Symapathy

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Sympathy refers to sorrow induced by perceied distress in others. Because of the higher perceptual - congnitive ability involved, it does not appear before teh age of two. Naturalistic and experimental assessments of sympathy in children indicate that both behavioural and verbal expresions of sympathy are directly related to the amount of actual or role playing experience the child has had as recipients of sympathetic behaviour under conditions of stress. Thus, a three year old is not moved to sympathy by a devasting financial loss, acrucial failure, or a death but such evidence of clamity as bandages, fall or physical confinement easily produces symathetic gestures. With advance in age the child reacts symapathetically to a wider and more subtle range of distress stimuli. As he grows in motor competence, verbal facility and social experience he is also able to respond more actively and helpfully by comforting, soliciting aid and removing the cause of distress.