Interrelation between empathy and friendship development during (pre)adolescence and the moderating effect of developmental language disorder: A longitudinal study. Issue 3 (13th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van den Bedem, Neeltje P.; Willems, Danique; Dockrell, Julie E.; van Alphen, Petra M.; Rieffe, Carolien
• Is Part Of: Social development. Volume 28:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 599
• Page End: 619
• Publication Date: 2019-02-13
• Subjects: emotion socialization -- friendship quality -- prosocial behaviour -- social learning -- specific language impairment; Child development -- Periodicals; Socialization -- Periodicals; 305.0791
• DOI: 10.1111/sode.12353
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0961-205X

Abstract

Abstract: The association between empathy and friendship quality in children and adolescents is well established, but longitudinal studies are lacking. Because social interactions typically involve language, these relations might be moderated by children's communication problems. The current study examined the interrelation of friendship quality (positive and negative) and empathy (affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) development of 317 children (8–16 years old) at three time points across 18 months. Of these children 112 had a developmental language disorder (DLD). Results confirmed a bidirectional relation between empathy and friendship quality across time. Cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation contributed to the development of more positive friendship features in children with and without DLD. For children with unstable friendships, more cognitive empathy was related to fewer negative friendship features. Positive friendship features in turn contributed to higher empathy on all three aspects. Negative friendship features were related to higher affective empathy and lower prosocial motivation in both groups, but did not predict empathy development across time. These results imply that positive friendship features are important for development of empathic skills and vice versa that empathy enables children to grow in friendship quality in children with and without DLD.