TY - JOUR
T1 - Toddlers' empathy-related responding to distress
T2 - Predictions from negative emotionality and maternal behavior in infancy
AU - Spinrad, Tracy
AU - Stifter, Cynthia A.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - This study focused on the predictive contributions of infants' temperamental negative emotionality (proneness to fear, anger), sex, maternal responsivity, and their interaction on toddlers' empathy-related responding to distress in 3 contexts. Ninety-eight infants and their mothers participated in a longitudinal study. When the infants were 10 months of age, mothers completed assessments of infant temperamental anger and fear, and maternal behaviors were observed in a free-play setting. At 18 months of age, toddlers' empathy-related responding to the distress of a stranger, a crying baby doll, and the mother was assessed. A series of hierarchical and logistic regressions were performed, and results indicated that infant fear predicted higher concerned awareness toward adults and higher personal distress reactions toward the mother. In addition, maternal responsivity predicted higher concerned attention and lower personal distress reactions toward the baby doll and mother. Findings also revealed several interaction effects to predict toddlers' empathy-related responding to distress.
AB - This study focused on the predictive contributions of infants' temperamental negative emotionality (proneness to fear, anger), sex, maternal responsivity, and their interaction on toddlers' empathy-related responding to distress in 3 contexts. Ninety-eight infants and their mothers participated in a longitudinal study. When the infants were 10 months of age, mothers completed assessments of infant temperamental anger and fear, and maternal behaviors were observed in a free-play setting. At 18 months of age, toddlers' empathy-related responding to the distress of a stranger, a crying baby doll, and the mother was assessed. A series of hierarchical and logistic regressions were performed, and results indicated that infant fear predicted higher concerned awareness toward adults and higher personal distress reactions toward the mother. In addition, maternal responsivity predicted higher concerned attention and lower personal distress reactions toward the baby doll and mother. Findings also revealed several interaction effects to predict toddlers' empathy-related responding to distress.
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U2 - 10.1207/s15327078in1002_1
DO - 10.1207/s15327078in1002_1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33750144693
SN - 1525-0008
VL - 10
SP - 97
EP - 121
JO - Infancy
JF - Infancy
IS - 2
ER -