Abstract
This study conducted a content analysis of various coping-behaviors of the characters illustrated in elementary school texts in Japan and England. 212 stories, appearing in the readers used for 6-to 9-year old children in Japan and in England were analyzed. Japanese and English texts were examined on the types of stimuli toward the characters in each story and their corresponding coping-behaviors. Two results were observed.(1) When the stimuli caused some conflict with the characters' requests or behaviors, the stimuli were portrayed to be more unintentional in the Japanese than in the English texts. This exemplified the Japanese interpersonal relationships where members were expected to avoid causing any intentional or direct conflicts with others.(2) The coping-behaviors of the characters in the Japanese texts accepted the conflicts caused by the stimuli more actively than in the English texts. The results not only supported Weisz's secondary control hypothesis, but also showed how Japanese members were expected to change their own requests actively or willingly depending on the situation.
