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Children's Sympathy, Guilt, and Moral Reasoning in Helping, Cooperation, and Sharing: A 6‐Year Longitudinal Study
Author(s) -
Malti Tina,
Ongley Sophia F.,
Peplak Joanna,
Chaparro Maria P.,
Buchmann Marlis,
Zuffianò Antonio,
Cui Lixian
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12632
Subject(s) - sympathy , sadness , psychology , social psychology , feeling , prosocial behavior , helping behavior , moral disengagement , developmental psychology , anger
This study examined the role of sympathy, guilt, and moral reasoning in helping, cooperation, and sharing in a 6‐year, three‐wave longitudinal study involving 175 children ( M age 6.10, 9.18, and 12.18 years). Primary caregivers reported on children's helping and cooperation; sharing was assessed behaviorally. Child sympathy was assessed by self‐ and teacher reports, and self‐attributed feelings of guilt–sadness and moral reasoning were assessed by children's responses to transgression vignettes. Sympathy predicted helping, cooperation, and sharing. Guilt–sadness and moral reasoning interacted with sympathy in predicting helping and cooperation; both sympathy and guilt–sadness were associated with the development of sharing. The findings are discussed in relation to the emergence of differential motivational pathways to helping, cooperation, and sharing.