Research on the Effects of Sense of Touch on Expression Activities

―One Consideration of Junior High Students’ Expressions Using Clay―

Abstract

The aim of this study was to summarize the developmental stages from infancy to adolescence seen in expression activities using clay. In the present study, we examined the developmental stages of the relationship between sense of touch and expression activities for students in the second grade of junior high school. The methodology used in this survey involved preparing five objects having different tactile sensations, and having the students touch one of the objects with their hands while being visually blocked out and expressing what they felt by using paper clay. Based on their preference for “realistic expression,” including reproduction of a concept or perception, we examined the results via descriptions on worksheets, expressions, and records of activities. The results indicated that when a person touches something for which they can recall a specific noun from knowledge or experience, they prefer “realistic expression.” In contrast, when a person touches something for which they cannot recall a specific noun, it is difficult for them to prefer “realistic expression”; however, when a person recognizes the shape of the object, they tend to prefer “realistic expression.”