Abstract
Factor analysis of data on the Japanese Revised Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R) from a sample of 284 Japanese infants revealed differences in factor patterns between Japan and the United States (Study 1). The procrustes solution showed that the Orienting/Regulation factor was not replicated. On the basis of our hypothesis concerning cultural differences in the interpretation of infant behavior, Japanese mothers were given each infant behavior item from the Revised Infant Behavior Questionnaire, and asked to choose 1 of 14 behavior categories, corresponding to the different dimensions of the questionnaire, that most appropriately fit that behavior (Study 2). The results were that 7 out of 15 infant behaviors in the original “Activity Level” category were considered by the mothers to represent “Distress to Limitation.” Also, 7 of the 16 infant behaviors relating to sleeping in the original category “Distress to Limitation” were not considered to represent it. This suggests that, for Japanese babies, sleeping might not be a confining situation. These results support the idea that culture plays a role in shaping infants' temperament through the actions of caregivers. The data are discussed in terms of different conceptions of self-regulation, which reflect cultural differences in child care and the cultural view of children.
