Are there positive effects of having a sibling with special needs? Empathy and prosociality of twins of children with non‐typical development. Issue 4 (23rd February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rum, Yonat; Genzer, Shir; Markovitch, Noam; Jenkins, Jennifer; Perry, Anat; Knafo‐Noam, Ariel
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 93:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 1121
• Page End: 1128
• Publication Date: 2022-02-23
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13740
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined whether typically developing (TD) twins of non‐TD children demonstrate enhanced empathy and prosociality. Of 778 Hebrew‐speaking Israeli families who participated in a twin study, 63 were identified to have a non‐TD child with a TD twin, and 404 as having both twins TD. TD twins of non‐TD children (27% males) were compared to the rest of the cohort of TD children (46% males) on measures of empathy and prosociality. Participants were 11 years old. TD twins of non‐TD children scored significantly higher than TD twins of TD children in a measure of cognitive empathy ( d = .43). No differences were found in emotional empathy and prosociality. The specificity of the positive effect on cognitive empathy is discussed.