De relatie tussen affectieve empathie, agressief gedrag en geslacht

Early aggression in children is a risk factor for the development of mental health problems and poor school performance later in life. There are two types of aggression: reactive and proactive, which both seem to have a relationship with empathy. Various of studies have found a relation between the affective type but not the cognitive type of empathy and aggression. The current study investigates the relationship between aggressive behavior and affective empathy, as well as the role of gender in relation to these two constructs and how affective empathy mediates the relationship between aggression and gender. The total sample of this study includes 242 children aged five to seventeen. To measure the aggressive behavior of the children both teachers and parents were asked to answer a questionnaire about behavior. Parents filled out the Child Behavior Checklist, while teachers completed the Teacher Report Form. For affective empathy, the heart rate of the children was measured as an...Show moreEarly aggression in children is a risk factor for the development of mental health problems and poor school performance later in life. There are two types of aggression: reactive and proactive, which both seem to have a relationship with empathy. Various of studies have found a relation between the affective type but not the cognitive type of empathy and aggression. The current study investigates the relationship between aggressive behavior and affective empathy, as well as the role of gender in relation to these two constructs and how affective empathy mediates the relationship between aggression and gender. The total sample of this study includes 242 children aged five to seventeen. To measure the aggressive behavior of the children both teachers and parents were asked to answer a questionnaire about behavior. Parents filled out the Child Behavior Checklist, while teachers completed the Teacher Report Form. For affective empathy, the heart rate of the children was measured as an indicator of the affective empathy. The findings showed that there was no significant relationship between affective empathy and aggressive behavior among the children, nor was there a difference in the level of affective empathy between boys and girls. However, depending on who completed the questionnaire, there was a difference in reported aggressive behavior between boys and girls, with teachers reporting a significant difference between the aggressive behavior of boys and girls. Affective empathy did not mediate the relationship between aggressive behavior and gender. The findings call for re-evaluation of traditional stereotypes and highlight the need for further research with more diverse samples. Contextual factors such as social influences, parenting or environment could play an important role in the development of aggression and affective empathy.Show less

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De relatie tussen affectieve empathie, agressief gedrag en geslacht