Development of Empathic Understanding in Children

Abstract

HUGHES, ROBERT, JR.; TINGLE, BRUCE A.; and SAWIN, DOUGLAS B. Development of Empathic Understanding in Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 122-128. Children's understanding of the emotions of others and of their own emotional reactions to emotion in others was assessed with boys and girls in kindergarten and second grade. The children were interviewed about their feelings and thoughts following the presentation of slide stories portraying the emotional experiences of other children. Older children were more likely than younger children to cite personal cues and psychological reasons rather than situational factors in their explanations of others' emotions and their own empathic reactions. However, younger children showed increased understanding about others' emotions following reflection on their own reactions to the others' feelings. Though age differences were pervasive, sex differences were not.

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