The role of language in the development of mental representations

• Project/Area Number: 24530843
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Osaka Shoin Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Hiromi 大阪樟蔭女子大学, 学芸学部, 教授 (80411453)
• Research Collaborator: TOI Yoko ; YAMADA Chieko ; KITANO Sachiko
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: 心的状態語 / 心の理論 / 日本語 / 視点取得 / トレーニング / コミュニケーション / 幼児期 / 幼児教育 / 表情認知

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The role of language in the development of mental representations was investigated in the following three studies: to construct a database of child mental state language; to examine the relationship between parental use of mental state language and the parents’ sensitivity to changes in the facial expressions of children; and to assess the effectiveness of a communication program that used the mental state language to promote children’s understanding of other’s mind. From the database, it was found that child mental state language increased most rapidly between 2 and 3 years of age. Parental use of mental state language was found to correspond to the mental state language that the children had mastered by the age of 6. The frequency of parental use of mental state language was positively related to their sensitivity to the changes in facial expressions. The communications training that used mental state language was most effective for children between 4 and 5 years of age.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] The role of adults in the development of children's expressive mental state language: Emotional expressiveness and the use of mental state terms (2016)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji & Chieko Yamada
  • Journal Title: The Journal of International Association of Early Childhood Education Volume: 23 Pages: 29-42
  • NAID: 40021294171
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] 他者理解の心を育むコミュ ニケーション活動-実践研究への道筋 (2016)
  • Author(s): 辻弘美・山田千枝子
  • Journal Title: 国際幼児教育研究 Volume: 23 Pages: 83-92
  • NAID: 130008075340
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] 心の理論インタビューの青 年期後期から成人期の日本 人女性への応用-心の理論 インタビューでどこまで他 者の心的状態理解が測定で きるか- (2016)
  • Author(s): 辻弘美・山﨑綾香・藤原はづき
  • Journal Title: 大阪樟蔭女子大学研究紀要 Volume: 6 Pages: 13-19
  • NAID: 120005765951
  • Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] ３歳児における心的状態語の使用の個人差の検討-養育環境と社会認知発達との関連- (2016)
  • Author(s): 辻弘美・戸井洋子
  • Journal Title: 電子情報通信学会信学技報 Volume: 115 Pages: 19-24
  • Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] The efficacy of reflection in narrative production: Can a reflective session facilitate the use of mental state talk in narrating a story (2015)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Journal Title: 大阪樟蔭女子大学研究紀要 Volume: ５ Pages: 27-33
  • NAID: 110009899427
  • Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Early development of metalinguistic awareness in Japanese: evidence from pragmatic and phonological aspects of language (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji, Martin Doherty
  • Journal Title: First Language Volume: -
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] An exploratory examination of child mental state language in Japanese: adults’ knowledge about the development of child language (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji, Sachiko Kitano
  • Journal Title: 国際幼児教育学会 Volume: -
  • NAID: 40021293987
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] An Examination of the Gaze-cueing effect using different methods of gathering responses (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Journal Title: Research Bulletin of Osaka Shoin Women's University Volume: 4 Pages: 123-128
  • NAID: 110009760080
• [Journal Article] An exploratory analysis of 4-month-old infants' behaviours towards picture books in the Bookstart programme context (2013)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Journal Title: Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education Volume: 7 Pages: 5-28
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 女子大学生による子どもに向けた絵本の「語り」-養育者の絵本の語りにおける評価方略の検討に向けて- (2013)
  • Author(s): 辻 弘美
  • Journal Title: 大阪樟蔭女子大学研究紀要 Volume: 3 Pages: 55-61
  • NAID: 110009535963
• [Journal Article] How parenting style relates to the development of child mental state language (2012)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Early Childhood Education Volume: 20 Pages: 1-13
  • NAID: 130008145547
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] How do Japanese children benefit from mindreading training? Findings from a detailed examination of the training process. (2016)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: International Congress of Psychology 2016
  • Place of Presentation: 横浜国際会議場
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-24
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Can executive functions be used to predict the development of mentalizing ability in Japanese children? (2016)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: International Congress of Psychology 2016
  • Place of Presentation: 横浜国際会議場
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-24
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ３歳児における心的状態語 の使用と個人差の検討-養育環境と社会認知発達との関連- (2016)
  • Author(s): 辻弘美・戸井洋子
  • Organizer: ヒューマンコミュニケション基礎研究会
  • Place of Presentation: やまと会議室（奈良）
  • Year and Date: 2016-01-22
• [Presentation] 成人期の心の理論の個人差を測る-測定方法の検討- (2015)
  • Author(s): 辻弘美
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会79回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋国際会議場
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-22
• [Presentation] Perspective-taking discourses can facilitate theory-of-mind in Japanese children: At what age should children receive theory-of-mind training? (2015)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: British Psychological Society Conference Developmental Section 2015
