Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
08:22

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges

Published on: February 25, 2016

Autonomic correlates of children's concern and disregard for others

Carol Van Hulle1, Carolyn Zahn-Waxler, Joann L Robinson

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.

Social Neuroscience
|June 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Empathy and prosocial behaviors in children are often studied using cardiac activity.
  • Heart rate (HR) and HR deceleration are common psychophysiological measures in this research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine heart rate and HR deceleration in 7-year-old children during empathy-inducing scenarios.
  • To identify distinct groups of children based on their responses to others' distress and compare their cardiac activity.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed 7-year-old children's responses to distress in structured probes (simulated pain) and maternal interviews.
  • Identified three groups: concern, active disregard (anger/hostility), and passive disregard (lack of concern).
  • Compared heart rate and HR deceleration across these groups.

Main Results:

  • The active disregard group showed consistently lower heart rate.
  • Passive disregard group exhibited different self-distress and HR associations compared to other groups.
  • Heart rate deceleration was observed in all groups, indicating it's not solely an index of concern.

Conclusions:

  • Active and passive disregard may represent distinct facets of a lack of concern for others.
  • Heart rate deceleration alone is not a definitive indicator of empathy or prosocial concern.
  • Interdisciplinary and multiple-systems analyses are crucial for understanding the psychobiological underpinnings of empathy.

More Related Videos

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood08:09

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults08:25

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Published on: October 19, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other01:20

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Conduct Disorder01:28

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
Antisocial Personality Disorder01:24

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by persistent patterns of disregard for the rights and well-being of others. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder exhibit behaviors that include deceitfulness, impulsivity, irresponsibility, aggression, and a profound lack of empathy. These traits often manifest early in life and persist into adulthood, leading to significant personal, social, and legal consequences.
Behavioral Characteristics and...
Empathy02:34

Empathy

Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.