'What Is Love?' Exploring Children's Perceptions Through Drawings and Interviews

Love is a key emotional experience in human development, yet children's understanding of love remains underexplored. This study investigates children's perceptions of love and examines differences related to age, gender and type of response. The sample consisted of 249 children (110 boys, 139 girls), aged 4-12 years, divided into three age groups: 4-6 years (M = 5;0, SD = 10 months), 7-9 years (M = 8;0, SD = 9 months), and 10-12 years (M = 11;00, SD = 12 months). Data were collected through individual interviews and a drawing task, during which children were asked to describe the term love, provide a personal experience of love, and draw a child who feels love. Verbal and drawing responses were content analyzed and categorized into themes. Findings show that children attach positive emotional meaning to the concept of love, perceiving it as an emotional commitment. Age differences emerged, with older children reporting more positive cues, prosocial dispositions, and displays of love. Regarding gender, girls incorporated more themes than boys. Interviews more frequently elicited references to common activities, prosocial behaviors, and bonding, whereas drawings more often emphasized positive emotional cues. The findings are discussed in the context of emotional development.