Abstract
We eat and dine everyday. Then how the concept of “dining” is perceived by people? The purpose of this study is to find out the process of acquiring the concept about “dining” through questionnaires concerning “a typical image of dining scene, ” “a typical image of dining script, ” and their reasons. The sample consisted of 188 second-, 211 fourth-, 201 sixth-, and 154 eighth grade children, 293 college students, and 246 parents whose children are elementary school pupils. The results are as follows :
(1) The typical image commonly shared by the adult sample was to eat nutrious and delicious foods, chatting with their family or intimate friends in the evening at home.
(2) Second grade children were found to attach much importance to the physiological function of “dining, ” sixth and eighth grade children to the function of “dining” to the family life, college students to the more general social function of “dining, ” and parents to both physiological and social functions. In other words, the concept of dining develops from the physiological function through the familial to the social functions with ages.
(3) Females attached much importance to all functions of “dining” than makes.
