Empathy In Children Research Articles

Children’s Sensitivity to Performance Expression and its Relationship to Children’s Empathy

Emotional communication is central to music performance expression and empathy. Research has shown that music activities can enhance empathy in children and that more empathic adults can more accurately recognize and feel performers’ expressive intentions. Nevertheless, little is known about performance expression during childhood and the specific music-related factors affecting empathy development. This paper explores children’s sensitivity to a performer’s expressive or mechanical intentions and its relationship to children’s everyday empathy. Twenty-seven children listened to expressive and mechanical versions of Romantic flute excerpts with and without accompanying video, rating their perceived level of the performer’s expression and their enjoyment of the performance. The results indicate that children recognize performers’ intended expression or lack thereof and enjoy expressive performances more than mechanical ones. Children aged 10–12 recognized performance expression better than those aged 8–9, especially in audiovisual conditions. Children with higher cognitive empathy rated performance expression more in line with their enjoyment of the performance, which was also more concordant with the performer’s expressive intention. The findings support a relationship between music and socio-emotional skills and emphasize the importance of the visual component of music performance for children, an aspect that has received little attention among researchers and educators.

Should Shipwrecks Be Sweet?

Abstract Demand for books about current events in Italy has yielded scores of children’s books in the past three decades that treat the topic of immigration. The goals of eliciting empathy in children and explaining to them complex historical and contemporary events can be challenged by the perceived need to shield children from traumatizing scenes. This essay examines four recent children’s books published in Italy that dramatize immigration from Africa. Authors Maria Attanasio, Erminia Dell’Oro, Dino Ticli, and Francesco D’Adamo allude to canonical Western literature (such as Pinocchio and Cuore) as a way to sweeten these often bitterly disquieting narratives for their young readers. This essay probes the potentials and limits of intertextuality and ultimately argues that several texts go beyond leveraging the image of capsized ships in the Mediterranean, an image that has become a media fetish, to engage readers in ways that facilitate both empathy and critical self-reflection.

Instruments of Empathy-Shaping in the Creation of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence

Empathy as a human trait that gives the ability to understand, respect, and share the feelings of other people is one of the most important elements in building a secure society and a culture of peace and non-violence. The level of empathy in individuals is influenced by endogenous and exogenous factors, and it has an affective and cognitive dimension. The aim of this paper is to investigate the concept of empathy, the extent of influence of endogenic and exogenous factors, to investigate the influence of three main elements in the development of empathy in children and youth, namely family, school, and media, and to investigate the degree of correlation between empathy and creation and maintaining a culture of peace and nonviolence. The methods used in this paper are quantitative and qualitative content analysis, comparative analysis, historical method, analogy method, and analysis of primary and secondary sources. The research confirmed the importance of empathy in the development of a culture of tolerance, dialogue, respect for opposing opinions and goals, respect for diversity, and non-violent response to conflicts. All these elements are simultaneously elements of a culture of peace and non-violence, and therefore the conclusion is that empathy is one of the preconditions for building a culture whose goal is a safer and more humane society that provides greater security from physical destruction than a culture of war and aggressive problem-solving. The authors conclude this paper with recommendations for the three main pillars of shaping empathy in children, namely family, school, and the media.

Toward feeling, understanding, and caring: The development of empathy in young autistic children.

Empathy is a highly valued human capacity. Yet, autistic people are often portrayed as lacking in empathy. Recent research, which views empathy as a complex construct emerging from multiple interrelated emotional and cognitive processes, argues that, although many autistic people do have difficulty understanding others' emotions, and this may hinder them from responding to others in a prosocial manner, they are not indifferent to other people's feelings. Hoping to contribute to a better understanding of the unique challenges that autistic children face in their empathy development, we followed the development of four empathy abilities: emotion contagion, attention to others, emotion acknowledgment, and prosocial actions, in 1- to 6-year-old autistic children, in comparison with non-autistic children. Once a year, for 4 consecutive years, children's empathy abilities were evaluated by experimenters who acted out emotional episodes to provoke empathy in children, and by parents who filled out empathy questionnaires. We found that autistic children experienced indeed more difficulty attending to others, acknowledging others' emotions, and initiating prosocial actions toward others. However, according to parents, they did not differ from their non-autistic peers in feeling along with others' negative emotions. This indicates that it might not be the case that autistic children did not want to act empathetically toward others. Rather, they might not know how to do so. Notably, despite these difficulties, when looking at children's developmental trajectories, autistic children showed similar improvements over time as non-autistic children. This provides evidence that autistic children have the potential to learn and to improve their empathy skills.

