Everyday Usage of the Japanese Word Bukiyo When Describing Children's Movement Difficulties

Abstract

The diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder has been internationally accepted in recent years. The present study aimed to examine everyday usage of the Japanese word bukiyo for describing features of developmental coordination disorder. The participants, 89 college and university students, were asked to assess 40 words that described a variety of actions, including bukiyo, in terms of the following: (a) action, (b) time, (c) body part, (d) factor, (e) perspective, and (f) persistence. The results indicated that bukiyo was used for actions involving a part of the body and for processes of actions. Bukiyo also was used to express actions related to skills, involved both evaluative and objective perspectives, and was perceived as an individual trait. A cluster analysis of all 40 words revealed 3 clusters, which were named "neatness", "skillfulness", and "speed". Bukiyo fell in the "skillfulness" cluster. Overall, the results suggested that the word bukiyo, as well as the term "developmental coordination disorder" emphasizes the skill-related aspect of actions and connotes "skillfulness", implying that actions could be changed with practice. However, bukiyo differed from "developmental coordination disorder" in expressing actions using a body part and in being a description of an individual trait.