Empathy, estradiol and androgen levels in 9-year-old children

The aim of this study was to analyze the possible relationship between circulating hormone levels (testosterone, androstenedione and estradiol) and empathy, as well as to identify any possible gender differences in this relationship. The subjects were 123 9-year-old Caucasian children (57 boys and 66 girls). Bryant’s Empathy Index was used to measure empathy. Hormone levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay technique in saliva samples. The Kruskal–Wallis test revealed the existence of interaction effects of estradiol-gender and testosterone-gender on empathy. Girls with low testosterone levels scored higher in Cognitive Empathy than girls with high testosterone levels. Boys with low estradiol levels scored higher in Affective Empathy than boys with high levels of this hormone. The results obtained open up new and interesting avenues of future research into the relationship between hormones and empathy in children.