Perspective taking and empathic concern in adolescence: Gender differences in developmental changes.

Abstract

Empathy is an important social skill and is believed to play an essential role in moral development (Hoffman, 2000). In the present longitudinal study, the authors investigated adolescents' development of perspective taking and empathic concern from age 13 to 18 years (mean age at Wave 1 = 13 years, SD = 0.46) and examined its association with pubertal status. Adolescents (283 boys, 214 girls) reported for 6 consecutive years on their dispositional perspective taking and empathic concern and for 4 consecutive years on pubertal status. Latent growth curve modeling revealed gender differences in levels and developmental trends. Gender differences in perspective taking emerged during adolescence, with girls' increases being steeper than those of the boys. Girls also showed higher levels of empathic concern than did boys. Whereas girls' empathic concern remained stable across adolescence, boys showed a decrease from early to middle adolescence with a rebound to the initial level thereafter. Boys who were physically more mature also reported lower empathic concern than did their less physically developed peers. The current study supports theoretical notions that perspective taking develops during adolescence as a result of cognitive development. Moreover, the results suggest that pubertal maturation plays a role in boys' development of empathic concern.

Regulación emocional en niños y adolescentes: conceptos, procesos e influencias

“…Studies have confirmed how women show higher levels of empathy, perspective taking and greater concern for the other than men in the same age range (Silvers et al, 2012;Van der Graaff et al, 2014). In contrast, men at age 15 exhibit a smaller ER strategies repertoire.…”

“…concepts, processes and influences al., 2014; Silvers McRae, Gabrieli, Gross, Remy, & Ochsner, 2012;Steinberg, 2008;Thompson et al, 2013;Van der Graaff, Branje, De Wied, Hawk, Van Lier, & Meeus, 2014;Zeman et al, 2006). Recent neuroimaging studies in adolescents between 11 and 19 years of age have confirmed that, when observed by peers, young adolescents show a weaker activation of brain areas associated with cognitive control and instead show higher neuronal activity in regions associated with rewards, which explains the youngsters' need to actively seek acceptance of their social group (Brodbeck et al, 2013;Chein et al, 2011;Guyer et al, 2014;Steinberg, 2008).…”

“…As an explanation of this phenomenon, several studies have suggested that during these ages gender identification processes are intensified. These processes cause more stereotyped cultural behaviors, in which girls are encouraged to show greater extent and frequency of emotions and behaviors of concern for others while men are suggested to inhibit all kinds of emotionality (Silvers et al, 2012;Van der Graaff et al, 2014. Zimmermann & Iwanski, 2014.…”

“…At a social and emotional level, the hypothetical reasoning grants the individual with access to others' points of view, and allows the adolescents to consider the position of others and to take into account the consequences of own actions when making decisions (Piaget, 1970). In this sense, a regulatory conquest between ages 14 and 16 is the refinement of various cognitive strategies such as perspective taking and empathetic concern, which involve the regulation of behavior taking into account the position and interests of others involved and consideration of long-term goals (Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006;Silvers et al, 2012;Zeman et al, 2006;Van der Graaff et al, 2014).…”

Empatía y delincuencia juvenil: Un meta-análisis sobre la relación

“…Por último, numerosos autores se han percatado del hecho de que niveles más bajos de empatía se encuentra relacionado de un modo más intenso con determinados delitos, especialmente con delitos contra personas (Van der Graaff et al, 2014), o el hecho de que la empatía tiene un papel relevante en determinados delitos (Brewer y Kerslake, 2015).…”