Abstract
Children's self-cognition is related to their parents' cognition of some aspects of the children, and to their parents' care and hopes for the children's aims in life. The present study investigated the cognitions of parents of physically weak children, differences between the parents and their children in the cognition of the children's health, and factors related to those differences. A broad definition of physically weak children was used; data were analyzed for those parents who felt that their children were weak. Parents of fifth-year elementary school children in Osaka and Wakayama City completed questionnaires. Data were usable from 681 parents of male children and 668 parents of female children, for a total of 1349 respondents. The questionnaire includes the following measures: the parents' evaluation of the condition of the children's health (11 items), the parents' concerns about the children and their attitude toward the children's health (10 items), the parents' cognition of the children's ability (12 items), and the parents' hopes for their children's aims in life (12 items). The main results were as follows: 1. Parents' cognition of their children's abilities greatly influenced their hopes for their children's aims in life. 2. Parents' cognition of their children's abilities depended greatly on their cognition of their children's health. 3. Parents' cognition of their children's health fell into four types, in relation to the difference between the parents' and their children's cognition of the children's health. 4. In some families, the parents felt that their children were weak, while the children considered themselves to be strong; those parents showed the most negative attitude or valuation of their children's ability and of the parents' hopes for the children's aims in life. 5. In some families, the parents felt that their children were strong, while the children considered themselves to be weak; those parents showed the most positive attitude or valuation of their children's ability and of the parents' hopes for the children's aims in life.
