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'What Is Love?' Exploring Children's Perceptions Through Drawings and Interviews
Fotini Bonoti1, Sofia Kelesidou2, Georgios Vleioras3
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece.
The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|August 9, 2026
Summary
Children perceive love as an emotional commitment, with understanding evolving with age. Older children express more positive emotions and prosocial behaviors related to love, while girls discuss more themes than boys.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Emotional Development
Background:
- Love is a crucial aspect of human development, yet children's comprehension of love is under-researched.
- Understanding children's perspectives on love is vital for developmental psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate children's perceptions and understanding of love.
- To examine how age and gender influence children's conceptualization of love.
- To analyze differences in responses based on data collection methods (interviews vs. drawings).
Main Methods:
- A sample of 249 children aged 4-12 years participated.
- Data collected via individual interviews and drawing tasks asking about love.
- Verbal and drawing responses underwent content analysis and thematic categorization.
Main Results:
- Children associate love with positive emotions and emotional commitment.
- Older children (10-12 years) reported more positive cues, prosocial behaviors, and bonding compared to younger groups.
- Girls discussed a wider range of themes related to love than boys.
- Interviews focused on activities and bonding, while drawings highlighted emotional expressions.
Conclusions:
- Children conceptualize love as a positive emotional commitment.
- Age and gender significantly influence the expression and themes of children's understanding of love.
- Method of data collection impacts the nature of responses regarding children's perceptions of love.
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