Using caregiver assessments and the children's self-observations, she rated each child's overall sympathy level and his or her tendency to feel negative emotions after moral transgressions.

Some of their earliest observations have to do with the level of self-control the youngsters displayed.

Supposedly "harmless" observations about life could be masking not only a low self esteem, but also poor social skills or the inability to make conversation that isn't value-based.