被体罰経験者の体罰容認的態度を批判的思考態度は抑止するか？

抄録

　Despite efforts to eradicate corporal punishment in school extracurricular sports settings, it is still considered a problem in Japan. One of the reasons for this is that a number of individuals still retain a favorable attitude toward corporal punishment. In fact, previous studies have shown that individuals who have experienced corporal punishment themselves tend to maintain such attitudes. Therefore, it seems necessary to examine the factors affecting the attitude of such individuals to corporal punishment. In this study, we focused on disposition for critical thinking as one such factor. This cross-sectional study examined (1) whether condoning corporal punishment among those who have experienced it is associated with their disposition for critical thinking, and (2) whether disposition for critical thinking in those individuals moderates the relationship between condoning corporal punishment and a positive perception of corporal punishment. We conducted an online survey of 513 participants who had experienced corporal punishment in school extracurricular sports settings. Participants responded to questions relating to age, sex, educational background, favorable attitudes toward corporal punishment, positive perceptions of corporal punishment experiences, critical thinking disposition, aggression, and knowledge of laws regarding corporal punishment. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis, with favorable attitudes toward corporal punishment as the objective variable, showed that the partial regression coefficient for critical thinking disposition was significant. The results indicated that those who had a disposition for critical thinking tended not to view toward corporal punishment favorably. The interaction between a positive perception of the corporal punishment experience and critical thinking disposition was also significant. Furthermore, the relationship between a positive perception of the corporal punishment experience and a favorable attitude toward corporal punishment was weaker for those who had higher critical thinking disposition scores than for those with lower scores. The present results suggest that fostering a disposition for critical thinking among individuals who have experienced corporal punishment may help to prevent the development of favorable attitudes toward it.