Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for
a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and
private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without
the permission of the Author.
0 N E M P A T H Y
A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M.A.
in Psychology at Massey University.
Janet Davey
1977
,\ C KN2WT Ji,DGc;:MCNTS
I acknowlecte;e the l',el:1 and advicr-, of my ~ui::urvi::;or, Mr Ker:r·y Ch3.ml:;erlain and. ;:i_pp:rc:ciate the time he gave d1u···Ln£:
the study. I thank tv'JI' Peter Din.niss for his advice on theoretical matters.
:Vost irnpo:rta~1tly, I acknowledge the contribuL i.on of sto ff and children of th0se day-care centres :.hat 1vere :i_nvol1red. in the study.
Finally, my thari_ks go to my husbani for his
•cncuur:.J.i_:;C'rnen I, u.r.d ~;upport.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Aclmuwlec.gemi:mt:::
Abstr-ict Introduction Li.tcraturc Review
1. Doy-care attendance and social - emotio::-1al developr:ient
2. The influence of peers on social - e~otional development
3. Empathy in chiJdren r:oncludon:, 3.nd Present Study Method
Results
Discuss·cn ard Conclusion Reference List
A;~pendice'.3
Page No
1
3 3
10
31 35
44
60 68Tali1e 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
T2.b~e 5
Table 6
Table 7
Table 9
LIST OF TADLES
Desi{jn and sample ::,i7.,e for te:-..,t and retest sessions
Means and standarc: deviations of subject. ;:i_ges ( in months)
Means and standard deviations of subjects' length of stay (in months) Covariance analysis of intelligence ond crnp;.iLhy
Test of significance :;f covariance (using difference in error terms Eyy and
Eyy)
T0st of homogeneity of within-cJBss regression
Adju~ted means and average effective error of empathy scores
Comparison of adjusted means
Correlations and partial cor~elations among e~pathy, soci~l behaviour &
I.Q. score;:,
Pat3e No 36
37
38
45
45
45
46
47 52
Table 10: Analysis of variance of children's emotion
53
scores
Table 11: Totals and percentages of responses for
53
each item presented (probability : response/
item)
Table 12: Totals and percentae;es of items for which 54 each response was given (probability :
item/response)
iii
Pa~e No
Table 13: Analysis of variance on change in 54 empathy scores over test-retest
interval
'J\.bk 14: Mcrm c}1an13e scores of empathy 55 '1'abl(' 15: Co1.:pn.ri0CJll of mean cll:mge in ,~rnpathy 57 Table J6: Means c1nd standard deviations of 58
subject~' I.Q. scores
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure
6
Figure
7
Grriphic representation of design
Emr:athy scores of new and old day-care subjects
Interaction between length of 3tay in day-care and age of starting ~ay-care Mean empathy scores of male and femaJc subjects
Change in empathy with length of stay in d.':i.y-care
Interaction of a~e with age of starting day-carP., on change in empathy
J-!ypothe:3is of day-c.J.re' s effect on empathy
Paee No
36
4950
51
56
59
63
V
The study incorporated three areas of concern. Literature and research findings related to day-care focussed on the social- emotional effects of attendance. It was found that fears rec;arding harmful consequences of mother-child separation and multiple
caretakers were not substantiated. Although many findings were equivocal, there was considerable evidence indicating beneficial outcome:-:; of ct..-ty-c,1re. In r:1.rticular, pro~;ociaJ 1Jd1aviourc. were
found to be improved. An important variable in day-care is interaction with peers. The nature of peer influence on children's social
development was, however, largely theoretical. It was conc~uded that peer experiences should facilitate the los:::; of coc;centrism and coincident increase in empathy in preschool children.
Emphasis was placed on the recent change in viewpoint that the preschool child is not necessarily egocentric but capable of
responding empathically. Empathy in children was found to be influenced by socialisation experiences and proJocial behaviours were linked, at le:,1:,t theoretically, to empathy. "Cognitive"
empathy was within the capabilities of young children and defined ar; under~-;tanding what anotl1er person is feeling.
The aim of the study, therefore, was to investigate cognitive empathy of children attending day-care.
Dorke's (1971) Interpersonal Perception Test was used to
measure empathy in sixty day-care children (30 male and 30 female) between three and four-and-a-half years of age. Social and
interpersonal skills were assessed by a Social Behaviour Rating Scale and the PPVT :1erved as a measure of verbal intelligence. Factors included in the design were length of stay in day-care
(NEW, OLD, XOLD), age (3yr.old, 4yr old), sex and a retest after twelve weeks of day-care attendance. Results were analysed in
tcr1110 of a 5 x 2 (Treatments x Sex) du::,i o1 with lcnc;th of stay in day-care and age defining treatment classifications.
vii
Tl,c rc;,ulk; i11u.i.c0.Lcu Lk1L chiJdri":r, who had r1t.tcndcd day-care for some time were more empathic than children who had not had this experience. Empathy was found to increase with age but there were no differences between male and female children. The extent to
which children were empathic was found to be related to their prosocial behaviours and interpersonal skills. Althou13h increases in empathy over U,c tcd,-rcte~;t intcrv.11 were sli[';ht, NEW children showed a greater development in empathy than OLD children. The results also showed Lhat empathy varied with the emotion bein13 identified and t here were differences between item - correctness and response - correctness.
The study c-upported the idea that day-care can be a growth- enriching experience and can promote the development of empathy. It is impliec. that early interaction with peers is the factor largely responsible for improved social development.
Finally :.t was suggested that child-rearing and l'urrr,cll
education have gr:::at potential for facilitating prosocial be~1aviours and e;npat:1y by offering sr_,cialised acti'1ities and experience::;.
Given the implications of this for behaviour modification, especially aggre[sion and violence, it seems particularly important that direct attention be given to facilitating mature levels of empatriy and socic.l develop:nent
