The Socialization of Compassionate Behavior by Child Care Teachers

The present study examined how child care teachers' socialization practices and child characteristics jointly predict children's sympathetic-prosocial responding. A total of 25 teachers of 105 five-year-old children were observed during free play with regard to their warmth, non-directiven...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Early education and development 2001-01, Vol.12 (1), p.139-153
Main Author: Kienbaum, Jutta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child Behavior
Competence
Developmental Psychology
Early Childhood Education
Emotional Development
Emotional Response
Empathy
Foreign Countries
Germany
Interpersonal Competence
Predictor Variables
Preschool Teachers
Psychological Patterns
Socialization
Teacher Behavior
Teacher Influence
Teacher Role
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Summary:The present study examined how child care teachers' socialization practices and child characteristics jointly predict children's sympathetic-prosocial responding. A total of 25 teachers of 105 five-year-old children were observed during free play with regard to their warmth, non-directiveness and passivity-activity. The children's reactions to distress simulations in two different situations were observed. The children's inhibition and aggression were rated by teachers and parents. More compassionate behavior was shown by girls as compared to boys and by children in classes with warmer teachers; inhibited children showed tendentially less sympathetic-prosocial reactions than non-inhibited children. Furthermore, girls who showed sympathetic-prosocial reactions were rated as more aggressive than girls who did not, and boys who showed sympathetic-prosocial behavior as compared to those who did not were in classes with warmer teachers. The data suggest that child characteristics as well as socialization practices play an important role in children's interpersonal functioning. Among the teacher variables, their ability to interact in a warm, affectionate way is of central importance for the development of emotional competence in children.
ISSN:1040-9289
1556-6935
DOI:10.1207/s15566935eed1201_8