Sources of Happiness in Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds: An Exploratory Study

Background: Happiness is a subjective emotional state, and there lie individual differences in the way happiness is perceived and derived. It is important to understand that the socioeconomic status of families impacts the way children derive happiness, owing to the excess or deficit of exposure and access in a child’s life. However, little research has been done regarding children’s sources of happiness in India. This study aims at exploring the sources of happiness of children in the age group 7–10 years, from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Method: The socioeconomic status was determined using the Kuppuswamy socioeconomic scale. The sources of happiness were explored through drawings made by children in response to the prompt, “Draw any five things that make you happy.” The drawings were analyzed using content analysis and were explored further to understand the differences in the lower and upper socioeconomic groups. The results indicate the possible impact of exposure to worldly experiences on what makes a child happy. Results: The findings revealed that children from the upper socioeconomic group seek happiness mainly through “receiving material things”; on the other hand, for the children from the lower socioeconomic group, family relationships appear to be the main source, with a special mention of their homes being a source of happiness. Conclusion: The findings in the study may help in designing interventions for increasing positive affect by understanding how children perceive their environments based on their contexts.