The development of empathy in child maltreatment contexts

BackgroundDespite robust associations between child maltreatment experiences and emotional development, a paucity of research examines the influence of child maltreatment on empathy development, and still fewer studies differentiate these effects across maltreatment subtypes. ObjectiveThe present study examined the development of children's empathy from ages six to eight, as predicted by maltreatment, and as moderated by children's attachment representations. Participants and settingParticipants were a community sample of 250 children followed longitudinally and assessed in a laboratory setting with their primary caregivers. MethodChild maltreatment experiences from birth to age six were assessed by semi-structured interviews with caregivers, which were rated according to widely-used child maltreatment coding protocols, and by caregiver and child self-report measures. Child empathy was assessed at ages six and eight by caregiver-report. Attachment representations were observed in children using the MacArthur Story Stem Battery. ResultsChild emotional abuse (β = −0.150, p = .012) and child neglect (β = −0.137, p = .016) predicted decreased empathy at age eight, whereas child physical abuse (β = 0.132, p = .027) and child exposure to domestic violence (β = 0.164, p = .004) predicted increased empathy at age eight. Further, children's negative representations of mother figures moderated the positive association between child physical abuse and empathy (β = −0.177, p = .005), such that the association became weaker as negative representations increased. ConclusionsThese results highlight the nuanced ways in which child maltreatment experiences of different subtypes contribute to the development of empathy in school-aged children.

The relationship between empathy and school adjustment of left-behind children: The mediating role of coping styles.

To investigate the effects of left-behind children’s empathy and coping styles on school adjustment, 605 left-behind children in the third grade from three rural elementary schools in Suzhou, Anhui Province were selected to complete the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reaction Index Scale, the Coping Style Scale, and the School Adjustment Behavior Scale for Primary and Secondary School Students. The results showed that (1) emotional empathy positively predicted children’s social competence, and negatively predicted children’s antisocial behavior; cognitive empathy positively predicted children’s social competence; (2) the role of positive coping styles mediated the relationship between cognitive empathy and social competence, and that between cognitive empathy and antisocial behavior; negative coping styles mediated the relationship between cognitive empathy and antisocial behavior; both positive and negative coping styles mediated the relationship between emotional empathy and social competence, and that between emotional empathy and antisocial behavior. The findings of the study are valuable for understanding the relationship between empathy and school adjustment, which also helps to enhance the school adjustment of left-behind children.

의과대학생들의 공감능력에 따른 잠재집단 유형과 학습소진, 삶의 질, 자존감과의 관계

Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify what types of potential groups exist according to the empathy of medical students and to explore the differences between psychological factors such as academic burnout, quality of life, and self-esteem by group and the variables that affect empathy. Methods To achieve the purpose of the study, quantitative data on empathy, academic burnout, quality of life, and self-esteem were collected from 2nd year students of pre-medical students in area C. For the analysis, basic statistical analyses such as model-based latent group analysis, analysis of variance, T-test, and regression analysis were used. Results As a result of the study, there were 4 latent groups of students according to empathy and statistically significant differences were confirmed in psychological factors according to empathy. Also, a significant difference was found in psychological factors between the group with high empathy and the group with low empathy. It was confirmed that various psychological factors were influencing the empathy of children. Conclusions Therefore, when planning empathy education for medical students in the future, it is necessary to check the level of empathy of each student and to accurately identify the psychological factors related to this. Also, if customized teaching is made based on this, the effect of empathy education can be further improved.

Emotional and socio-cognitive processing in young children with symptoms of anxiety.

