Cited by 184Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAttachment and Relationship DynamicsEarly Childhood Education and Development

Attachment security and child’s empathy: The mediating role of emotion regulation

Panfile, Tia M., Laible, Deborah J.·2012·Merrill-palmer Quarterly

Abstract

The current study examined the influence of multiple factors on individual differ- ences in empathy; namely, attachment, negative emotionality, and emotion regulation. A total of 63 mothers completed the Attachment Q-set and questionnaires about their children’s empathy, negative emotionality, and emotion regulation when children were 3 years old. Prosocial behavior was observed during a baby-cry procedure. Results of path analyses indicated that a model with attachment predicting empathy through the mediation of emotion regulation was the best fit for the data. Specifically, more-secure children were rated higher in emotion regulation and, consequently, higher in empathy. Furthermore, the optimal model was used to test empathy as a predictor of observed prosocial behavior. Here, children higher in empathy were observed to behave more prosocially. Overall, the results support the notion that more-secure children are more empathic because they are better emotion regulators.

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Crossref · 10.1353/mpq.2012.0003

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Authors
Panfile, T. M., & Laible, D. J.
Venue
Merrill-palmer Quarterly
Publisher
Project MUSE
Published
2012
Volume
58
Issue
1
Pages
1-21
ISSN
  • 0272-930X (ISSN-L)
  • 1535-0266
OpenAlex
W2039294189
Cited by
184
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 2
FWCI
12.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Merrill-palmer Quarterly (publishedVersion)
  • Human Biology (submittedVersion)
  • Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
Keywords
attachment security, empathy, emotion regulation, negative affectivity, prosocial behavior, infant crying, mother-child relationship, mediation, individual differences, Attachment Q-Set

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