BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF CHILDRENS REACTIONS TO OTHERS IN DISTRESS

This study examined the behavioral and physiological correlates of chi ldren's reactions to others in distress and the relation of these to d ispositional helpfulness. Thirty-seven 3rd graders and 29 6th graders watched a film about a distressed child. Facial expressions, heart rat e variability (HRV). and skin conductance (SC) were recorded during th e film. An index of dispositional helpfulness was obtained from childr en's mothers. High HRV was predictive of children's sympathetic rather than distressed reactions. For boys, sympathetic responsiveness posit ively predicted dispositional helpfulness; for girls, SC was inversely related to dispositional helpfulness. It was concluded that children who are able to regulate their vicariously induced emotional responsiv eness are relatively likely to experience sympathy and relatively unli kely to experience personal distress.