Many children with anxiety disorders exhibit significant and persistent impairments in their social and interpersonal functioning. Two components essential for successful social interaction are empathy and theory of mind (ToM). Both constructs develop rapidly in childhood, but no study has simultaneously examined these skills in young children with emerging mental health problems, including those with symptoms of anxiety. This study investigated empathy and ToM in children with anxiety symptomatology and examined their relationship with anxiety severity. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 174 children aged 4-8years with emerging mental health difficulties who were referred by school teachers for an assessment because of emotional, cognitive, or behavioural problems at school. Participants completed empathy and ToM tasks. Parents were interviewed and rated children's emotional and behavioural problems. Correlational analyses indicated that elevated anxiety was associated with better cognitive ToM and worse affective empathy; there were no associations between anxiety and either cognitive empathy or affective ToM. Subsequent regression analyses demonstrated that whilst enhanced cognitive ToM was explained by age and verbal IQ, anxiety symptoms uniquely predicted impaired affective empathy. These results indicate that children with symptoms of anxiety have difficulty in sharing in other people's emotions. As a result, they may find it difficult to behave in socially adequate ways in interactions with others that involve affective sharing. These findings encourage the use of early and targeted interventions that improve affective empathy development in children with anxiety symptoms.

Memaksimalkan Peran Orang Tua Dalam Menumbuhkan Empati Pada Anak Di Keluarga Kristiani

Empathy is the root of morality and should be taught to children. The best place to teach empathy is in the family. Parents are in the very right position to teach empathy to their children. This research article intends to maximize the role of parents in growing children's empathy in Christian families. By using the method of description and literature review to support the description of Bible stories related to empathy, the importance of empathy for children, and the role that parents can play in fostering empathy in children. It is concluded that parents are able to play a maximum role in fostering children's empathy when they understand that parents are the main system in educating children, being proactive, having sensitivity, and positioning themselves to act as coaches for children's empathy.

Empathizing, systemizing, empathizing-systemizing difference and their association with autistic traits in children with autism spectrum disorder, with and without intellectual disability.

Empathizing, systemizing, and empathizing-systemizing difference can be linked to autistic traits in the general adult population and those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but these profiles and associations remain unclear in children with ASD, with and without intellectual disability (ASD + ID; ASD-noID). We recruited three groups including 160 boys with ASD (73 ASD + ID; 87 ASD-noID) and 99 typically developing (TD) boys (6-12 years). We measured empathizing, systemizing, and empathizing-systemizing difference using the parent-reported child Empathy and Systemizing Quotient (EQ-C/SQ-C). We measured autistic traits using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Among the three groups, children with ASD + ID and ASD-noID scored lower on the EQ-C and SQ-C than TD children (all p < 0.001). There was no difference in the EQ-C between children with ASD + ID and ASD-noID (16.59 ± 5.53 vs. 16.23 ± 5.85, p=0.973), and the difference in the SQ-C attenuated to null when adjusting for intelligence between children with ASD-noID and TD children (18.89 ± 7.80 vs. 24.15 ± 6.73, p=0.089). Children with ASD + ID scored higher on empathizing-systemizing difference than TD children but lower than children with ASD-noID (all p < 0.05). Negative associations between EQ-C and all autistic traits, null associations between SQ-C and all autistic traits, and positive associations between empathizing-systemizing difference and all autistic traits were found in all groups. We observed differences in empathizing, systemizing, and empathizing-systemizing difference and the consistency of their associations with autistic traits among the three groups. Our findings provide implication that behavioral interventions of ASD should consider the balance of empathizing and systemizing. LAY SUMMARY: We examined the profiles of empathizing, systemizing, and empathizing-systemizing difference in children with autism spectrum disorder, with and without intellectual disability (ASD + ID; ASD-noID), and typically developing (TD) children aged 6-12 years. We observed differences in these profiles and the consistency of their associations with autistic traits among the three groups. Empathizing and empathizing-systemizing difference, rather than systemizing, were associated with autistic traits within the three groups. Our findings provide implication that behavioral interventions of ASD should consider these imbalance profiles.

Understanding How Democratic Parenting Style, Single Parent Resilience, School Environment, And Religious Education Influence Child Character Development

This study aims to investigate the impact of democratic parenting style, single parent resilience, school environment, and religious education on child character development. Through an exploratory approach, the research seeks to understand the intricate interplay between these factors and their effects on shaping children's character traits. The study employs purposive sampling to gather insights from diverse perspectives, including parents, educators, and religious leaders. Data analysis involves thematic coding to identify recurring patterns and themes within the narratives. Initial findings suggest that democratic parenting fosters independence and empathy in children, while single parent resilience contributes to resilience-building. Additionally, the school environment and religious education play significant roles in instilling moral values and ethical principles. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of child character development and highlight the importance of considering various influences in nurturing well-rounded individuals.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the children's empathy quotient and systemizing quotient: 4-12 years.

