Home: Examiner and Mother Stimuli Empathy Coding
at 14 Months

Description of Test: This test assesses the child's empathy through naturalistic enactments of distress. (Zahn-Waxler, C., Radke-Yarrow, M., & King, R. A. (1979). Child-rearing and children's prosocial initiations toward victims in distress. Child Development, 50, 319-330.). Two types of empathy-eliciting stimuli were used during the home visit, Examiner, and Mother. To see the description of the Empathy Procedures from the MALTS procedure document, move there.  To see the form on which the data was recorded, click to see form.  To see a WORD document of the coding instructions for the Empathy procedures, click to access coding document

Variable Names:  Variable names from this database have the prefix V1HEM (from the Home Visit Empathy database), or V1CEM (if a composite score from both Home Empathy and Lab Empathy databases). The Home Visit Empathy database has 484 test subjects and 59 variables with another 19 composite scores and a comment field. Data were coded while viewing video tapes of the home visit of 14 month old twins. The variables include: Coder ID, 29 responses to the Mother and the Examiner simulating getting hurt during the Home Visit, 19 composite variables, and a comment field.   Move there to move to the complete list of variable names from this database.

Cleaning:  The data have been examined to ensure that the values of the variables are within range. Subject 68421 has a coding of 4 for V1HEM25 (14M HEMP: Examiner14-Credibility of simulation), which is out of range. This was noted in the Comments Field in the database.

Composites:  There are 19 composite variables: V1HEMQ6, V1HEMQ8, V1CEMAVD, V1CEMAPR, V1CEMQ1, V1CEMQ2, V1CEMQ5, V1CEMQ6, V1CEMQ7, V1CEMQ8, V1CEMQ9, V1CEMQ10, V1CEMQ12, V1CEMQ13, V1CEMSOC, V1CEMIMI, V1CEMACT, V1CEMPC1, and V1CEMPC2.

V1HEMQ6, V1HEMQ8, V1CEMQ1, V1CEMQ2, V1CEMQ5, V1CEMQ6, V1CEMQ7, V1CEMQ8, V1CEMQ9, V1CEMQ10, V1CEMQ12, V1CEMQ13:
    These are mean scores for Question 1-2, 5-10, and 12-13 averaged across both the Hemp and the Lemp Databases and across all 5 stimuli. Additionally, Questions 6 and 8 have mean scores across the two stimuli only for the Home Visit.

V1CEMAVD:
    This is the mean of Question 1 averaged across both the Hemp and the Lemp Databases and across all 5 stimuli after the score was recoded from 1-4 into 2-0.

V1CEMAPR:
    This is the mean of Question 1 averaged across both the Hemp and the Lemp Databases and across all 5 stimuli after the score was recoded from 1-4 into 0-1.

V1CEMACT and V1CEMIMI:
    These are the means of Question 3e (Active Playing) and 3m (Imitates sounds, gestures of victim) averaged across both the Hemp and the Lemp Databases and across all 5 stimuli respectively.

V1CEMSOC:
    This is the mean of a composite of Questions 3i-3l averaged across both the Hemp and the Lemp Databases and across all 5 stimuli. The composite was scored as 1 if there were any positive responses for any of the 5 items. Otherwise it was scored as 0.

V1CEMPC1 and V1CEMPC2:
    These are the factor scores resulting from a Principal Components Analysis extracting 1 factor from the variables V1CEMSOC, V1CEMQ1, V1CEMQ2, V1CEMQ7, V1CEM12, V1CEM13, and V1CEMIMI (including Global Rating-Q13) and from the variables V1CEMSOC, V1CEMQ1, V1CEMQ2, V1CEMQ7, V1CEM12, and V1CEMIMI (Excluding Global Rating-Q13) respectively.

 To access the SPSS instructions to create the composites, click to see code.

