Empathic communication in cooperative play of 2 and 3 year olds

Abstract

Although empathy is the key to interpersonal relationships, it has been little investigated in children and partners. Empathy is considered a multidimensional construct with affective, cognitive and social components. The present study aimed to understand the construction of cooperative play through empathy in 2-3 year olds. The empathic phenomenon was inferred through behaviors that denote satisfaction, threat, dispute, reconciliation, comfort, among others, emphasizing its communicative role. Twenty children were videotaped in free interaction in a municipal public day care center. Data were qualitatively analyzed – microgenetic analysis of video recordings – and showed that although empathic communication is constitutive of cooperative coordinated play, it does not guarantee its accomplishment. Imitation is the most used strategy for a child to fit into an already structured play. The study empirically reveals the social dimension of empathy and highlights the relevance of investigating children in interaction with peers.