Emotion socialization begins within the family setting and extends outward as children transition into expanded social worlds. Children contribute to their socialization from the first years of life, so the dynamics between parents and children are reciprocal in nature. Because socialization influences are best inferred from patterns that unfold…

Investigates the relation between maternal rearing behavior and the ways children aged 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years cope with emotions of distress in others. Specifically examined children's reparation for transgression when they were the cause of distress and their altruism when they were bystanders. (JMB)

Observational measures of monozygotic and dizygotic twins' reactions to simulations of distress in others were obtained when the twins were 14 and 20 months old. Components of concern for others increased with age. Girls scored higher than boys on most measures. There was modest evidence for heritability of empathy. (BC)

Examined social problem solving and emotion expression in children with low, moderate, and severe behavior problems. Eighty-nine four- and five-year-olds were confronted with dilemmas of interpersonal conflict and distress. Girls expressed more themes of social construction, cohesion, and accommodation but also more anger than boys, whereas boys…

Over one year, mothers observed the responses of their one-year-old children to distresses the children caused and witnessed in others. Children's prosocial behaviors, and reparative behaviors after they had caused distress, increased in frequency over the year. These behaviors were accompanied by changes in self-recognition. (BC)

This 9-month naturalistic study investigated maternal influence on the responses of 1 1/2- to 2-year-old infants to emotional distress events occurring in the family environment. Mothers were trained to report details of distress incidents, of the child's reactions to the person in distress, and of the mother's own response to the child and to the…

From a developmental perspective, examines the emotions and behaviors elicited by different types of infant cries. Participating were 60 children ranging in age from late preschool to preadolescence. (Author/RH)

The outcomes of children's exposures to others' positive and negative emotions were examined developmentally. Twenty-four infants in three age cohorts (10, 15, and 20 months old) were studied for 9 months. Mothers reported the child's reactions to naturally occurring events in which emotions were expressed; in addition, each week mothers simulated…

Examined development of concern and externalizing problems in children at three behavior problem levels. Found no group differences in concern at 4-5 years. Concern in children with clinical behavior problems decreased by 6-7 years. Greater concern at 4-5 or at 6-7 years predicted decreased stability and severity of externalizing problems by 6-7…

Examined 30 Japanese and 30 American preschoolers' responses to hypothetical interpersonal dilemmas as a function of culture, gender, and maternal child rearing values. Found that American children showed more anger, more aggressive behavior and language, and underregulation of emotion than Japanese children. Children from both cultures appeared…