2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study of life-span development in bodily contact as a basis of inter-personal relationships
| Project/Area Number |
16203035
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Educational psychology
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| Research Institution | Waseda University |
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Principal Investigator |
NAGAYAMA Koichi Waseda University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Professor (00112003)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KAWAHARA Noriko Kyoritsu Women's University, Department of Home Economics, Lecturer (90367087)
OYABU Yasushi Waseda University, Faculty of Letters, Professor (30133474)
YAMAGUCHI Hajime Seitoku University, Faculty of Humanities, Lecturer (20288054)
OKAMOTO Yoriko Shohoku Junior College, Lecturer (00315730)
KANNO Jun Waseda University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Professor (80195180)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2006
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| Keywords | bodily contact / interpersonal relationship / life-span development / behavioral observation / parent-child |
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| Research Abstract |
This study was to investigate a life-span development of bodily contact with focusing on its positive as well as negative function.
First, fetal movement in mothers' uterus was focused on with a special interest on ‘Onomatopeia' as a way of tactile communication between fetus and the mother. Next, it was approached from several different ways in infancy : holding infants, tactile play between mother and infant, and baby massage. Touch in those situations strongly suggests an active participation of children for the attainment and the continuation of the contact.
Apart from mother-child relationships, there were important functions of connecting persons in peer and nurse-child relationships. In that aspect, there was a wide cross-cultural variation in the ways of contact.
At the time of adolescence, a negative aspect of bodily contact causing disgust became apparent, which results in repulsion between peers. Its occurrence in parent-child relations may function as a way to avoid incest between them.
In the case of senior persons, a meaning of bodily contact further changed as it is used in a context of care, which as demonstrated using a care-robot.
The findings were shown to each other and the development was discussed together to foster a holistic image of the development.
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