Complete List of Variable Names: 
Index of variable names and their labels
Variable Label
TWINID Twin ID
V1HEMCDR 14M HEMP:  Coder ID
V1HEM1 14M HEMP:  Examiner1-Proximity to Victim
V1HEM2 14M HEMP:  Examiner2-Hypothesis Testing
V1HEM3 14M HEMP:  Examiner3a-Ignores or minimal disruption of behavior
V1HEM4 14M HEMP:  Examiner3b-Child's activity stops for at least 5 sec
V1HEM5 14M HEMP:  Examiner3c-Freezing for at least 3 sec
V1HEM6 14M HEMP:  Examiner3d-Aimless playing
V1HEM7 14M HEMP:  Examiner3e-Active playing
V1HEM8 14M HEMP:  Examiner3f-Self-soothing behavior
V1HEM9 14M HEMP:  Examiner3g-Gestures toward victim
V1HEM10 14M HEMP:  Examiner3h-Seeks reassurance from victim or mother
V1HEM11 14M HEMP:  Examiner3i-Distracts, tries to divert victim's attention
V1HEM12 14M HEMP:  Examiner3j-Shares, gives something to victim
V1HEM13 14M HEMP:  Examiner3k-Helps, Shows some action to relieve distress
V1HEM14 14M HEMP:  Examiner3l-Defends against offending object
V1HEM15 14M HEMP:  Examiner3m-Imitates sounds, gestures of victim
V1HEM16 14M HEMP:  Examiner4-Latency to first victim-oriented behavior
V1HEM17 14M HEMP:  Examiner5-Callousness or aggression toward victim
V1HEM18 14M HEMP:  Examiner6-Level of positive affect
V1HEM19 14M HEMP:  Examiner7-Level of concern
V1HEM20 14M HEMP:  Examiner8-Level of distress
V1HEM21 14M HEMP:  Examiner9-Anger
V1HEM22 14M HEMP:  Examiner10-Ambivalence
V1HEM23 14M HEMP:  Examiner12-Arousal
V1HEM24 14M HEMP:  Examiner13-Global rating of empathy
V1HEM25 14M HEMP:  Examiner14-Credibility of simulation
V1HEM26 14M HEMP:  Examiner15-Affective intensity of simulation
V1HEM27 14M HEMP:  Examiner16-Prompting
V1HEM28 14M HEMP:  Examiner17-Duration of simulation
V1HEM29 14M HEMP:  Examiner18-Mother's behavior toward child
V1HEM30 14M HEMP:  Mother1-Proximity to Victim
V1HEM31 14M HEMP:  Mother2-Hypothesis Testing
V1HEM32 14M HEMP:  Mother3a-Ignores or minimal disruption of behavior
V1HEM33 14M HEMP:  Mother3b-Child's activity stops for at least 5 sec
V1HEM34 14M HEMP:  Mother3c-Freezing for at least 3 sec
V1HEM35 14M HEMP:  Mother3d-Aimless playing
V1HEM36 14M HEMP:  Mother3e-Active playing
V1HEM37 14M HEMP:  Mother3f-Self-soothing behavior
V1HEM38 14M HEMP:  Mother3g-Gestures toward victim
V1HEM39 14M HEMP:  Mother3h-Seeks assistance from ex to help mother
V1HEM40 14M HEMP:  Mother3i-Distracts, tries to divert victim's attention
V1HEM41 14M HEMP:  Mother3j-Shares, gives something to victim
V1HEM42 14M HEMP:  Mother3k-Helps, Shows some action to relieve distress
V1HEM43 14M HEMP:  Mother3l-Defends against offending object
V1HEM44 14M HEMP:  Mother3m-Imitates sounds, gestures of victim
V1HEM45 14M HEMP:  Mother4-Latency to first victim-oriented behavior
V1HEM46 14M HEMP:  Mother5-Callousness or aggression toward victim
V1HEM47 14M HEMP:  Mother6-Level of positive affect
V1HEM48 14M HEMP:  Mother7-Level of concern
V1HEM49 14M HEMP:  Mother8-Level of distress
V1HEM50 14M HEMP:  Mother9-Anger
V1HEM51 14M HEMP:  Mother10-Ambivalence
V1HEM52 14M HEMP:  Mother12-Arousal
V1HEM53 14M HEMP:  Mother13-Global rating of empathy
V1HEM54 14M HEMP:  Mother14-Credibility of simulation
V1HEM55 14M HEMP:  Mother15-Affective intensity of simulation
V1HEM56 14M HEMP:  Mother16-Prompting
V1HEM57 14M HEMP:  Mother17-Duration of simulation
V1HEM58 14M HEMP:  Mother18-Mother's behavior toward child
V1HEMQ6 14M HEMP:  Question 6-Mean Pleasure; 1=None 4=Great Pleasure
V1HEMQ8 14M HEMP:  Question 8-Mean Distress;  1=None 5=Great Distress
V1CEMAVD 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Recoded Question 1-Mean Proximity to Victim; 0=Approaches 2=Avoids
V1CEMAPR 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Recoded Question 1-Mean Proximity to Victim; 0=Does not Approach 1=Approaches
V1CEMQ1 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 1-Mean Proximity to Victim; 1=Avoids 4=Approaches
V1CEMQ2 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 2-Mean Hypothesis Testing; 1=No Attempts 5=Repeated Attempts
V1CEMQ5 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 5-Mean Callousness; 1=None 3=Hostile
V1CEMQ6 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 6-Mean Pleasure; 1=None 4=Great Pleasure
V1CEMQ7 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 7-Mean Concern; 1= No Concern 4=Great Concern
V1CEMQ8 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 8-Mean Distress; 1=None 5=Great Distress
V1CEMQ9 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 9-Mean Anger; 1=None 2=Anger
V1CEMQ10 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 10-Mean Ambivalence; 1=None 4=High Ambivalence
V1CEMQ12 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 12-Mean Arousal; 1=Low 3=High
V1CEMQ13 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 13-Mean Global Rating; 1=No Empathy 7=Intense Empathy
V1CEMSOC 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 3i-3l-Mean Prosocial Behavior; 0=None 1=Prosocial Behavior
V1CEMIMI 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 3m-Mean Imitations; 0=None 1=Imitations
V1CEMACT 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Question 3e-Mean Active Play; 0=None 1=Active Play
V1CEMPC1 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  First Principal Component including Global Rating (Q13)
V1CEMPC2 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  First Principal Component without Global Rating (Q13)
V1CEMCOM 14M Combined HEMP and LEMP:  Comments
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Procedure Description:

Examiner Empathy

At 14, 20 and 24 months upon completion of the Bayley/S.I.C.D assessment, each examiner pretended to pinch her finger in a test materials case. In each simulation which lasted 90 seconds, the examiner pretended to pinch her finger and say, “ooh” and “ah” for thirty seconds. She was very careful to not have eye contact with the child during this time. At thirty seconds, the examiner expressed that the injury “feels better now” and for thirty more seconds talked about how the injury was better. At 60 seconds, the examiner engaged the child and the camera recorded the next thirty seconds for any latent responses. At three years of age, examiner empathy was assessed between the administration of the Binet and the S.I.C.D. At five and seven years of age, examiner empathy was assessed between the administration of the Family Role stories and the Nice and Mean stories.

Mother Empathy

Mother empathy was assessed at 14, 20 and 24 months as a separate procedure. The mother sat on the floor with each child separately and played with the toy previously used in the toy removal procedure. After she had the child engaged with the toy she stood up and pretended to hurt her knee, going back down to the ground on one knee and rubbing her knee as she said, “ooh” and “ah.” Again, mothers had been instructed not to engage the child through eye contact or to call the child’s name. The examiner kept time for the mother and after thirty seconds, she asked the mother, “(Mother’s name), are you okay?” At this point the mother expressed that the injury was “feeling better now” and the examiner and mother talked about her having been hurt for thirty seconds. The last thirty seconds was filmed for the child’s latency to respond as mom and the examiner talked about the visit in general. At ages three, five and seven years mother empathy is assessed following the co-construction procedure. Each mother pretends in this simulation to hurt her knee as she attempts to get up to leave the table. The same three thirty second intervals comprise the mother empathy.

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