We aimed to validate the Children's Empathy Quotient (EQ-C) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ-C) in Mainland China, which can reflect the profiles of empathizing and systemizing, and describing specific characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender-typical behaviors in general population. A total of 800 typically developing (TD) children, aged 4-12 years was recruited initially with whose parents/guardians complete the measurements, and 782 TD children who met inclusion criteria were finally included. A 23-item three-factor EQ-C and a 22-item four-factor SQ-C was developed with good internal consistency (Omega total values of 0.87 and 0.86) and test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.82 and 0.69). In TD children, girls scored significantly higher on EQ-C (31.4 ± 7.8 vs. 28.2 ± 7.7) but there were no gender differences in SQ-C scores. TD children showed different cognitive styles (empathizing-dominant for girls with 42.6% identified as Type E; systemizing-dominant for boys with 40.7% identified as Type S). A further sample of 222 children with ASD indicated that they scored lower on EQ/SQ-C compared to TD children (13.2 ± 5.1 vs. 29.7 ± 7.9, 12.4 ± 5.8 vs. 23.5 ± 8.3) and were generally systemizing-dominant (Type S: 50.8% for boys and 64.0% for girls). Autistic children scored higher on the SQ-C in those without intellectual disability and with higher paternal education level and family income (14.2 ± 6.1 vs. 10.9 ± 5.0, 13.3 ± 6.2 vs. 11.5 ± 5.1, 13.7 ± 5.6 vs. 11.9 ± 5.8), while there were no differences in the EQ-C. This study indicated good reliability and validity of the Chinese version of EQ/SQ-C, which can be used in Chinese children with and without ASD. LAY SUMMARY: We developed the Chinese version of the Children's Empathy Quotient (EQ-C) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ-C) in 782 typically developing (TD) children aged 4-12 years in Mainland China, yielding a 23-item, 3-factor EQ-C and a 22-item, 4-factor SQ-C with good psychometric properties. In TD children, we found gender difference only in scores of EQ-C. Further analyses of 222 autistic children indicated that differences were found in scores of SQ-C when considering their gender, intelligence and socio-economic status.

Empathy and group processes in Japanese preschool children: The odd one out among friends receives less empathic concern than out-groups

Research on empathy in intergroup contexts among children in collectivistic cultures is limited. To address this gap, this study examined empathic responding in two group contexts (intergroup and intragroup) among Japanese children by taking into account the collectivistic cultural context. Children aged 4 to 6 years participated in an experimental session (N = 50, Mage = 65.11 months). They listened to two versions of narratives about children of their age who were saddened because of a nasty wind that had blown their sand mountains away. The group membership and in-group status of the characters were manipulated. In the task, children rated the extent to which the characters were feeling sadness (affective perspective taking) and indicated the number of stars (empathic concern) for the characters. Age-related differences were found, with older children showing more affective perspective taking than younger children. Children of all age groups tended to express less empathic concern for the odd one out among friends (a loner in the group) than for the majority. Findings suggest that empathic responding is in part shaped by socialization, and cultural variations in empathy may emerge early in life.

Increasing empathy for children in dental students using virtual reality.

Virtual reality (VR) can be used to simulate the viewpoint of a child to allow dental students to experience what a child experiences during a dental visit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of VR simulation on the empathy and comfort managing children among dental students. Sixty dental students experienced a VR scenario created for the study. Empathy levels were examined using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on self-perceived ability, comfort and impact of the intervention. There was a significant (p=.004) increase (indicating greater empathy) in JSE scores between pre-intervention (112.35±9.34) and post-intervention (117.64±10.03), which returned to baseline 3months later (112.72±10.36). Dental students perceived themselves to be more confident at communicating (6.45±1.64 vs. 5.75±1.71, p=.011) and interacting (6.63±1.44 vs. 6.00±1.78, p=.046) with children after the intervention. All (100%) felt that the VR scenarios helped them better empathize with children. Only 30% revisited the scenario after the intervention, and they were significantly more likely (p<.001) to find it helpful for actual clinical sessions. Virtual reality could be used to improve empathy, self-perceived comfort and ability at managing children in dental students. Yet, they should be encouraged to revise using it to maintain this effect.

