A longitudinal study on children's independence in middle childhood focusing on "parents and children spending time apart"

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04378
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Chukyo University
• Principal Investigator: Kojima Yasuo 中京大学, 心理学部, 教授 (40322169)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 子ども / 自立 / 親子 / 離れて過ごす / 日誌法 / インタビュー / 縦断研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For approximately 150 families, for whom we had begun following up in October 2013, three types of episodes were recorded for 5 consecutive days every 6 months: (1) parents leaving their children at home (rusuban), (2) parents and children spending apart from each other while out and about, and (3) children going out alone without being accompanied by parents. In addition, home visits were made to 20 of the families at the identical time, and the children were interviewed about where they played on a daily basis while being asked to draw a map that included their home and school. It was found that the developmental sequence was (2) relatively early, followed by (3), and then (1).

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

親子関係の発達は，発達心理学の分野において主要なテーマの一つだが，従来は，親子がどう関わりあうか，その相互作用の様態に着目したものが多かった。これに対し，本研究では，親と子がどのように離れ，またどのタイミングで合流するか，「離れる―合流する」の繰り返しと変化の解明を通して，親子関係の発達を捉えなおそうと考えた。成果として，外出先で親子が一時的に離れることが最も初期からみられ，そののち子どもが親の同伴なしに外出する，最後に，子どもを家に置いて親が外出する，が見られることが分かった。以上の成果は，子どもの自立のプロセスモデルを提示したという意味で，社会的にも意義のある研究成果をもたらしたと考える。