Distressed yet empathically sensitive: Preschoolers' responses to infant crying

- Preschoolers showed Infant-oriented responses despite evidence of self-focused distress.
- Personal distress did not relate to disengagement from the distressed infant.
- The interaction between empathic concern and cognitive inquiry predicted helping actions.

Using a simulated long bout of progressively intense infant crying, this study demonstrated that preschoolers responded with infant-oriented empathic concern and helping actions despite evidence of self-focused distress. Preschoolers' helping actions were predicted by the interaction between empathic concern and cognitive inquiry.