Artfully Yours – a case study of Creatively Omnipresent and Versatile Inclusive Design (COVID) by Slam Out Loud

Study level/applicability This study aims to particularly focus on undergraduate and postgraduate early stage level students pursuing business, educational, social work programs. Particularly those studying organizational behavior, leadership and change, curriculum design management, social literacy and courses on 21st Century Skills. Subject area Social entrepreneurship, developmental studies, education, organisational behavior are the subject areas focused in this study. Case overview Purpose – The present case study is an empirical account of the gender perspectives on leadership styles and entrepreneurial mind-set demonstrated by Jigyasa and Gaurav, the co-founders of “Slam Out Loud” (SOL) – an Indian for mission non-profit organisation established in 2017. The authors intend to highlight the challenges faced by SOL during COVID outbreak, to establish community connect in the virtual domain and deliver hyper-personalised socio-emotional learning (SEL) frameworks. Will SOL’s Creatively Omnipresent and Versatile Inclusive Design framework transform Indian child education in the wake of New Education Policy 2020 of India while being sustainable as well as globally competitive? Design/methodology/approach This case study is based on primary data collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with the founders of SOL. It follows the deductive approach of methodology. The data has been complemented by documentary analysis, including videos, descriptions of internal processes and articles. Practical implications SOL has been strengthening the transformative power of performance and visual arts to help build creative confidence (CC) among children from disadvantaged communities below five years of age. The co-founders have focused on imparting life skills such as communication, critical thinking and empathy in children. The framework adopted by SOL is a combination of six 21st century and SEL skills including creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, self-esteem and empathy. Originality/value A novel Sinha’s 5 × 7 SEL- COVID Matrix. Expected learning outcomes Learning outcomes can only be achieved using case-based pedagogy. Students are encouraged to dive deep into the dilemma. After the case discussion students will be able to define Creative Confidence (CC) with its importance in social development, comprehend the impact of developmental interventions such as Jijivisha Fellowship during COVID 19 and post COVID 19, understand servant leadership and its impact in the management, analyse how servant leadership accelerates social efficacy in the social enterprises, illustrate the novel 5 × 7 SEL-COVID framework for educators, create and evaluate their hyper-personalised SEL framework curriculum. Social implications The SOL initiative is well aligned with the National Education Policy introduced in India in 2020. It will address the issues of not only providing equitable and inclusive education but also enhancing enrolment ratio and reducing dropout rates. Adoption of Arts-based education will also develop Creative Confidence (CC) and improve emotional well-being of children in primary education. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

The Apple Doesn't "Feel" Far From the Tree: Mother-Child Socialization of Intergroup Empathy.

Like adults, children experience less empathy toward some groups compared with others. In this investigation, we propose that mothers differ in how much empathy they want their children to feel toward specific outgroups, depending on their political ideology. We suggest that how mothers want their children to feel (i.e., the motivation for their child's empathy), in turn, is correlated with children's actual experience of empathy toward the outgroup. Across four studies in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (NTotal = 734), the degree of empathy mothers wanted their children to experience in the intergroup context varied as a function of their political ideology. Mothers' motivation for their child's empathy toward the outgroup (but not in general) was further associated with how they chose to communicate messages to their children in a real-life context and how children actually felt toward the outgroup. We discuss implications for the socialization of intergroup empathy.

The Impact of the Father's Psychological Well-being and Parenting Behavior on Children's Empathy - The Mediated Effect of the Father's Play Participation -

The Impact of the Father's Psychological Well-being and Parenting Behavior on Children's Empathy - The Mediated Effect of the Father's Play Participation -

