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Perspective taking, empathy, and prosocial behavior in late childhood

Bengtsson, Hans LU and Johnson, Lena (1992) In Child Study Journal 22(1). p.11-22
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine how aspects of perspective taking in response to another's distress are related to prosocial behavior and dispositional affective empathy in late childhood. Perspective taking was assessed by analyzing spontaneous thoughts provoked by information about Subjects were 30 male and 30 female 10- to 11-year-olds. Children's tendency to reflect spontaneously upon the inner experience of unfortunate others was positively related to prosocial behavior in boys, and to affective empathy in both sexes. Reflective judgments about interpersonal interactions involving a victim and a victimizer were strongly related to prosocial behavior. Prosocial subjects tended to combine a high level of concern for the... (More)
The aim of the present study was to examine how aspects of perspective taking in response to another's distress are related to prosocial behavior and dispositional affective empathy in late childhood. Perspective taking was assessed by analyzing spontaneous thoughts provoked by information about Subjects were 30 male and 30 female 10- to 11-year-olds. Children's tendency to reflect spontaneously upon the inner experience of unfortunate others was positively related to prosocial behavior in boys, and to affective empathy in both sexes. Reflective judgments about interpersonal interactions involving a victim and a victimizer were strongly related to prosocial behavior. Prosocial subjects tended to combine a high level of concern for the victim with an effort to understand also the victimizer's point of view. (Less)
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publication status
published
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keywords
Perspective taking, Empathy, prosocial behavior, social cognitive development
in
Child Study Journal
volume
22
issue
1
pages
11 - 22
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
64183b8e-75ff-4918-9bfe-4cccb8340bc4
date added to LUP
2016-08-20 19:19:59
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2021-03-29 18:48:05
@article{64183b8e-75ff-4918-9bfe-4cccb8340bc4,
  abstract     = {{The aim of the present study was to examine how aspects of perspective taking in response to another's distress are related to prosocial behavior and dispositional affective empathy in late childhood. Perspective taking was assessed by analyzing spontaneous thoughts provoked by information about Subjects were 30 male and 30 female 10- to 11-year-olds. Children's tendency to reflect spontaneously upon the inner experience of unfortunate others was positively related to prosocial behavior in boys, and to affective empathy in both sexes. Reflective judgments about interpersonal interactions involving a victim and a victimizer were strongly related to prosocial behavior. Prosocial subjects tended to combine a high level of concern for the victim with an effort to understand also the victimizer's point of view.}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, Hans and Johnson, Lena}},
  keywords     = {{Perspective taking; Empathy; prosocial behavior; social cognitive development}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{11--22}},
  series       = {{Child Study Journal}},
  title        = {{Perspective taking, empathy, and prosocial behavior in late childhood}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{1992}},
}