The emotional and cognitive foundation of indirect reciprocity in preschoolers

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H06921
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Fukuoka University of Education
• Principal Investigator: Kumaki Yuto 福岡教育大学, 教育学部, 助教 (50802815)
• Research Collaborator: Toda Yuichi
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 間接互恵性 / 利他行動 / 幼児 / 評判操作 / 未来思考

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 examined the preference , empathy and altruistic behavior to prosocial and non-social agent in reschoolers. The results showed that children prefer the prosocial agent rather than the non-social agent, whereas there was no significant difference in altruistic behavior. Experiment 2 investigated the relationships between reputation management and two cognitive factors; false-belief understanding and mental time travel, but these relationships were not observed.

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、選択的利他行動や評判操作の発達過程についての今後の研究の発展に寄与することが期待できる。また、研究１の結果から、自分に直接の利害がない場合でも、他者のやり取りの観察によって幼児が向社会的な他者を好ましいと評価することが示された。このような知見は幼児教育・保育の現場において幼児同士の関係をより深く理解し、適切な人間関係の指導を行うために役立つと考えられる。