Individual differences in brain structure and self-reported empathy in children

Empathy refers to the understanding and sharing of others’ emotions and comprises cognitive and affective components. Empathy is important for social functioning, and alterations in empathy have been demonstrated in many developmental or psychiatric disorders. While several studies have examined associations between empathy and brain structure in adults, few have investigated this relationship in children. Investigating associations between empathy and brain structure during childhood will help us to develop a deeper understanding of the neural correlates of empathy across the lifespan. A total of 125 children (66 females, mean age 10 years) underwent magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. Grey matter volume and cortical thickness from structural images were examined using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12) within Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12) software. Children completed questionnaire measures of empathy (cognitive empathy, affective empathy: affective sharing, empathic concern, and empathic distress). In hypothesised region of interest analyses, individual differences in affective and cognitive empathy were related to grey matter volume in the insula and the precuneus. Although these relationships were of similar strength to those found in previous research, they did not survive correction for the total number of models computed. While no significant findings were detected between grey matter volume and empathy in exploratory whole-brain analysis, associations were found between cortical thickness and empathic concern in the right precentral gyrus. This study provides preliminary evidence that individual differences in self-reported empathy in children may be related to aspects of brain structure. Findings highlight the need for more research investigating the neurobiological correlates of empathy in children.

Empathy, Theory of Mind, and Prosocial Behaviors in Autistic Children.

Background:Previous research has suggested that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display fewer prosocial behaviors, and the role of empathy or Theory of Mind (ToM) in prosocial behaviors of autistic children remains unclear.MethodsData were obtained from an ongoing longitudinal study in Guangzhou, China. A total of 96 autistic children and 167 typically developing (TD) children were enrolled. Prosocial behaviors were assessed using a subscale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and Dictator Game (DG) paradigm with stickers as incentives. Empathic traits and ToM ability were measured using the children's Empathy Quotient and the Chinese version of ToM toolkit. Generalized linear models were used to assess the differences of prosocial behaviors and empathic traits, ToM ability between the two groups and the associations between empathic traits, ToM ability and prosocial behaviors in autistic children.ResultsCompared with TD children, autistic children exhibited worse ToM ability and performed less pro-socially in the DG paradigm, while there were no differences regarding empathic traits. In autistic children, empathic traits especially affective empathy, were positively associated with parent-reported prosocial behaviors [β = 0.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07–0.27; β = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.33–0.60]. ToM ability was associated with DG paradigm (β = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.16–1.89).ConclusionAutistic children showed less pro-sociality and ToM ability than TD children. In autistic children, empathic trait was associated with parent-reported prosocial behaviors while their ToM ability was associated with prosocial behaviors in experimental condition. Our findings indicated that better ToM ability and empathic trait might promote prosocial behaviors in autistic children.

Parenting With a Kind Mind: Exploring Kindness as a Potentiator for Enhanced Brain Health.

A growing body of research has suggested that high levels of family functioning—often measured as positive parent–child communication and low levels of parental stress—are associated with stronger cognitive development, higher levels of school engagement, and more successful peer relations as youth age. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous disruption to various aspects of daily life, especially for parents of young children, ages 3–5, who face isolation, disconnection, and unprecedented changes to how they engage and socialize. Fortunately, both youth and parent brains are plastic and receptive to change. Resilience research shows that factors such as engaging in acts of kindness, developing trusting relationships, and responding compassionately to the feelings of others can help lay new neural pathways and improve quality of life. Yet, little research has investigated the effects of brain healthy parental practices of kindness with pre-school aged children. The current study examines whether an interactive, parent–child kindness curriculum can serve as a potentiator for brain health as measured by resilience and child empathy levels. During a peak of the pandemic, mother participants between the ages of 26–46 (n = 38, completion rate 75%) completed questionnaires on parental resilience levels and parent-reported child empathic pro-social behaviors before and after engaging in a 4 weeks online, self-paced, kindness curriculum. Half of the group received additional brain health education explaining the principles of neuroplasticity, empathy, perspective taking, and resiliency. Mothers in both groups showed increased resilience ( p < 0.001) and reported higher levels of empathic behavior in their child ( p < 0.001) after completing the curriculum. There was no significant difference between groups. Comparison of mean resilience levels during COVID-19 to pre-pandemic general means indicated that mothers are reporting significantly lower levels of resilience as well as decreased empathetic behaviors in their children. These results support the notion that kindness is a powerful brain health booster that can increase resilience and empathy. This research study was timely and relevant for parents in light of the myriad of stresses brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There are broader public health implications for equipping individuals with tools to take a proactive and preventative approach to their brain health.