This study investigated how children's emotional understanding differs depending on whether (1) the central person in a time-sequence story is oneself or another person, and (2) the type of object that causes the negative emotion in the story is a human or an object. In Experiment I, participants between the ages of 3 and 5 years inferred the causes of emotional occurrences described in four picture stories. In Experiment II the experimental conditions were closer to reality, so that 4- and 5-year old participants could actively and freely associate the understanding of temporally extended emotions with the current emotion, in four different puppet shows. The results showed first that whatever the main character was in the story (self vs. others), preschoolers could infer the cause of emotional occurrences, regardless of their age. In addition, children in the younger age group understood that temporally extended emotions affect the current emotion, if the cause of the emotion was a human.

View full abstract

This study examined whether young children understand that it is possible to express sadness even when one does not really feel sad. The participants, 40 4- and 6-year old children, listened to 8 stories in which it was appropriate for the protagonist to hide his/her real emotions (negative or positive). Hiding of emotions was based on either pro-social or self-protective motivation, and the protagonist instead expressed other emotions (happiness or sadness). Participants were asked questions about the protagonist's real and expressed emotions, and the emotions another story character inferred that the protagonist felt. The results showed that 6-year olds recognized real and apparent emotional expressions more accurately than did 4-year olds, in almost all cases. These findings were consistent with the results of previous studies. In the present study, the most important finding was that the ability of 6-year olds to recognize others' false expression of sadness because of self-protective motivation differed from that of 4-year olds. However, the results also showed that it was difficult even for 6-year olds to distinguish between real and apparent expressions of emotion, when the protagonist expressed false sadness because of pro-social motivation.

View full abstract

This research examined the relations between social support, subjective well-being, and an Internal Working Model (IWM). Caregivers (N = 278) completed a questionnaire. The results showed that caregivers belonging to an "up-to-date" IWM group received sufficient support from other important people and a wider support network, compared with caregivers from other groups. Hierarchical multiple regression that assumed subjective well-being to be a mediating factor examined the structure of the influences that supported an IWM. The results showed that support from an important person and a support network did not have a direct relationship with lower "Anxiety" in an IWM, but it did have a direct relationship with lower "Avoidance" in an IWM.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the causal relations between ego identity and occupational cognitions, by use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). It utilized a Multidimensional Ego Identity Scale (MEIS ; Tani, 2001) from the viewpoint of trait theory. A questionnaire was administered to 1, 083 junior college students immediately before graduation from a program in early childhood care and education. The results of SEM suggested that (1) sense of identity increased students' understanding of childcare work, and feeling of fitness to work in childcare ; (2) feeling of fitness increased anticipation of enhanced feelings of satisfaction, interest, and commitment with regard to childcare work ; and (3) interest increased commitment and intention to continue with childcare. The discussion focused on a psychosocial viewpoint, and the results suggested topics for future research.

View full abstract

This study investigated the relationship between pubertal development and adolescents' eating disorders, as mediated by acceptance of pubertal development, body satisfaction, behaviors to decrease weight, and behaviors to avoid exposure of one's own body to others. The participants were 503 junior high school students (252 boys, 251 girls). Participants were asked about pubertal development, acceptance of pubertal development, body satisfaction, behaviors to decrease weight, behaviors to avoid exposure of one's body to others, height, and weight. The main results were as follows. For boys, there was no relationship between pubertal development and eating disorders. For girls, lower acceptance of pubertal development was related to low body satisfaction, and low body satisfaction led to more behaviors to decrease weight and avoid exposure of one's body to others. Behaviors to decrease weight and to avoid exposure of one's body to others predicted girls'eating disorders.

View full abstract

Japanese junior high school students and 6th grade elementary school students (N=933) participated in a questionnaire survey regarding emotional problems. The study first tested a model in which self-worth mediated the effects of antecedent factors (alienation in the classroom, and teacher attitudes) on emotional problems. The data indicated that classroom alienation was a strong predictor of emotional problems, whereas teacher attitudes did not have a direct influence on emotional problems. In addition, multi-sample analysis revealed a gender difference in this model. The data also indicated that self-worth buffered the influence of classroom alienation on emotional problems. It appears that children with greater self-worth had less emotional problems, despite feeling more alienated.

View full abstract

Preschool children played a fishing game in pairs, sharing a single fishing pole (n = 104, 52 pairs ; mean age of younger pairs = 5 years ; mean age older pairs = 5 years 11months). Analysis of videotapes of the 10- minute games indicated that the older pairs took turns with the pole by using clearer criteria than did the younger pairs. This age difference was especially notable among girls, as the older children with the fishing pole led in the turn-taking behavior more often than did children in the younger pairs. These findings suggested that older children, particularly girls, are more considerate of others in a game situation compared with younger preschool children.

View full abstract

Three experiments examined children's awareness of rights to privacy and the right to know. In Experiment 1, 4th, 6th, and 8th graders, and undergraduate students, judged whether three types of individual information should be disclosed in a classroom newspaper. The 4th graders, like the older children and college students, distinguished between public vs. personal matters. That is, public matters like school activities were not assumed to be private, whereas personal items such as a diary and petty cashbook were assumed to be kept from the public view. In Experiment 2, the same four age groups evaluated whether a student should show his "good" or "bad" personal diary to a teacher, and whether a salesclerk should reveal her customer's telephone number to a "good" or "bad" person. Elementary school children tended to respond that the "good" diary could be shown, and that the telephone number could be given to a "good" person. In Experiment 3, 4th graders and the older participants all showed awareness that even "bad" personal matters should be disclosed if such disclosure is recognized as being in the public interest.

View full abstract