High school students who had been pretested on the Mehrabian and Epstein (1972) measure of empathy were shown a brief videotaped presentation designed to elicit empathic arousal for a particular group of children (mentally retarded or crippled). Each individual was subsequently given an opportunity to act charitably for a recipient group which was…

The Feshbach and Roe test of empathy was administered to 84 children aged 6 and 7 years while they were preparing either to compete or to cooperate with another child on a game. (JMB)

Evaluated the instrumental or empathic responses given by peer counselors (Study 1, N=128) or friends (Study 2, N=48) to undergraduates' personal problems. Instrumental responses were considered more helpful. Students rated peer counselors more likely to give instrumental responses and friends more likely to give empathic responses. (JAC)

The present study, involving 112 sixth graders, explored the effect of self- and other-directed negative affect on the subsequent helping behavior of high- and low-empathic children. (MP)

The present study examined the role of similarity of experience in young children's affective reactions to others. Some preschoolers played one of two games (Puzzle Board or Buckets) and were informed that they had either failed or succeeded; others merely observed the games being played and were given no evaluative feedback. Subsequently, each…

The differential effects of self- and other-directed negative affect on subsequent generosity are explored in two studies, both using a modified version of the direct mood inducement procedure (Moore, 1973). Subjects (N=85) in the first experiment were children aged 7-12. Subjects (N=48) in the second experiment were college undergraduates.…

Examined whether having had a friend or family member experience rape heightens empathy for rape victims. Subjects who knew a rape victim reported experiencing more empathy for a patient presented on videotape than did subjects not knowing a rape victim. This empathy extended to all victims of trauma. (RJM)

This study examined the interactive role of empathic disposition and affective perspective-taking ability (APT) in children's machiavellianism, prosocial behavior, and motive for helping. Children demonstrating low empathy and high APT were expected to be highly machiavellian and to cite self-oriented reasons for helping more frequently than would…

The ability to empathize, or experience the emotions of another individual, has frequently been suggested as an important factor in the child's moral development and expression of prosocial behaviors. The present investigation sought to explore the relationship between the young child's empathy (as assessed by the Feshbach and Roe measure) and the…