Effects of sound environment on infant behaviour and nursery

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K02647
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: Shimada Yohko 同志社大学, 研究開発推進機構, 助教 (60422903)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 乳幼児 / 音環境 / 会話 / 集団形成 / 抑制機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sound-absorbing materials were installed in noisy nursery rooms to compare childrens' behaviors. In Study 1, we investigated group formation and solitary play before and after installation. After the sound environment was improved, the number of children participating in small groups and playing alone increased significantly, and wandering behavior decreased significantly. In Study 2, we recorded the children's conversations and analyzed the relevance of the utterances. The utterance length was significantly longer and more responses with high relevance to the other's utterances were observed in the quiet sound environment. The utterances that repeated one's own words decreased. In Study 3, inhibitory function tasks were condected, and private speechs were recorded to analyze the effect of sound environment.

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、先行研究でアプローチのほとんどされていない集団形成や会話の質といった相互行為への影響を検証した。また、複数の自治体の保育者研修において、本研究の背景と成果、そして実践的な音環境の改善方法について講義とワークショップを繰り返しおこない、広く周知を進めた。さらに、研修や学会を通じて、多くの園の音環境改善に保育者と共に取り組むとともに、環境改善前後の調査をおこなう機会とした。研究推進と並行した園での改善活動により、より的確な改善実践、およびより豊かな音環境創出について、今後のさらなる研究と実践を進める基盤を作ることができた。