Mental time travel in early childhood: Counterfactual thinking and future thinking

• Project/Area Number: 19K03223
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 10020:Educational psychology-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamichi Keito 千葉大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (70454303)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 幼児 / 反事実的思考 / 推論 / 実行機能 / 認知発達 / 縦断研究 / 思考 / 心の理論 / 未来思考 / メンタル・タイムトラベル

Outline of Research at the Start

ヒトは「今，ここ」の現実を離れ，遠い過去や未来に想いを馳せることができる。このような思考は「メンタル・タイムトラベル」と呼ばれ，ヒトの特徴的な思考の1つと考えられている。これまでの国内外の発達研究では，このメンタル・タイムトラベルの過去志向的な側面（反事実的思考）と未来志向的な側面（未来思考）を個別に検討してきた。本研究では，それら二側面の思考を統合的にとらえ，幼児期における反事実的思考・未来思考それぞれの発達的変化や両者の関連を明らかにし，認知発達に関する新たな示唆を得る。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Thinking about the past and future beyond the "here and now" is called "mental time travel." This thinking is considered to be one of the characteristic human thoughts. In this study, we focused on "counterfactual thinking," which is "past-oriented mental time travel," and examined the development of this thinking in early childhood. In addition, in response to the spread of COVID-19 (December 2019-), we focused on executive function (the ability to control one's thoughts and actions), which is the cognitive basis of mental time travel.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の主要な研究の1つでは，幼児期における反事実的思考が「他者に感謝する感情の理解」に関連することを示した。また，別の研究では，幼稚園時点での実行機能は小学1年時点の学業達成の約40%を説明すると共に，小学6年時点の学業達成に間接的に影響することを示した。これらの本研究の結果は，日本の幼児の心理発達に関する新たな研究知見を提供すると共に，「幼児期の発達の重要性」を示す新しい証拠を提供している。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Young children’s prediction of other’s behavior based on probabilistic and categorical information. (2023)
  • Author(s): 林 冬実・中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 = Bulletin of the Faculty of Education, Chiba University Volume: 71 Pages: 185-190
  • DOI: 10.20776/S13482084-71-P185
  • URL: https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900121735/
  • Year and Date: 2023-03-01
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Emotional Responses, Theory of Mind, and Peer Relationships in Japanese Young Children (2022)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人・中道直子・中澤潤
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 = Bulletin of The Faculty of Education, Chiba University Volume: 70 Pages: 127-133
  • DOI: 10.20776/S13482084-70-P127
  • URL: https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120451/
  • Year and Date: 2022-03-01
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Regulation of Positive Emotion and Peer Relationships in Young Children (2022)
  • Author(s): 髙橋実里・中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 = Bulletin of The Faculty of Education, Chiba University Volume: 70 Pages: 135-141
  • DOI: 10.20776/S13482084-70-P135
  • URL: https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120452/
  • Year and Date: 2022-03-01
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] The Relationships Among the Size of Childcare Centers, the Quality of the Childcare Process, and the Socio-emotional Competence of 1-2-year-old Children (2022)
  • Author(s): 山田千愛・砂上史子・岩田美保・髙橋実里・中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 = Bulletin of The Faculty of Education, Chiba University Volume: 70 Pages: 143-148
  • DOI: 10.20776/S13482084-70-P143
  • URL: https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120453/
  • Year and Date: 2022-03-01
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Evaluation of Socio-emotional Ability in Children with Autism Spectrum Traits (2022)
  • Author(s): 杉田克生・中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 = Bulletin of The Faculty of Education, Chiba University Volume: 70 Pages: 149-154
  • DOI: 10.20776/S13482084-70-P149
  • URL: https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120454/
  • Year and Date: 2022-03-01
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Longitudinal Relations Among Executive Function, Theory of Mind, and Japanese Language Skills Achievement in Elementary School: A 4-year Longitudinal Study (2022)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi Keito, Nakamichi Naoko, & Nakazawa Jun
  • Journal Title: Psychological Reports Volume: - Issue: 3 Pages: 1336-1354
  • DOI: 10.1177/00332941221133010
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The relationship between child-centered teaching attitudes in childcare centers and the socio-emotional development of Japanese toddlers (2022)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi Keito、Takahashi Minori、Sunagami Fumiko、Iwata Miho
  • Journal Title: Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume: 59 Pages: 162-171
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.11.014
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Examining the indirect effects of kindergarteners' executive functions on their academic achievement in the middle grades of elementary school. (2021)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi, N.,Nakamichi, K., & Nakazawa,J.
