EMPATHIC RESPONSIVENESS AND EFFECTIVE REACTIVITY TO INFANT STIMULI INHIGH-RISK AND LOW-RISK FOR PHYSICAL CHILD-ABUSE MOTHERS

Empathic responsiveness and affective reactivity to infant stimuli wer e examined in matched groups of high- and low-risk for physical child abuse mothers. Hypotheses were generated based on models of aggression and the child abuse literature. Although no between-group differences were found in empathy, within-group differences were observed. Compar ed to baseline, high-risk mothers reported no change (p >.05) in empat hy across infant conditions (baseline, smiling, quiet, and crying), wh ile low-risk mothers reported an increase (p <.0005) in empathy follow ing presentation of the crying infant. Although there was no change in empathy, high-risk mothers reported more sadness, distress, hostility , unhappiness, and less quietness following presentation of the crying infant. Low-risk mothers reported no changes in sadness, distress, an d hostility. The data for high-risk mothers are congruent with reports that physical child abusers are less empathic and more hostile in res ponse to a crying child. The findings support aggression models which suggest the lack of empathy and the presence of negative affectivity p recede abusive behavior. Post-hoc analyses also provide support for an emotional contagion perspective, where high-risk parents, compared to low-risk parents, are thought to more frequently reflect the emotiona l state of the infant.