Publicação
Unlocking youth creativity: The power of socioemotional skills
| datacite.subject.fos | Ciências Sociais::Psicologia | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 03:Saúde de Qualidade | |
| dc.contributor.author | Branquinho, Cátia | |
| dc.contributor.author | Noronha, Catarina | |
| dc.contributor.author | Carvalho, Marina | |
| dc.contributor.author | Rodrigues, Nuno Neto | |
| dc.contributor.author | Gaspar de Matos, Margarida | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-03-25T12:32:11Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-03-25T12:32:11Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-02-13 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background/Objectives: Creativity has become an essential skill for children and adolescents to cope with the challenges of contemporary society. Beyond academic success, creativity is closely linked to well-being, social adjustment, and personal development. Schools, therefore, play a crucial role in creating conditions that allow students to explore ideas, express themselves, and develop socioemotional resources. This study aimed to examine how self-perceived creativity relates to educational, socioemotional, and well-being factors in Portuguese students, to identify different creativity profiles, and to explore the main variables that predict creativity. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on secondary analyses of national data from the project Psychological Health and Well-being|School Observatory. The sample included 3011 students aged between 9 and 20 years (M = 13.62; SD = 2.53), from grades 5 to 12. Data were collected using validated instruments: the OECD Socioemotional Skills Survey (SSES), the Positive Youth Development (PYD) scale, and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Analyses included group comparisons, cluster analysis to identify self-perceived creativity profiles, correlation analyses, and multiple regression models. Results: Self-perceived creativity did not differ between boys and girls, but it decreased significantly with higher grade levels. Three profiles were identified: low, medium, and high self-perceived creativity. Students with higher self-perceived creativity reported better well-being, more positive relationships with teachers, a stronger sense of belonging at school, and higher parental educational levels. Self-perceived creativity was positively associated with socioemotional skills such as curiosity, sociability, and optimism, as well as with PYD dimensions and well-being. Negative associations were found with age and test anxiety. Socioemotional variables were the strongest predictors of creativity, explaining 39% of its variance. Conclusions: These results show that creativity is closely connected to students’ socioemotional development. Investing in emotional skills, supportive relationships, and positive school environments may be a powerful way to foster creativity and promote healthier, more balanced development. This has important implications for educational practice and policy. | eng |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCT | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Branquinho, C., Noronha, C., Carvalho, M., Rodrigues, N. N., & Matos, M. G. D. (2026). Unlocking youth creativity: The power of socioemotional skills. Children, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020261 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.3390/children13020261 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2227-9067 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/13928 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.peerreviewed | yes | |
| dc.publisher | MDPI AG | |
| dc.relation | 2023/001A/DGEEC/CPrev | |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Children | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | creativity | |
| dc.subject | socioemotional competences | |
| dc.subject | school-aged children | |
| dc.subject | positive youth development | |
| dc.subject | well-being | |
| dc.subject | age and gender differences | |
| dc.title | Unlocking youth creativity: The power of socioemotional skills | eng |
| dc.type | journal article | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.citation.issue | 2 | |
| oaire.citation.title | Children | |
| oaire.citation.volume | 13 | |
| oaire.version | http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85 |