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Physiological Regulation and Fearfulness as Predictors of Young Children's Empathy‐related Reactions
Author(s) -
Liew Jeffrey,
Eisenberg Nancy,
Spinrad Tracy L.,
Eggum Natalie D.,
Haugen R.G.,
Kupfer Anne,
Reiser Mark R.,
Smith Cynthia L.,
LemeryChalfant Kathryn,
Baham Melinda E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
social development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.078
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1467-9507
pISSN - 0961-205X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9507.2010.00575.x
Subject(s) - psychology , empathy , distress , personal distress , developmental psychology , respiratory distress , empathic concern , vagal tone , clinical psychology , medicine , social psychology , perspective taking , heart rate variability , heart rate , anesthesia , blood pressure
Indices of physiological regulation (i.e., resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and RSA suppression) and observed fearfulness were tested as predictors of empathy‐related reactions to an unfamiliar person's simulated distress within and across 18 (T1, N = 247) and 30 (T2, N = 216) months of age. Controlling for T1 helping, high RSA suppression and low fearfulness at T1 predicted T2 helping. In a structural model, empathic concern was marginally positively related to resting RSA at both assessments whereas personal distress was related to RSA suppression within time (marginally positively at T1 and significantly negatively at T2). Fearfulness was associated with self‐oriented, distress‐related reactions within time. Comfort seeking (an index of personal distress) declined in mean level with age whereas helping increased, and both behaviors exhibited differential continuity (as did resting RSA). Individual, as well as developmental, differences in the types of reactions that young children exhibit when witnessing others' suffering and distress were discussed.