An examination on a cultural difference in theory of mind among Japanese, Australian, and Iranian children

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04386
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Ryukoku University
• Principal Investigator: TOYAMA KAORU 龍谷大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (40563763)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 板倉 昭二 京都大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (50211735)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 心の理論 / 幼児 / 母子 / 実行機能 / 説得課題

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, we measured children’s executive function, persuasion skill and language ability, and examined their relationships with theory of mind. Mothers' executive function was also measured, and the correlations with children's executive function was examined. Mothers and children were asked to read a picture book with no words, do a block task, and play freely.
The subjects consisted of a total of 72 children, 18 each of 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds and their mothers. The results showed significant correlations between theory of mind and conflict inhibition and working memory, as well as between theory of mind and persuasion tasks, as has been previously reported. There were no differences in theory of mind performance by family income, parental education, or employment status, but there were significant correlations between mothers' cognitive flexibility or conflict inhibition and that of their children, as well as a relationship with mothers' language use.

Free Research Field

発達科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

心の理論と実行機能の関連を見る研究はこれまでにもあったが，誤信念課題のみで心の理論が測定されてきた。本研究では，10種に及ぶ心の理論を測定する課題を用い，子どもの実行機能のみならず，母親の実行機能を測定したことが独創的である。その結果，母子の実行機能には関連が見られたことは社会的意義があると考えられる。また，他者を説得する際は相手の心を想定した方が説得しやすいと考えられるが，日本においては説得能力と心の理論の関連を見た研究はなく，両者には関連があるが，親子の説得能力には関連が見られなかったという点は学術的意義があると考える。