  • Journal Title: Early Child Development and Care Volume: - Issue: 10 Pages: 1-14
  • DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2021.1913135
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 幼児期における感謝理解の発達と反事実的思考の関連 (2021)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 Volume: 69 Pages: 119-126
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] 幼児の感情刺激への感受性による他者の感情推測の違い (2021)
  • Author(s): 髙橋実里・中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 Volume: 69 Pages: 127-134
  • NAID: 40022570122
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] 幼稚園教育における「自己効力感」と「自己有能感」の育成 (2020)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 初等教育資料 Volume: 993 Pages: 84-87
• [Journal Article] 幼児の反事実的思考に事象の可逆性が及ぼす影響. (2020)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 Volume: 68 Pages: 9-14
  • NAID: 120006875591
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] 児童・青年はどのように泣いている友達に反応するのか―悲しみの泣きと嬉し泣きの比較― (2020)
  • Author(s): 髙橋実里・中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要 Volume: 68 Pages: 165-170
  • NAID: 40022286923
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Young children's counterfactual thinking: Triggered by the negative emotions of others. (2019)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi, K.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Volume: 187 Pages: 1-16
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.06.012
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Preschool social-emotional competencies predict school adjustment in Grade 1 (2019)
  • Author(s): Keito Nakamichi, Naoko Nakamichi & Jun Nakazawa
  • Journal Title: Early Child Development and Care Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Pages: 438-447
  • DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2019.1608978
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 幼児における「事象全体の確率」に基づく法則の学習 (2023)
  • Author(s): 林 冬実・中道圭人
  • Organizer: 日本発達心理学会第34回大会
• [Presentation] 幼児期のCool/Hotな実行機能と小学6年次の学業達成 (2022)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人・中道直子・中澤 潤
  • Organizer: 日本発達心理学会第86回大会
• [Presentation] 幼児における他者の行動に関する信念の修正 (2022)
  • Author(s): 林冬美・中道圭人
  • Organizer: 日本発達心理学会第33回大会
• [Presentation] 養育・教育環境と1-2歳児の言語発達: 感情語を含む言語発達と言語的家庭養育の実態と関連 (2022)
  • Author(s): 岩田美保・中道圭人・砂上史子・髙橋実里
  • Organizer: 日本発達心理学会第33回大会
• [Presentation] The relationships between cool/hot executive functions during preschool-age and academic achievements: A 5-year longitudinal study. (2021)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi, K., Nakamichi, N., & Nakazawa, J.
  • Organizer: 2021 Biennial Meeting of Society for Research in Child Development.
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Preschooler's cool/hot executive functions predict their school academic achievement in Japan. (2021)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi, K., Nakamichi, N., & Nakazawa, J.
  • Organizer: The 32nd International Congress of Psychology.
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Effects of childcare quality on social and emotional skills of 1- to 2-year-old children. (2021)
  • Author(s): Takahashi, M., Nakamichi, K., Sunagami, F., & Iwata, M.
  • Organizer: The 32nd International Congress of Psychology.
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] The relationship between the childcare quality and the group size in daycare centers: Research on Japanese daycare centers aged one- to two-years class. (2021)
  • Author(s): Sunagami, F., Iwata, M., Nakamichi, K., & Takahashi, M.
  • Organizer: The 11th International Conference of Korean Society for Early Childhood Education.
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 幼児期のCool/Hotな実行機能が小学校での学業達成に及ぼす影響 (2021)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人・中道直子・中澤潤
  • Organizer: 日本保育学会第74回大会
• [Presentation] 認知的・情動的な自己制御の発達: 子どもたちの「未来の自分」を支える力 (2021)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Organizer: 第5回 広域科学教育学会大会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 幼児期の情動制御 (2021)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Organizer: 日本発達心理学会第32回大会 シンポジウム「情動制御の発達心理学」
• [Presentation] 養育・教育環境と1-2歳児の社会情動的能力 (2021)
  • Author(s): 髙橋実里・中道圭人・砂上史子・岩田美保
  • Organizer: 日本発達心理学会第32回大会 ポスター発表
• [Book] 情動制御の発達心理学 (2021)
  • Author(s): 上淵 寿、平林 秀美
  • Total Pages: 280
  • Publisher: ミネルヴァ書房
  • ISBN: 9784623091614
• [Book] たのしく学べる乳幼児のこころと発達 (2021)
  • Author(s): 櫻井 茂男、大内 晶子
  • Total Pages: 264
  • Publisher: 福村出版
  • ISBN: 9784571230639
• [Book] 教育職・心理職のための発達心理学 (2021)
  • Author(s): 中道 圭人、小川 翔大
  • Total Pages: 216
  • Publisher: ナカニシヤ出版
  • ISBN: 9784779515477
• [Book] エビデンスベースの教育心理学 (2020)
  • Author(s): 榎本 淳子、藤澤 文
  • Total Pages: 210
  • Publisher: ナカニシヤ出版
  • ISBN: 9784779514777
• [Book] 発達心理学（第5章 認知の発達） (2019)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人（分担）
  • Total Pages: 16
  • Publisher: ミネルヴァ書房
  • ISBN: 9784623086221