유아의 정서적·인지적 공감 및 또래 유능성이 행동문제에 미치는 영향

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of affective and cognitive empathy, and peer competence on behavioral problems among young children. Methods: The participants were 224 4- to 5-year-olds attending daycare centers in Gyeonggi-do. Children's empathy, peer competence, and behavioral problems were reported by their teachers. The collected data were analyzed using simple regression and three-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results: The results showed that children who exhibited low affective empathy scored higher on peer acceptance and behavioral problems than children who had high affective empathy. This pattern of results was similarly found with cognitive empathy. Additionally, the effect of children's affective empathy on behavioral problems was fully mediated by peer competence, whereas the effect of children's cognitive empathy on behavioral problems was partially mediated by peer competence. Conclusion: These results suggest the need for peer-competence training based on affective empathy and training for both peer competence and cognitive empathy in reducing behavioral problems among young children.