Linking Parent–Child and Peer Relationship Quality to Empathy in Adolescence: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Empathy, which is the ability to feel concern for and to understand others’ feelings, is thought to develop in high quality relationships with parent and peers, but also to facilitate the quality of these relationships. While a wide literature has addressed this aspect, the heterogeneity of primary studies, in which different indicators of relationship quality (e.g., support, conflict) and empathy (i.e., affective and cognitive) have been examined, makes it difficult to draw conclusive answers. Therefore, it remained ambiguous how parent–child and peer relationship quality are associated with adolescents’ empathy. In order to increase the understanding of these associations, a multilevel meta-analysis was performed, which allowed for including multiple effect sizes from each study. By a systematic literate search, 70 eligible studies were found that provided 390 effect sizes from 75 independent samples. The results showed a small positive correlation between parent–child relationship quality and empathy, and a small-to-moderate positive correlation between peer relationship quality and empathy, which was significantly stronger than the correlation with parent–child relationship quality. Hence, the meta-analytic results indicate that adolescents with higher quality relationships, especially with peers, indeed tend to show more concern for and understanding of others’ emotions than adolescents with lower quality relationships. Moreover, the moderation analyses showed stronger correlations for the positive dimension of relationship quality than for the negative dimension, and stronger correlations for composite scores of affective and cognitive empathy than for separate scores of the empathy dimensions. However, no differences in correlations were found between the affective and cognitive empathy dimension, and no moderation effects were found for gender and age. Thus, this meta-analysis demonstrates robust positive associations between parent–child and peer relationship quality and empathy in adolescence, implying that good empathic abilities may be a protective factor for experiencing poor relationships.

Impact of Family and Friends on Antisocial Adolescent Behavior: The Mediating Role of Impulsivity and Empathy

“…Parental affection and communication with their children have a protective effect, albeit small, on adolescent antisocial behavior. In line with previous research, affection and communication have a direct effect on antisocial behavior, but mostly the effect is indirect through the protective effect on antisocial friendships, and the adolescent’s impulsivity and low empathy (Brown et al, 1993; Wills et al, 2004; Hoskins, 2014; Boele et al, 2019).…”

“…and the negative consequences of their behavior on others (Massey et al, 2018). In a similar way to self-control, empathy is positively related to parental warmth (Boele et al, 2019), parental control (Asano et al, 2016) and authoritative parenting style (Mesurado and Richaud, 2017). There is also evidence of a negative association between relating with antisocial friendships and empathy (Padilla-Walker and Bean, 2009).…”

Relationships between Parental Socialization Styles, Empathy and Connectedness with Nature: Their Implications in Environmentalism

“…Significantly, despite adolescent deviance against adult standards and social values (e.g., environmental values) being related with negative peer influence, family may either constitute a risk of or serve as protection against adolescent vulnerability, usually identified in early and middle adolescence [124,125,126]. Moreover, it has been widely shown in the field of psychology and education that parental socialization styles are related to interpersonal empathy [127,128,129], altruism [130,131], and pro-social behaviour [132,133,134,135]. These variables are also related to pro-environmental behaviour [14,83,136], pro-social values [61], family connectedness [137] and with connectedness and autonomy [138,139].…”

Ecosocialization – an Ecological Turn in the Process of Socialization

“…From a socialization point of view, the interest is in how other otheroriented, prosocial emotions and empathy are developed. Empathy is an innate capacity of humans and other empathic animals (De Waal, 2010), but it also develops in high-quality relationships with parents and peers (Boele et al, 2019). In the socialization of empathy, warmth, and supportive parenting plays a critical role (Hoffman, 2001).…”

“…In the socialization of empathy, warmth, and supportive parenting plays a critical role (Hoffman, 2001). Equality, trust, and intimacy often associated with peer relationships offer opportunities to observe and model affectionate behaviour (Boele et al, 2019).…”