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Predicting externalizing behavior in toddlerhood from early individual differences in empathy
Yael Paz1, Tal Orlitsky1, Ronit Roth-Hanania2
1School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Insights
Early empathy development impacts externalizing behaviors differently in boys and girls. High empathy in infancy may protect against later behavior problems in both genders, but the links vary by age and sex.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- The relationship between empathy and externalizing behavior problems is complex in early childhood, with inconsistent findings in existing research.
- While a negative association is common in middle childhood, patterns in infancy and toddlerhood remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between empathy and externalizing behavior problems from infancy through toddlerhood.
- To explore potential gender differences in the empathy-externalizing behavior relationship during early development.
Main Methods:
- A community sample of 165 infants was assessed for empathy using behavioral observations at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 36 months.
- Externalizing behavior problems were reported by mothers at 18 months and by mothers and daycare teachers at 36 months.
Main Results:
- Boys exhibited more externalizing problems than girls. Negative associations between empathy and externalizing problems were observed in boys, particularly with teacher reports.
- Positive associations between empathy and externalizing problems were found in girls, diminishing with age. Empathy at 3, 6, and 18 months appeared protective against increases in externalizing behaviors from 18 to 36 months for both genders.
Conclusions:
- The interplay of empathy, gender, and age is crucial in understanding early externalizing behaviors.
- In toddler boys, externalizing problems may stem from lower empathy, while in girls, they might be linked to heightened sensitivity and assertive behaviors.
Background:
From middle childhood onward, there is often a negative link between empathy and externalizing behavior problems. Patterns at younger ages are still unclear, with mixed findings of no association, negative associations, and positive associations. This study examines links between empathy and externalizing problems, beginning in infancy.
Methods:
A community sample of infants (N = 165) was assessed for empathy at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 36 months, using behavioral observations. Externalizing problems were reported at 18 months (by mothers) and 36 months (by mothers and daycare teachers).
Results:
Boys showed more externalizing problems than girls. For boys, negative associations between empathy and externalizing appeared, particularly with teacher reports. For girls, there were positive associations between empathy and externalizing, which weakened with age. For both genders, empathy at ages 3, 6, and 18 months appeared to protect against increases in externalizing from 18 to 36 months.
Conclusions:
The role of empathy in the development of early externalizing depends on both gender and age; toddler boys' externalizing may more typically stem from low empathy, whereas girls' early externalizing appears to be underlain by heightened sensitivity and unregulated or assertive approach attempts.
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