Nuerobiological investigation into the developmental course of self recognition ability

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01904
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Kokushikan University (2019); Nagasaki University (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Doi Hirokazu 国士舘大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (40437827)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 樽見 航 長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 助教 (40714895)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 自己認識 / 顔認知 / 発達 / 自閉スペクトラム症 / ホルモン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Elucidating the developmental course of self recognition is among the most prominent goals in the field of social development research. The primary goal of the present research project is to clarify the neurobiological basis of self-recognition development and its individual differences during infancy to early adulthood. The main findings of this project include the revelation of the association between androgen level and attentional responses to self face in women, and the clarification of atypical processing of self- and other-related information in people with autism spectrum disorders. We also made preliminary attempt to establish a non-contact measurement system to quantify infants’ responses to audiovisual information. All these would contribute to the clarification of more details about self-recognition development.

Free Research Field

実験心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

先行研究から、自己顔認知を含む自己認識能力は、社会性認知において不可欠な認知機能であると指摘されてきた。したがって、自己認識の非定型発達を含む、自己認識の個人差が生じる神経生物学的基盤解明に取り組んだ本研究の知見は、自閉スペクトラム症をはじめとした社会的コミュニケーションを苦手とする発達症の原因解明にもつながるため、社会的波及効果は大きいと考えられる。