Effects of kindergartener's intervention in interpersonal conflicts on infant's control of negative emotional expression.

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14510146
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 教育・社会系心理学
• Research Institution: HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: INOUE Wataru Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Education, Assistant Professor, 大学院・教育学研究科, 助教授 (10201336)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2004
• Keywords: Interpersonal conflict / Kindergarten children / Behavioral observation

Research Abstract

Interpersonal conflict among young children causes negative emotions like anger, disgust, sadness, and so on. It is important to learn how to control those negative emotions along with social display rules. In this study, it was observed that children's behavior against interpersonal conflict in a daily play situation.
A large play room and a small play room called a blocks room were selected as the places of observation, and children's behaviors were videotaped at each place for 1 hour per day during 10 days. These rooms were considered different age and different class children would play together, so that interpersonal conflicts would occur frequently. Contrary to this prediction, only 12 interpersonal conflicts were observed.
Identification of interpersonal conflicts was based on verbal and nonverbal behaviors of children. The 4-years children seemed not to show facial or behavioral expression of their emotions and tended to keep their play. Children, even 6-years children, tended to go out of the room as a resolution of conflicts. The complex context of daily play situation may causes simple solution behavior comparing with their abilities.