THE RELATIONS OF REGULATION AND EMOTIONALITY TO CHILDRENS SITUATIONALEMPATHY-RELATED RESPONDING

The relations of dispositional regulation (attentional control, ego co ntrol), ego resiliency, and emotionality (general emotional intensity and negative emotionality) to situational measures of sympathy and per sonal distress were examined. Situational sympathy and personal distre ss were assessed with facial, self-reported, and heart rate reactions to an empathy-inducing film. Teachers and parents completed measures o f children's dispositional regulation and emotionality. In general, ch ildren who evidenced sympathy (e.g., facial sadness, mean heart rate d ecline, and self-reported sympathy) were rated higher in regulation an d resiliency, although findings sometimes were obtained for only one s ex. Children who evidenced personal distress (e.g., facial distress), as well as facial sadness, were rated relatively high in emotionality. Gaze aversion from the film was correlated with regulation and boys' resiliency, and was negatively related to negative emotionality.