Implicit prosocial motivation in children: its development of measurement and relation to helping behavior and mental health

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20296
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0110:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Shinshu University (2022); Shikoku University (2021)
• Principal Investigator: Yokoshima Takayuki 信州大学, 学術研究院総合人間科学系, 助教 (90909631)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 児童 / 向社会性 / 向社会的動機 / 向社会的行動 / 潜在連合テスト / ストレス / 援助行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In psychology, the motivation for helping others is called prosocial motivation, which includes consciously measured, explicit prosocial motivation (EPM) and unconsciously measured, implicit prosocial motivation (IPM). We developed a method to measure IPM and investigated the relationship between IPM and helping behavior and mental health. The participants were elementary school children in fourth to sixth grades. The IPM measurement method was developed using a paper-and-pencil version of the implicit association test, and the method’s reliability and validity were confirmed. The IPM measurement method was developed using a paper-and-pencil version of the implicit association test, and the method’s reliability and validity were confirmed. The results of regression analysis showed a significant moderation role of IPM for the effect of EPM on changes in prosocial behavior. Additionally, IPM was found to be more positively related to mental health than EPM.

Free Research Field

教育心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義　①研究事例の少ない児童期の潜在的な向社会的動機について，測定法の開発を成功させ，今後の研究可能性を開拓したこと。②同様に，児童期の顕在的および潜在的な向社会的動機と，援助行動および精神的健康との基礎的な関連を明らかにしたこと。
社会的意義　①児童の援助行動や精神的健康に対する潜在的動機の役割を示すことで，思いやりの心や行動の育成について新しい観点を示すことができたこと。②開発した測定法は，思いやりの心や行動を育む心理教育の効果検証に活用することができる。エビデンスに基づく教育方法の開拓への活用可能性を広げたこと。