본 연구는 Tajfel(1981)과 Turner(1985)의 사회정체이론(social identity theory)에 기초하여 부모-자녀관계 유형을 지위지향적(position-oriented) 관계와 인간지향적(person-oriented) 관계로 개념화하였다. 이에 따라 만 3～6세 유아 192명을 대상으로 부모-자녀관계 유형을 선행변인으로 하여 유아의 공감과 조망수용 그리고 친사회적 행동에 영향을 미치는지를 살펴보았다. 연구 결과는 부모-자녀 관계 유형에 따라 유아의 공감과 조망수용 그리고 친사회적 행동에서 유의한 차이가 나타났으며, 공감과 조망수용을 매개변인으로 하여 부모-자녀관계가 친사회적 행동에 미치는 영향을 분석한 결과, 공감은 이들 관계를 매개하는 의미있는 변인으로 밝혀졌지만 조망수용은 의미 있는 매개변인으로 작용하지 않았다.

How is a child's prosocial behavior influenced by parent-child interactions? Based on Tajfel's(1981) and Turner's(1985) work on social identity theory, this study hypothesizes that parent-child interactions are preceding factors affecting a child's empathy, perspective taking and prosocial behavior and attempts to ascertain how these parent-child interaction types influence prosocial development. In this study, parent-child interactions are conceptualized as position-oriented parent-child interactions and person-oriented parent-child interactions. The assumption of the study is that a child's prosocial behavior changes in accordance with the type of interaction. Bearison and Cassell(1975)'s questionaire was revised to determine types of parent-child interaction. Feshbach and Roe(1968)'s Affective Situation Test for Empathy and Eisenberg and Lennon(1980)'s Non-Verbal Empathy Test were used to examine empathy. Hudson, Forman and Brion(1982)'s Perspective taking tool was used with some revision to examine perspective taking. Bar-tal's Sharing Assignment was used to examine prosocial bahavior. Subjects were one hundred ninety two 3 to 6 year old children at child centers in Seoul and Kyunggido Province. The results of this study are as follows; First, child's empathy, perspective taking and prosocial behavior correlate higher with a person-oriented type of parent-child interaction than with a position oriented type of parent-child interaction. Second, parent-child interaction has a direct effect on a child's prosocial behavior. At the same time empathy is strongly influenced by parent-child interaction and is a mediating variable in prosocial behavior empathy. However, in this study, perspective-taking had no effect as a mediating variable.

How is a child's prosocial behavior influenced by parent-child interactions? Based on Tajfel's(1981) and Turner's(1985) work on social identity theory, this study hypothesizes that parent-child interactions are preceding factors affecting a child's empathy, perspective taking and prosocial behavior and attempts to ascertain how these parent-child interaction types influence prosocial development. In this study, parent-child interactions are conceptualized as position-oriented parent-child interactions and person-oriented parent-child interactions. The assumption of the study is that a child's prosocial behavior changes in accordance with the type of interaction. Bearison and Cassell(1975)'s questionaire was revised to determine types of parent-child interaction. Feshbach and Roe(1968)'s Affective Situation Test for Empathy and Eisenberg and Lennon(1980)'s Non-Verbal Empathy Test were used to examine empathy. Hudson, Forman and Brion(1982)'s Perspective taking tool was used with some revision to examine perspective taking. Bar-tal's Sharing Assignment was used to examine prosocial bahavior. Subjects were one hundred ninety two 3 to 6 year old children at child centers in Seoul and Kyunggido Province. The results of this study are as follows; First, child's empathy, perspective taking and prosocial behavior correlate higher with a person-oriented type of parent-child interaction than with a position oriented type of parent-child interaction. Second, parent-child interaction has a direct effect on a child's prosocial behavior. At the same time empathy is strongly influenced by parent-child interaction and is a mediating variable in prosocial behavior empathy. However, in this study, perspective-taking had no effect as a mediating variable.