The relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior in children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop the Empathy Scale for Children (ESC) and to examine positive relationship between prosocial behavior and empathy measured by ESC. In Study I, the Empathy Scale for Children (ESC), a new self-report measure of empathy in Japanese children, was constructed according to Bryant (1982) and Kato and Takagi (1980). It was administered to 179 fifth and sixth graders; the factor analysis revealed single-factor solution. This scale was also found to have sex difference and high reliability. In Study II, ESC, Sakurai's (1984) Social Desirability Scale for Children (SDSC), and prosocial behavior inventory using method of peer nomination were administered to 156 fifth and sixth graders and the relationships were examined. The partial correlation coefficient between ESC and total prosocial behavior points controlled by SDSC and sex was significantly positive and it supported the hypothesis. © 1986, The Japanese Association of Educational Psychology. All rights reserved.