Emotional Creativity as Predictor of Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Engagement in University Students: The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions.
OBJECTIVE
Emotional creativity (EC) implies experiencing a complex emotional life, which is becoming increasingly necessary in societies that demand innovation and constant changes. This research studies the relation of EC as a dispositional trait with intrinsic motivation (IM) and academic engagement (AE).


METHODS
A sample of 428 university Chilean students, 36.5% men and 63.5% women, with ages from 18 to 45 years-old (M = 20.37; DT = 2.71). Additionally, the mediating function of class-related positive emotions in this relation is explored.


RESULTS
The obtained data indicate that developing high levels of dispositional EC enhances the activation of positive emotions, such as gratitude, love and hope, in the classroom. Furthermore, EC predicts IM and AE of university students by the experience of positive emotions.


CONCLUSIONS
These results compel us to be aware of the importance that university students can understand the complexity of the emotional processes they undergo. A greater control of these emotions would allow students to maintain higher levels of interest in their studies at the different educational stages and to avoid the risk of school failure.
Department of Management and Public Policies, Universidad de Santiago de Chile Santiago, Chile.
Xavier
X
Oriol
Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of the Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
Alberto
A
Amutio
Faculty of Education, Universidad Autónoma de Chile Temuco, Chile.
Michelle
M
Mendoza
Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of the Behavioral Sciences, University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
Silvia
S
Da Costa
Departamento de Psicología, Escuela de Gobierno y Políticas Públicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Lima, Perú
Rafael
R
Miranda
academic engagement; class-related emotions; dispositional emotional creativity; intrinsic motivation; university students