  • Place of Presentation: Manchester, UK
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-09
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Developing Japanese children's understanding of theory of mind by using perspective-taking discourses (2015)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: Child Language Symposium
  • Place of Presentation: University of Warwick, England
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-20 – 2015-07-21
• [Presentation] Developing Japanese children’s understanding of theory of mind by using perspective-taking discourses. (2015)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: Child Language Symposium 2015
  • Place of Presentation: University of Warwick, UK
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-20
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Examination of linguistic strategies used in narrating the Frog Story: A comparison between university students and preschool teachers (2015)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji, Yuki Sakai
  • Organizer: 電子情報通信学会：ヒューマンコミュニケーション基礎
  • Place of Presentation: 小豆島ベイリゾート
  • Year and Date: 2015-01-30 – 2015-01-31
• [Presentation] 心の理論インタビューの検討：青年期後期から成人期日本人女性への応用 (2014)
  • Author(s): 辻 弘美
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会７８回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 京都 同志社大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-10 – 2014-09-12
• [Presentation] What determines the differences in maternal use of mental state language? (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Netherlands, Amsterdam
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-03 – 2014-09-05
• [Presentation] Early development of expressive mental state language and adults' mental state references in Japanese daily life (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji, Chieko Yamada, Yoko Toi, Sachiko Kitano
  • Organizer: Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference 2014
  • Place of Presentation: Indonesia, Bali
  • Year and Date: 2014-08-08 – 2014-08-10
• [Presentation] The role of adults in the development of expressive mental state language -- emotional expressiveness and the use of mental state terms (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji, Chieko Yamada
  • Organizer: ヒューマンコミュニケーション基礎研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 鹿児島大学
• [Presentation] Early development of expressive mental state language and adults’ mental state references in Japanese daily life (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji, Chieko Yamada, Yoko Toi, Sachiko Kitano
  • Organizer: PACIFIC EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
  • Place of Presentation: Inna Grand Bali Beach – Sanur, Bali インドネシア
• [Presentation] What determines the differences in maternal use of mental state language? (2014)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: British Psychological Society Developmental Section
  • Place of Presentation: Hotel Casa 400, Amsterdam, オランダ
• [Presentation] 母親の表情知覚における敏感性：子の心的表象能力発達との関連にむけて (2013)
  • Author(s): 辻 弘美
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会７７回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 北海道医療大学
• [Presentation] Adults’ recognition of child mental state language: A comparison between parents and nursery teachers. (2013)
  • Author(s): Chieko Yamada & Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: 14th Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Ewha Womans University, Korea
• [Presentation] Three-year-old children’s mental state language in Japanese: how does it relate to socio-cognitive development? (2013)
  • Author(s): Yoko Toi & Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: 14th Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Ewha Womans University, Korea
• [Presentation] Developing children’s empathy through socializations: the role of mental state conversations with children (2013)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: 14th Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Ewha Womans University, Korea
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Development of mental state vocabulary in the Japanese language: from a large-scale study of pre-school children (2013)
  • Author(s): Sachiko Kitano, Chieko Yamada, Yoko Toi, Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: 16th European Conference on Developmental Psychology
  • Place of Presentation: Lausanne University, Switzerland
• [Presentation] Relationship between mental state language and socio cognitive development: a large-scale study in a Japanese-speaking population (2013)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji Yoko Toi, Chieko Yamada, Sachiko Kitano,
  • Organizer: 16th European Conference on Developmental Psychology
  • Place of Presentation: Lausanne University, Switzerland
• [Presentation] Parenting Style Influences the Early Development of Mental State Language (2012)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: 13th Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• [Presentation] Childrens belief attributions: longitudinal relationships between early dyadic conversation and theory-of-mind (2012)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference 2012
  • Place of Presentation: University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
• [Presentation] 誤った信念の説明：誤信念判断課題と言語能力の関係から (2012)
  • Author(s): 辻 弘美
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会76回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 専修大学
• [Presentation] Interpretation of a protagonist's misrepresentation: An investigation of linguistic strategies in narrating a picture book (2012)
  • Author(s): Hiromi Tsuji
  • Organizer: International Conference on the Processing of East Asian Languages
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学