Although empathy-related responding has frequently been associated with prosocial
behaviour directed towards the target of an individual’s vicarious
emotional responding, relations between dispositional prosocial behaviour and
sympathy or personal distress have seldom been examined, particularly with a
multimethod approach. Kindergarten to third-graders’ empathy-related
responses to a ”lm were examined as predictors of dispositional prosocial
behaviour as reported by teachers, parents, and peers. Teachers’ ratings
of dispositional behaviour were related to children’s facial and skin
conductance reactions to the ”lm. Parents’ and peers’
ratings of dispositional prosocial behaviour were infrequently associated with
children’s empathy-related responding, although peer reports were
positively related to heart rate acceleration for boys. Reasons for the differential
patterns of relations for different reporters are considered.
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