Abstract
We studied the psychological life space of the children in isolated villages in the light of a “Need Test”, a questionnaire by pencil and paper method.
The questions were directed to (1) what would you like to have,(2) what would you like to do, and (3) what would you like to be, if whatever you wish were possible to he satisfied.
Investigations were held in four remote parts of Tohoku district. The subjects, 777 pupils in total, consisted of 4th year and 6th year pupils of primary schools, and 2nd year pupils of junior high schools. 237 town pupils were examined in the same way for the purpose of comparison.
The result shows that the variability of village children's responses tends to be restricted to matters familiar to them, despite the limitless possibility offered to their answering. For example, in the responses to the first question, we find many trivial articles, such as a “pencil”,“notebook”,“rubber eraser”, which they do not miss at home or at school; and to the second question, many domestic tasks which they are actually doing as daily routine. Such tendency was more eminent in the 4th year children than in the children in upper grades, and more persistent in girls than in boys.
We interpret the result. as showing that the life space of isolated village children is lowly differentiated; and their mental development is conditioned to delay.
