Fostering Empathy

Suggested Citation: Underwood, C; Ernst, J. (2022). "Fostering Empathy for People & Animals: The Promise of Nature Preschools," UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions, Research and Scholarship Showcase, Duluth, MN. Poster Presentation.

Empathy can be a powerful driver for positive social change and is relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals that serve as a global blueprint for peace and prosperity. Empathy has also gained popularity within zoos, aquariums, and other wildlife conservation organizations as a motivator for caring action toward wildlife and nature. As such, there is a need to understand and develop interventions that further people’s empathy, particularly in the context of young children, given the critical developmental period of early childhood. A quantitative study was conducted with 124 children from eight preschools in Minnesota (USA). A modified version of the “Young Children’s Empathy Measure with Humans and Animals” was administered at the beginning and end of a preschool year to measure the impact of preschool type (nature preschool, animal-focused nature preschool, and non-nature preschool) on empathy (cognitive, affective, and empathic behavioral intentions). Results suggest that animal-focused nature preschools and nature preschools were more effective than non-nature preschools for empathic behavioral intentions in the context of humans, as well as for cognitive and affective empathy with wildlife. Further, the animal-focused nature preschools were more effective than nature and non-nature preschools in terms of empathic behavioral intentions in the context of animals. Implications are discussed in light of the study’s limitations.