The Effectiveness of Painting Therapy with an Emphasis on Color on Social Skills and Empathy in Children

Objective: Children represent the architects of the future for any given society. However, akin to adults, children often face challenges in developing verbal communication skills; consequently, this research was undertaken with the objective of assessing the impact of painting therapy, with a particular focus on color, on the enhancement of social skills and empathy in children. Methods: The methodology employed in this study was semi-experimental, incorporating both experimental and control groups. The statistical population encompassed all children residing in the city of Shiraz. A total of thirty individuals were selected through a cluster random sampling technique and allocated into two groups: experimental and control. The experimental group participated in ten therapeutic sessions. Data were gathered utilizing questionnaires designed to measure social skills and empathy. The research hypotheses were subjected to analysis through the statistical method of multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The findings indicated that painting therapy, with a focus on color, positively influences the levels of social skills and empathy among children (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The overall results lend support to the effectiveness of art-based educational methodologies in enhancing the social and emotional outcomes for children.