Sex differences in schematic model of self/others reflected in the brain.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02519
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45060:Applied anthropology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: NORIUCHI MADOKA 東京都立大学, 人間健康科学研究科, 客員研究員 (20571897)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 菊池 吉晃 東京都立大学, 人間健康科学研究科, 客員教授 (50134739)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: fMRI / 脳機能 / 養育環境 / 親スキーマ / 親子関係

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, the brain activity of young adults was measured while they evaluated the schema of their parents by using fMRI. In addition, the schema of their parents, the parenting style in childhood, and the self-esteem were measured. Then, the correlations between these scores and the brain activities were examined for each of the female and male, and for all of them. As a result, each group showed different brain activation for their mother and father. The female young adults showed the brain activation related to emotional control and mentalizing during the evaluation of negative schema of their mothers. In addition to that, it was shown that female self-esteem might be related to the schema of mother. On the other hand, the females showed brain activation in the region involved in cognitive evaluation based on social distance while they evaluated the schema of their fathers. These results suggest that females establish a specific relationship with their mothers.

Free Research Field

発達・認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた成果は、長い養育期間を経験するヒトの女性と男性それぞれに内在する母親・父親についての個別のスキーマ、母親・父親それぞれと築く関係性、また自己認知発達の共通点や差異について、脳科学的に明らかにしたことである。本研究の成果は、将来の養育スタイルに影響しうる要因を明確にし、その重要性が社会的にも認識されている親の養育態度や養育環境にまつわる諸問題への具体的な対応策を提供する科学的エビデンスになるものと期待される。つまり本研究は、脳科学や人類学などの基礎科学に加え、社会的にも意義深い研究といえる。