Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between the behavioral patterns of children and the development of guilt and empathy. Sixth graders were asked how much guilt they would feel depending on the ways they would behave in interpersonal and rule-breaking situations. For example, seeing someone being annoyed, they were asked how they would feel if they found themselves joining the action of annoying him, taking a bystander attitude or trying to stop it. The study found gender differences in both situations. It also found that empathy positively correlates with guilt in the first two behavioral patterns in interpersonal situations as well as in the behavior of joining the action in rule-breaking situations. These results suggest the importance of the role that empathy plays in the development of guilt with the bystander attitude.
