The role of empathic accuracy in adolescents' peer relations and adjustment.
This study investigated whether children's empathic accuracy is associated with their peer relationships and adjustment. It also examined whether, and how, empathic accuracy moderated the known influence of peer relations on adjustment. Participants were 116 (58 boys) fifth-through eighth-graders. At school, child participants completed measures assessing their peer relationships. In the lab, child participants completed a performance-based measure of empathic accuracy and measures of adjustment. Teachers and parents also provided assessments. Results revealed that children who were less adept at inferring other people's thoughts and feelings were more likely to experience adjustment problems. Empathic accuracy acted as a buffer against adjustment problems when peer relationships were poor: Previously found links between poor peer relationships and poor adjustment were found for adolescents with low empathic accuracy but not for those with high empathic accuracy.
Gleason
Katie A
KA
University of Texas at Arlington, USA. kagleason@comcast.net
Jensen-Campbell
Lauri A
LA
Ickes
William
W
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D018187:Personal Construct Theory; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011582:Psychological Theory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012963:Sociometric Techniques