Empathic Communication in Cooperative Play of 2 and 3 Year Olds

Abstract Although empathy is the key to interpersonal relationships, it has been little investigated in children and partners. Empathy is considered a multidimensional construct with affective, cognitive and social components. The present study aimed to understand the construction of cooperative play through empathy in 2-3 year olds. The empathic phenomenon was inferred through behaviors that denote satisfaction, threat, dispute, reconciliation, comfort, among others, emphasizing its communicative role. Twenty children were videotaped in free interaction in a municipal public day care center. Data were qualitatively analyzed - microgenetic analysis of video recordings - and showed that although empathic communication is constitutive of cooperative coordinated play, it does not guarantee its accomplishment. Imitation is the most used strategy for a child to fit into an already structured play. The study empirically reveals the social dimension of empathy and highlights the relevance of investigating children in interaction with peers.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lira,Paula Gabrielly Rasia, Pedrosa,Maria Isabel
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia 2019
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-863X2019000100309
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