Abstract
This study examines the effects of the Roots of Empathy (ROE) program on children’s social-emotional competence. ROE is a theoretically derived universal preventive program that
focuses on decreasing children’s aggression and facilitating the development of their social-emotional understanding and prosocial
behaviors. The program has as its cornerstone monthly visits by an infant and his/her parent(s) that serve as a springboard
for lessons on emotion understanding, perspective taking, caring for others, and infant development. The study included a
quasi-experimental control-group pretest–posttest, multi-informant design with 585 4th- to 7th-grade children from 28 classrooms.
Outcome measures included self-reports of understanding of infant distress, empathy, and perspective taking, and peer and
teacher reports of prosocial and aggressive behaviors. Measures assessing implementation were also included. Children in the
ROE intervention classrooms showed significant improvement across several of the domains assessed: self-reports of causes
for infant crying, peer nominations of prosocial behaviors, and teacher reports of proactive and relational aggression. Self-reported
empathy and perspective taking showed no significant changes. According to ROE instructors’ diaries assessing implementation,
students in the experimental condition were exposed to all or most of the ROE curriculum. These findings support and extend
recent research examining the positive impacts of classroom-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs on children’s
social development and behavioral adjustment.
focuses on decreasing children’s aggression and facilitating the development of their social-emotional understanding and prosocial
behaviors. The program has as its cornerstone monthly visits by an infant and his/her parent(s) that serve as a springboard
for lessons on emotion understanding, perspective taking, caring for others, and infant development. The study included a
quasi-experimental control-group pretest–posttest, multi-informant design with 585 4th- to 7th-grade children from 28 classrooms.
Outcome measures included self-reports of understanding of infant distress, empathy, and perspective taking, and peer and
teacher reports of prosocial and aggressive behaviors. Measures assessing implementation were also included. Children in the
ROE intervention classrooms showed significant improvement across several of the domains assessed: self-reports of causes
for infant crying, peer nominations of prosocial behaviors, and teacher reports of proactive and relational aggression. Self-reported
empathy and perspective taking showed no significant changes. According to ROE instructors’ diaries assessing implementation,
students in the experimental condition were exposed to all or most of the ROE curriculum. These findings support and extend
recent research examining the positive impacts of classroom-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs on children’s
social development and behavioral adjustment.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-21
- DOI 10.1007/s12310-011-9064-7
- Authors
- Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Veronica Smith, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Anat Zaidman-Zait, Human Early Learning Partnership, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Clyde Hertzman, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Journal School Mental Health
- Online ISSN 1866-2633
- Print ISSN 1866-2625