Development of Altruistic Behavior in Children: Significance and Prospects of Developmental Research from Japan

Abstract

The internationalization of developmental research in Japan has progressed in recent years, with many Japanese research papers having been published in international journals in English. However, the submission of scientific papers to international journals is not necessarily the optimal choice in the field of psychology in Japan. The authors have continued to make presentations at international conferences regarding the results of developmental psychology studies based on an interdisciplinary approach that goes beyond traditional confines. Here we introduce the authors' developmental research on the effects of others observing altruistic behavior in children, alongside our rationale for selecting this theme in the context of developmental research from Japan. Finally, the authors state their informed opinion regarding the significance of international research dissemination and the prospects of developmental psychology in Japan.