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Distressed yet empathically sensitive: Preschoolers' responses to infant crying
Hung-Chu Lin1, Michelle Grisham1
1The Psychology Department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, United States.
Infant Behavior & Development
|July 17, 2017
Summary
Preschoolers showed infant-oriented empathic concern and helping behaviors when hearing simulated infant crying. Their helping actions were linked to empathic concern and cognitive inquiry, even when distressed.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social-Emotional Learning
Background:
- Infants' crying is a primary communication signal eliciting caregiver responses.
- Understanding prosocial behaviors in early childhood is crucial for social development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate preschoolers' empathic concern and helping behaviors in response to simulated infant distress.
- To examine the role of self-focused distress and cognitive inquiry in modulating prosocial actions.
Main Methods:
- Preschoolers were exposed to a simulated long bout of progressively intense infant crying.
- Measures included self-reported distress, empathic concern, and observed helping actions.
- Cognitive inquiry was assessed to explore its interaction with empathic concern.
Main Results:
- Preschoolers exhibited significant infant-oriented empathic concern and helping actions.
- Self-focused distress was present but did not inhibit prosocial behaviors.
- Helping actions were positively predicted by the interaction of empathic concern and cognitive inquiry.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers are capable of responding with empathy and help towards distressed infants, even when experiencing personal distress.
- Cognitive processes, specifically empathic concern and cognitive inquiry, play a vital role in promoting helping behaviors in young children.
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