Neckline size is an important factor when considering the ease with which both the elderly and the young can put on or take off upper body garments such as T-shirts. To determine an optimum neckline size (NL), a study involving 53 adult women and 45 young children was carried out. The following results were obtained:
(1) With regard to the elderly's way of getting dressed it was noted that, due to the characteristics associated with bending forward and bending the arms, they required an additional size differential of 1.3 cm when taking off the garment, compared with putting it on. It was determined that a ‘perfect fit’ required an NL 2 cm larger than the head circumference, a ‘fairly loose fit’ needed an additional 6 cm and a ‘loose fit’ required an extra 8 cm.
(2) With regard to the young children, it was noted that their ability to dress and undress developed with age. For getting dressed, the optimum NL looseness was found to be 4.4 cm for the group aged 4, 3.0 cm for the group aged 5 and 2.5 cm for the group aged 6. The requirements for 6-year-olds (2.5 cm) were similar to those in the elderly grouping (2 cm). For undressing, a regression equation was used whereby a value ｘ (cm) was ascribed to the children's head circumference and a value ｙ (cm) to their NL. Optimum levels of looseness were recorded as follows: 4.3 cm for children aged 4, 3.0 cm for children aged 5 and 2.6 cm for those aged 6. The regression coefficients for the 5- and 6-year-old children were found to be similar. Therefore, these results were combined.
(3) The regression coefficient in the elderly group was found to be similar to that of the combined 5- and 6-year-old children's group. The formula for both groups was calculated as ŷ=0.7014 ｘ +18.096. This formula was found to be helpful in formulating an improved NL measurement for universal design.

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  This study examines the results of lessons which introduced “assertion” in consumer education in a high school homemaking course. The lessons were about problems that could arise and how to solve them. The students were given an imaginary situation in which their school seniors were trying to sell them something in an underhand manner. They were requested to think of their reply to the solicitation from their seniors, and took part in role plays in connection with same. Students who were “assertive” managed the situation well and were not deceived. However, it transpired that “non-assertive students” did not refuse the solicitation clearly and may encounter consumer troubles in the future.
  Next, I will examine the way that all students can express themselves more assertively.

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  This study investigated mother-child discourse about negative emotional experiences concerning emotion regulation at dinner time over a period of four years (Time1 to Time4). The target mother and children included a mother of three, with two boys aged five and nine, and a girl of seven. Mother-child discourse about negative emotional experiences also involved experiences that occurred in interpersonal situations. Mother-child discussion was more focused on complex experiences directly related to target children over Time4. They spoke more about coping with the experiences positively and they also spoke about re-interpreting the experiences over Time4. It was suggested that the context of mother-child discourse was especially rich in such discussion of re-interpreting negative emotional experience. The results highlight the significance of family discourse about negative emotional experiences in school childrens'emotional understanding.

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