Verbal Comforting Intentions in Adolescence: Age, Gender, and Empathic Characteristics

Abstract

Communicative responsiveness, a social skill that enables individuals to respond effectively to the emotional states of others, and comforting intentions (actual intended behavior), are investigated in this study of males and females aged 13 to 17. A sample of 149 adolescents completed various paper and pencil questionnaires and responded verbally to a videotaped scenario requiring the comforting of a same-sex friend who has just experienced a humiliating social rejection. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicate a significant relationship between the cognitive aspects of empathy (perspective taking, fantasy empathy) and communicative responsibleness for males; emotional components of empathy (personal distress, empathic concern) were found to be significantly related to level of comforting intentions for males. For females, a significant relationship was found only between empathic concern and communicative responsiveness. Age was not found to be a significantpredictor of communicative responsiveness or comforting intentions for either males or females. Implications are discussed.