A study of 109 children aged 3–6 in Wuhan, China found that only first-borns — not all children with siblings — outperformed only-children on theory of mind. And the only-child gap closed after just two weeks of a short language-based intervention, suggesting it was never a fixed limitation.
A study of 90 preschoolers in China tracked a dramatic shift in how children handle peer conflict between ages 3 and 5. Regression analysis showed emotional understanding — especially “mental” understanding — explained 69% of the variance in conflict resolution strategies.
Securely attached children responded to others’ pain with empathic concern; insecurely attached children were overwhelmed by their own distress. A two-study experiment with 465 preschoolers shows that emotional safety is the foundation empathy grows from.