Abstract

JUSTO, Alice Reuwsaat; CARVALHO, Janaína Castro Núñez  and  KRISTENSEN, Christian Haag. Empathy development during childhood: the influence of parental styles. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2014, vol.15, n.2, pp.510-523. ISSN 1645-0086.

Empathy is an important element for interpersonal development and for increase in relationship quality, showing itself as a protection factor to emotional and behavior problems. The present article is a literature critical review where it is explored inside and outside factors that affect on empathy development during childhood, focusing at parental styles and parent-child relationship. It was explored the main tasks and procedures used to measure the components of this construct. Parental behavior, emotional expression and attitudes directed to child are important variables that affect this process. Literature reviewed points that the parenting practices that most influence empathy development are the ones which promote emotional expression and perspective taking; and points to authoritative parental style as a reference for parenting. From this review, it is proposed the development of interventions that increase a healthy empathy development.

Keywords : Empathy; Parent-Child Relationship; Children Development.

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