Study on the Empathy and Prosocial Behaviour of Children in Three Day-Care Centres

Abstract

The pre- and poststudy measures were performed for 101 day-care children during a training program in empathy. There were 45 girls and 56 boys; their ages varied from 5 to 6 years. A small group of boys with behaviour or mental problems took also participated in the study. Empathy was tested with the 1968 Feshbach and Roe Affective Situation Test, and kindergarten teachers appraised prosocial behaviour, using Kalliopuska's 1981 rating scale. The test scores were examined by sex, age, and whole-day care/half-day care. The special group of 5 boys got lower empathy points than all others. Girls did not differ from boys in empathy but differed in total prosocial scores and on separate items—encouraging, helpful to others, and polite. Six-yr.-old children were more helpful to others and more responsible than 5-yr.-old children. According to teachers' appraisals the half-day care children behave more prosocially than the whole-day care children, explanable as the latter have more difficult social backgrounds.