.300

Fredrickson B. L. (2004). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 359(1449), 1367–1378. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2004.1512

Fredrickson, B. L., & Joiner, T. (2018). Reflections on Positive Emotions and Upward Spirals. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), 194-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617692106

Otto, A. K., Laurenceau, J. P., Siegel, S. D., & Belcher, A. J. (2015). Capitalizing on everyday positive events uniquely predicts daily intimacy and well-being in couples coping with breast cancer. Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 29(1), 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000042

Stifter, C. A., Augustine, M., & Dollar, J. M. (2020). The role of positive emotions in child development: A developmental treatment of the broaden-and-build theory. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(1), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1695877