A 25-year study reveals how empathy is passed from parents to teens to their future children

The longitudinal study traced how empathy develops across three generations. Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images by Jessica A. Stern, University of Virginia and Joseph P. Allen, University of Virginia Our new research shows that parents who express empathy toward their teenagers may give teens a head start in developing the skill themselves. In addition, adolescents who show empathy and support toward their friends are more likely to become supportive parents, which may foster empathy in their own offspring. How we did our work The KLIFF/VIDA study at the University of Virginia has tracked 184 adolescents for more than 25 years: from age 13 well into their 30s. Starting in 1998, teens came to the university every year with their parents and closest friend, and a team of researchers recorded videos of their conversations. Researchers observed how much empathy the mother showed to her 13-year-old when her teen needed help with a problem. We measured empathy by rating how present and engaged mothers were in the conversation, whether they had an accurate understanding of their teen’s problem, and how much help and emotional support they offered. Then, each year until teens were 19 years old, we observed whether teens showed those...