environmental factors supporting emotional competence in early childhood : a focus on emotional expression abilities

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04395
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Niimi College
• Principal Investigator: Shibasaki Miwa 新見公立大学, 健康科学部, 教授 (00413542)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 感情コンピテンス / 感情表出 / 保育 / 遊び / 愛着 / 特性理解

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Factors that enhance emotional competence in young children have been identified from two perspectives: the quality of early childhood education and the understanding of characteristics by caregivers and peers. Firstly, it has been revealed that the quality of play in preschool, positive perceptions from caregivers, specific attachment relationships with particular peers, and attachment relationships with teachers contribute to the improvement of emotional expression abilities. Secondly, it has been found that teachers accurately grasp children's characteristics based on their actual behavior, and difficulties in emotional expression do not negatively impact teachers' understanding of children's characteristics. Thirdly, it has been demonstrated that difficulties in emotional expression influence young children's understanding of peers' characteristics. For example, peers who exhibit prosocial behavior with negative facial expressions are perceived as "mean".

Free Research Field

教育心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、幼児期での感情コンピテンスを高める文化的要因を、保育者との相互作用を含む幼児教育の質、保育者および他児による特性理解という２つの観点から明らかにした。感情表出の困難さが、保育者および幼児における他児の特性理解にいかに影響しうるかを明らかにし、他児や保育者との愛着関係や遊びの質が感情コンピテンスと関連することを示した本研究は、保育環境や遊びの中で幼児の感情コンピテンスを向上させる手がかりを提供したという点において意義がある。