The effectiveness of four training programs designed to foster altruism was examined
with 97 four-to-five-year-old preschool children. It was assumed that role taking
skills would be a necessary and/or sufficient condition for altruistic behavior.
Thus, training programs centering on cognitive perceptual and affective role taking
(empathy) respectively were compared to programs in which altruistic behavior was
either watched on TV or enacted (role played) by the children. Children watching
'neutral' TV episodes, or experiencing a regular preschool program, served as
controls. Training lasted for four weeks I h daily training. Altruism was
significantly enhanced in the three role playing programs, whereas prosocial TV
viewing - while less effective than the role play conditions was marginally superior
to neutral TV viewing. Cognitive/perceptual role taking was clearly implicated in
the enactment of altruistic behavior while the role of affective role taking was
less consistent.
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