An examination of the relationship between structural relations of child aggression and empathy, focusing on the phenomenon of happy victimization.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K18265
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Clinical psychology; Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Kyoto University (2018-2022); Osaka University of Human Sciences (2017)
• Principal Investigator: Katsuma Lisa 京都大学, 教育学研究科, 特定助教 (50572385)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 攻撃性 / 共感 / Happy victimization / 児童

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, first, the measurement scale that structurally captured aggression in terms of its function and form was standardized. Next,based on the structural relationship of aggression, the findings of previous studies on the relationship between aggression and empathic responses were replicated. Furthermore, to investigate why individuals with high aggression cause a functional decline in empathic responses, "happy victimization (HV)," which is the attribution of emotions to aggressive behavior, was focused and the effect of HV on the relationship between aggression and empathic responses were investigated. The effect of HV on the relationship between aggression and empathic responses was confirmed. These results suggest that there are negative relationships between aggression and empathic responses, and that there is an effect of HV on the relationship between the two.

Free Research Field

発達心理学，教育心理学，健康心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

まず日本において，攻撃性の構造関係を測定し，それに基づいた研究はこれまでに皆無であり，本研究で開発された測定法を用いて攻撃性の構造関係に焦点を当てることで，児童期の攻撃性の理解をさらに深めることができるのではないかと考える。
またこれまでの攻撃性研究では，感情や感情処理の役割を検討した研究はいまだ少ない。本研究では，共感反応や“happy victimization（幸福な加害：HV）”と攻撃性との関連が見出されており，それを確かめる実証的な知見の一つとなりえたのではないかと考える。
今後本研究で得られた知見をもとに，攻撃性のタイプに応じた介入・予防法の考案へと寄与することが期待される。