Abstract

GARAIGORDOBIL, Maite  and  MAGANTO, Carmen. Empatía y resolución de conflictos durante la infancia y la adolescencia: Empathy and conflict resolution during infancy and adolescence. rev.latinoam.psicol. [online]. 2011, vol.43, n.2, pp.255-266. ISSN 0120-0534.

Research has revealed the connection between empathy and the capacity to resolve conflicts. The purpose of this study is three-fold: (a) to analyze sex differences and developmental changes in empathy and conflict resolution; (b) to explore the relations between empathy and conflict resolution; (c) to identify predictors of empathy. The study used a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional methodology. The sample comprised 941 participants aged 8 to 15 years, 509 boys and 432 girls, from the Basque Country (Spain). The results confirm that: (a) The girls score higher in empathy at all ages; empathy does not increase during childhood, and, an increase with age is confirmed during adolescence, but only in girls; (b) The girls use more positive-cooperative conflict-resolution strategies and the boys use more aggressive strategies; the use of positive-cooperative strategies does not increase with age; (c) Positive correlations between empathy and cooperative conflict resolution and negative correlations with aggressive resolution are confirmed; the predictors of empathy are: being female, using many positive-cooperative conflict-resolution strategies and few aggressive strategies. The work allows us to conclude that, at these ages, girls have a higher capacity of empathy and of conflict resolution, but no important developmental changes are observed. Moreover, the results suggest the importance of implementing programs that include activities to promote empathy because they will have a positive impact on the capacity to solve conflicts cooperatively.

Keywords : empathy; conflict resolution; gender; cooperation; aggressiveness.

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