• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.55-77
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the empathy of children aged 4 to 5 through the empathy interview tool and to verify the effects of children's and mothers' variables on the children's empathy. Methods: The subjects of this study were 102 pairs of children aged 4 to 5 and their mothers. The research was conducted through children's interviews and mothers' questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: First, girls exhibited a higher level of empathy than boys. Second, significant correlations were found between mothers' empathy, parenting behavior, emotional expression, and children's empathy. Third, the influences of independent variables on children's empathy followed the order of mothers' emotional empathy, positive emotional expression, and children's gender. Conclusion/Implications: This study identified variables in children and their mothers that influenced children's empathy. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of children's empathy and can serve as fundamental data for intervention programs aimed at enhancing children's empathy.