Research on the Development of Compassion in Early Childhood

According to a paper published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, children exhibited more empathic concern and prosocial behavior (helping and comforting) when exposed to a high-distressed person versus a low-distressed person.

High-distress persons involve scenarios where an individual (a child or adult) displays significant emotional distress, such as visible upset or needing assistance, whereas low-distress persons involve situations where the individual is emotionally stable or less upset.

The study also found that as children got older, they became better at showing empathy and helping others. Older preschoolers were more able to recognize when someone was upset and respond by offering help, compared to younger children.

Moreover, it stated the importance of understanding other people’s feelings and thoughts, known as the theory of mind (ToM). Children who were better at understanding what others were feeling were more likely to show care and take action.

Understanding the Research

The researchers wanted to learn how young children, ages 3 to 6, develop important social skills as they start interacting more with people outside their families.

They looked at how children's attachment styles (how they bond with caregivers) and their ability to understand other people's feelings (known as Theory of Mind or ToM) affect their empathy (caring about others' feelings) and helpful behaviors (like sharing or comforting).

To do this, they created two experiments to see how these factors are connected.

• Experiment 1: The children were randomly placed into two groups. One group experienced a situation where someone was very upset (high distress), and the other group saw someone who was not very upset (low distress). In the high-distress group, the experimenter showed clear signs of being upset, like crying or looking sad.
• Experiment 2: Instead of showing real-life situations, the researchers told the children stories about other kids who were sad or upset. These stories explained how troubled the kids in the stories were. The researchers wanted to find out how the children felt and whether they would want to help or comfort the kids in them.

Based on the results, children reacted with more empathy and helpful behaviors when they saw someone in distress. They were more likely to comfort the upset experimenter.

The results also showed that older preschoolers were generally better at feeling empathy and helping others than younger kids.

Moreover, children with better ToM abilities could recognize when others were upset and showed more empathy and helpfulness. In contrast, those with less developed ToM skills had a harder time understanding others' emotions.

Interestingly, securely attached children (meaning, they have strong, positive emotional bonds with their caregivers) demonstrated higher levels of empathic concern and prosocial actions than those with insecure attachment styles.

Practical Strategies for Parents and Caregivers

Here are some simple yet impactful strategies to promote empathy and kindness in young children:

• Discuss emotions and read books about them. Parents can and should discuss emotions with young kids. Talking about feelings helps children understand their own emotions and those of others. Also, reading books that focus on emotions helps children to see different situations where characters face challenges.
• Praise your child’s kindness. Instead of saying something general like “Good job,” it's better to be specific about what your child did well. For instance, you can say, “I really liked how you shared your toys with your friend. That was very kind.” This way, your child understands what actions to repeat in the future. Here’s a resource about kindness.
• Teach them perspective-taking. Help your child learn to see things from another person's point of view. Questions such as “How do you think that made them feel?” or “What would you want someone to do if you were in their shoes?” give your child opportunities to think about others’ feelings.

The researchers stress that it's important to begin early in helping children be more caring and helpful. For additional resources to support children, we recommend visiting our Feelings Worksheets, Character Education Posters, and Social Skills Worksheets.