Table 2.

Intragroup and intergroup differences between TD children and children with ASD in empathy, prosocial behaviour and early psychopathological symptoms

	TD children		ASD children
	Girls (1)	Boys (2)	Girls (3)	Boys (4)
	Mrang	Mrang	Mrang	Mrang	χ²	p	ε²	Post-hoc test
Prosocial	309.3	254.9	158.6	100.1	106.07	< .001	0.210	2 < 1, 4 < 1, 3 < 1,3 < 2,4 < 2
Empathy	292.0	261.8	164.5	135.9	64.24	< .001	0.127	4 < 1, 3 < 1,3 < 2,4 < 2
EC	264.7	262.2	202.8	212.5	10.91	0.012	0.021	-
PRO	300.7	252.8	131.2	172.6	71.94	< .001	0.142	2 < 1, 4 < 1, 3 < 1,3 < 2,4 < 2
AOF	275.7	262.1	202.9	171.1	27.74	< .001	0.054	4 < 1, 3 < 1, 4 < 2
Emp	310.1	246.1	170.3	122.1	88.87	< .001	0.175	2 < 1, 4 < 1, 3 < 1,3 < 2,4 < 2
Internal.	252.5	247.1	267.2	272.0	1.62	0.655	0.003	-
External.	211.2	251.7	341.5	361.2	62.00	< .001	0.121	2 < 1, 4 < 1, 3 < 1,3 < 2,4 < 2
Att Def.	232.1	240.5	314.3	342.4	33.02	< .001	0.065	4 < 1, 3 < 1,3 < 2,4 < 2
Soc. Int.	281.5	259.5	194.7	164.3	35.45	< .001	0.070	4 < 1, 3 < 1, 4 < 2

Note: Mrang: mean range; χ²: Kruskall-Wallis test result; p: p-value; ε2: effect size; In post-hoc test 1: typically developing girls, 2: typically developing boys, 3: girls with ASD, 4: boys with ASD; EC: empathy emotional contagion, PRO: empathy prosocial actions, AOF: empathy attention to others’ feelings, Emp: empathy KRES, Internal: internalising behaviours, External: externalising behaviours, Att. Def.: attention deficit, Soc. Int.: social interactions