Contemporaneous and longitudinal prediction of children's sympathy from dispositional regulation and emotionality

Dev Psychol. 1998 Sep;34(5):910-24. doi: 10.1037//0012-1649.34.5.910.

Abstract

The relation of 8- to 10-year-olds' teacher-reported dispositional sympathy to regulation and emotionality was examined with a longitudinal sample. In general, sympathy was correlated with adults' reports of regulation and low negative emotionality contemporaneously and, to some degree, 2 and 4 years prior. General emotional intensity interacted with some aspects of regulation in predicting sympathy; for example, attention focusing predicted sympathy but only for children low in general emotional intensity. In general, the pattern of correlations changed little from age 6-8 to age 8-10 years, although parent-reported negative emotionality was more highly negatively related to sympathy at the older age. Dispositional sympathy was associated with verbal or physiological markers of sympathy in a laboratory setting.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Arousal
  • Attention
  • Character*
  • Child
  • Emotions*
  • Empathy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Individuality
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Personality Development*
  • Social Perception