The Socialization of Young Children’s Empathy for Pain: The Role of Mother– and Father–Child Reminiscing

• DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa107
• Publication Date: 2020-10-21T19:12:13Z
• Authors: Maria Pavlova; Susan A Graham; Carole Peterson; Tatiana Lund; Madison Kennedy; Cara Nania; Melanie Noel
• Keywords: Socialization

Empathy for pain allows one to recognize, understand, and respond another person's in a prosocial manner. Young children develop empathy later than other negative emotions (e.g., sadness), which may be due social learning. How parents reminisce with about past painful events has been linked children's cognitions memory) broader socioemotional development. The present study examined how parent-child reminiscing empathic behaviors toward pain.One hundred fourteen 4-year-old (55% girls) each, parent (51% fathers) completed structured narrative elicitation task wherein they reminisced autobiographical event the child. Children were then observed responding lab-based witnessed confederate pretending hurt themselves. Children's narratives coded using established coding schemes.Findings revealed that who used more neutral emotion language did you feel?) when discussing had exhibited concern response another's pain. Similarly, explanations displayed pain.Findings highlight key role of behavioral expression young children.