Ways to develop Empathy in Children

•MOTHERS whose behavior toward their preschool children is RESPONSIVE, NONPUNITIVE, AND NONAUTHORITARIAN have children who have higher levels of affective and cognitive empathy and prosocial behavior (Eisenberg, Lennon, and Roth 1983; EisenbergBerg and Mussen 1978; Kestenbaum, Farber, and Sroufe 1989; and Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, and King 1979).

•REASON WITH CHILDREN–Even quite small ones, about the effects of their behavior on others and the importance of sharing and being kind is effective in promoting empathy and prosocial behavior (Clarke 1984; Kohn 1991; Ladd, Lange, and Stremmel 1983; and Zahn-Waxler, RadkeYarrow, and King 1979).

•MODEL EMPATHETIC, CARING BEHAVIOR toward children–and toward others in the children’s presence–is strongly related to children’s development of prosocial attitudes and behavior (Eisenberg-Berg and Mussen 1978; Kohn 1991; McDevitt, Lennon, and Kopriva 1991; and Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, and King 1979).

•WHEN CHILDREN HAVE HURT OTHERS or otherwise caused them distress, research supports the practice of giving explanations as to why the behavior is harmful and suggestions for how to make amends (Kohn, ‘91; and Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, and King ‘79).

•ENCOURAGE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN TO DISCUSS THEIR FEELINGS AND PROBLEMS is positively related to the development of empathy in those children (Clarke ’84).

•FOCUS ON SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ONESELF AND OTHERS. Activities which focus children’s attention on similarities between themselves and another person (or other persons) is effective in increasing affective and cognitive empathy (Black and Phillips 1982; Brehm, Fletcher, and West 1988; Clarke 1984; Dixon 1980; and Hughes, Tingle, and Sawin 1981).  It’s easy for the brain for look for differences in people because it’s where our brain wants to go first — push to find the similarities. 

•HELP CHILDREN FOCUS ON THEIR OWN FEELINGS. When seeking to increase the ability of children to assume another’s perspective, it is most fruitful to have them focus first on their own feelings–the different kinds of feelings they have and what feelings are associated with what kinds of situations (Black and Phillips 1982; and Dixon 1980).

•STUDY Well-Known EMPATHETIC PERSONS. Learning activities which focus students’ attention on the lives and achievements of well-known empathetic persons have been shown to increase children’s desire to be like these people and to take on attitudes and behaviors associated with them (Dixon 1980). People who have been the focus of such learning activities include Florence Nightingale, Martin Luther King, Jr., Albert Schweitzer, and Mother Theresa.

WHAT is empathy in STEM and the Design Thinking Process?

Empathy is the foundation of a human-centered design process we use in teaching the Engineering piece of STEM at Spark! Discovery Preschool. To empathize:

• Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their lives.
• Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
• Immerse. Experience what others are experiencing.

Why learn about empathy in a STEM Program?

In our assessment tool, GOLD Assessment, under Social & Emotional Development, children are evaluated in their ability to show empathy and caring for others. We teach children, as a human-centered designers / engineers they need to understand the people for whom they are designing. The problems we are trying to solve are rarely our own—they are those of particular users; in order to design for others, we must build empathy for who they are and what is important to them.

Watching and learning what people, clients, users, characters do and how they interact with their environment gives children clues about what they think and feel. It helps us to learn about what they need and want. By observing we can capture physical manifestations of their experiences–what they do and say. This will allow us to interpret the meaning of those experiences in order to uncover insights. These insights will lead us to innovative solutions and help to develop children who view themselves as innovators.

Engaging with people, stories, and characters, etc. directly reveals a tremendous amount about the way they think and the values they hold. Sometimes these thoughts and values are not obvious to the people who hold them. The stories that people tell and the things that people say they do—even if they are different from what they actually do—are strong indicators of their deeply held beliefs. Good designs engage to:

• Uncover needs that people have which they may or may not be aware of
• Guide innovation efforts
• Identify the right users to design for
• Discover the emotions that guide behaviors