People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to have higher levels of discomfort (personal distress) while other people experience negative emotions. Further, personal distress is related to self-focused rather than other-focused cognitive processes. However, the characteristics of self-focused and other-focused cognitive processes among adolescents with ASD have not been clarified by previous research. The present study examined empathy in adolescents with ASD, focusing on their self-focused and other-focused cognitive processes. Fifteen adolescents with ASD and 577 typically developing adolescent males were presented with 3 pictures, of a person who felt fear, sad, and anger, and they were asked to express their thoughts (open response), and to evaluate whether their thoughts were self-focused or other-focused (choice response). The results showed no group differences in open responses; however, on the choice response task adolescents with ASD had a higher tendency to rate their thoughts as self-focused than did the typically developing adolescents, for the picture depicting fear. These findings suggest that people with ASD may have had many fearful experiences, which relates to excessively self-focused cognitive process when they perceive a person who feels fear.

View full abstract

This study examined mothers' participation in childcare groups, focusing on their ibasho (existential place) and level of group participation, in order to understand mothers' experiences and discuss childcare support. Eleven mothers were interviewed about their group experiences. Data analysis using the modified grounded theory approach revealed six stages of participation: (1) “encountering the childcare group,” (2) “interacting as a simple participant,” (3) “achieving ibasho,” (4) “participating in group operations,” (5) “running the group,” and (6) “developing childcare support.” Mothers who were distressed while nurturing children were able to achieve ibasho when supported by other mothers. Further, mothers' positions shifted from that of support recipients to support providers when they participated in the operations of the childcare group. These findings suggest that a mother undergoes two learning processes—as both a child nurturer and a childcare supporter—and that her ibasho is the place where she accomplishes her roles and feels fulfillment, in addition to returning to her original self.

View full abstract

Participation in social pretend play has been regarded as a relatively sophisticated form of pretend play, because it requires the sustained understanding of other people's fantasy framework. The present study investigated whether older siblings changed their behaviors during pretense play and consequently encouraged toddlers to engage in collaborative pretend play, with a sample of 26 pairs of older siblings (M＝5;5) and toddlers (M＝1;11). Older siblings smiled longer, gazed at the toddlers longer, used sound effects more frequently, and engaged in more frequent snack-related actions in a “pretense condition” than in a “real condition.” In addition, sequential analysis revealed that toddlers were significantly more likely to engage in pretense following the specific pattern of older siblings' behavior, as a form of social referencing. These research findings are discussed in relation to what Rogoff (2003) called “guided participation.”

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore University of Tokyo students' socioemotional development in relation to their experiential activities. Participants were 276 university students (164 males, 106 females, 6 unreported). Their mean age at the time of first assessment was 20.46 years (SD＝1.43, Median＝20, range 18–27). Personality traits, sense of coherence, and emotion regulation strategies were assessed, and analyses were conducted for rank-order stability, mean-level change, and individual differences in change of students' personality traits and sense of coherence. The results showed that rank-order stability was relatively high. As for mean-level change, scores for extraversion and sense of coherence increased significantly. In addition, individual differences in changes of these traits were accounted by students' emotion regulation strategies. Specifically, students using more positive reappraisal strategies showed more increase in their extraversion scores. In contrast, students using more acceptance strategies showed more decline in extraversion. These findings indicate that extracurricular activities like experiential activities may have effects on the socioemotional development of university students.

View full abstract

This study investigated how the siblings of hikikomori (“socially withdrawn”) youth become autonomous from their families, as a clarification of sociocultural influences that impact on their autonomy. Analysis of narrative data from 3 siblings whose brother or sister were hikikomori in adolescence utilized a Trajectory Equifinality Model. The results revealed a four phase process. First, these siblings faced up to the changes in their brother or sister, and in the second phase they progressed through feelings that “I want my family to change” and that “They won't change” as a period. In the third phase they kept their distance at the appropriate times, and in the final phase the siblings exhibited decisiveness and self-control. It was also clear that this process involved both autonomy from their family and independence in adolescence. During the third phase, their parents appeared to impart sociocultural influences by encouraging them to remain in family unit (reflecting a traditional Confucian mentality), and yet respected their independence in the modern context of an industrial society where one must progress through successive levels of education. Finally, the discussion explores the developmental transformation of siblings in Japanese adolescence.

View full abstract

We examined the extent to which developmental appraisal by nursery teachers predicts psychosocial maladaptation in elementary school, and developed the Developmental Scale for Nursery Record (DSNR). A 7-year longitudinal investigation was conducted on 2,400 children from all day nursery and elementary schools in a suburban Japanese city. Nursery school teachers used the Nursery Teacher's Rating Development Scale for Children (NDSC) to assess children's development. Multiple regression analysis revealed that externalizing problems were predicted by tendencies of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (hyperactivity and inattention), while internalizing problems were predicted by tendencies of autism spectrum disorder (sociality, flexibility, and communication) and tendencies of developmental coordination disorder (gross motor control). Academic performance was influenced by tendencies of the three disorders (inattention, communication, and fine motor control). Item-level analysis identified 35 items that contributed to the prediction of psychosocial maladaptation, and these items were assigned to the DSNR. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the DSNR had optimal levels of reliability and factorial validity. Despite substantial reduction of the number of items, the DSNR showed as much predictive accuracy as did the original NDSC.

View full abstract

This research adapted into Japanese the Kerns Security Scale (KSS), which assesses attachment security in middle childhood. Participants were 420 boys and 428 girls in grades 4–6 (mean age＝10.2 years). It examined whether the Japanese KSS could be assumed to be based on one factor regardless of gender or grade. We verified the reliability of the KSS with tests of internal consistency and test-retest correlation at 3 months, and also examined the validity of the KSS in the two ways. First, correlations between the KSS and the Self-Perception Profile (i.e., global self-esteem, social competence, and athletic competence) were conducted to determine whether they were theoretically related or unrelated to attachment security. Second, the KSS was utilized to predict empathy, friendship satisfaction, loneliness, and aggression after 8 months. The results supported our hypotheses. In sum, the Japanese version of the KSS appears to have adequate psychometric properties of validity and reliability.

View full abstract

This study examined developmental differences in three aspects of distress and negative emotion, emotional regulation strategy (ERS), and adaptive behavior of preschool children under dental treatment. Seven younger children (3.1–3.9) and eight older children (5.0–6.5) were observed using checklists and an IC recorder. Data indicated that distress and negative emotion continued in the younger group but decreased or was absent in the older group in terms of emotional expression. All children in the younger group used the emotion-centered ERS more frequently as revealed by verbal expressions of rejection/avoidance and requests for help, whereas the older children used the problem-centered ERS defined as verbal expressions about treatment protocols in use, indicating that the problem-centered ERS was more effective for decreasing distress and negative emotions. The numbers of both passive and independent adaptive responses to the treatment were higher in the older group, but independent behaviors never exceeded passive behaviors in frequency. Overall these results may hold both theoretical and empirical implications for dealing with children undergoing dental treatment.

View full abstract

This article reviews research on the autonomy of elderly persons, and presents a motivational perspective on autonomy to synthesize studies on frailty, the disabled elderly, and independent elderly people. First, research issues related to frailty and the autonomy of disabled elderly people are introduced. Second, constructs of autonomy among independent elderly are examined, on the basis of several theoretical perspectives including perceived enactment of autonomy, and self-determination theory. Third, a motivational perspective is described. Finally, the contributions of the motivational perspective on autonomy to progress in research are discussed, as well as its practical implications.

View full abstract