2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Developmental Study on the Contemporary Japanese View of Nature and Life through Insects
| Project/Area Number |
18730422
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Educational psychology
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| Research Institution | Osaka University of Economics and Law |
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Principal Investigator |
FUJISAKI Ayuko Osaka University of Economics and Law, 教養部, 准教授 (50411690)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2009
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| Keywords | 人と動物の関係学 / 生物概念 / 心の理論 / 虫 / 環境教育 |
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| Research Abstract |
To clarify the developmental significance of human interaction with insects, which are familiar living things, we surveyed young children's perceptions of insects, analyzed behavior and speech records of children's play with insects over the past ten years, and administrated a questionnaire to university students. First, the findings from the survey indicate that a gender difference in the like/dislike of insects becomes apparent at age 6 and that girls become increasingly averse to insects. Second, the behavior analysis revealed that the types of things learned from playing with insects are varied. Finally, the speech analysis revealed that children's speech when talking to insects is distinctively different from that when talking to domesticated animals, such as rabbits. These results argue for the significance of insects in appreciating the diversity of the world.
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