Reduction of Chronic Stress in Younger Children Through Block Play

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530885
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Miyagi Gakuin Women's University
• Principal Investigator: ADACHI Tomoaki 宮城学院女子大学, 学芸学部, 教授 (30184188)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KITAMURA Yoshifumi 東北大学, 電気通信研究所, 教授 (80294023) ; ITOH Youihi 大阪大学, 情報科学研究科, 准教授 (40359857) ; KANETAKA Hiroyasu 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 准教授 (50292222)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 積み木遊び / 幼児 / 東日本大震災 / ストレス / 唾液アミラーゼ活性値

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed at assessing the stress-reducing effects of block play. The experimental group was younger children affected by the tsunami and the control group was younger children not affected by the tsunami. Before and after the playtime, their salivary alpha-amylase activity (sAMY) was measured. Operational definition of block play was to manipulate the blocks in such a way as to conform to or explore one’s own conceptions in the process. Four of the 17 children in the experimental group and 11 of the 17 children in the control group engaged in block play meeting the operational definition (Fisher’s exact test, p=.0366). sAMY decreased in 10 of the 15 participants who met the operational definition of block play. sAMY did not decrease in 23 of the 24 participants who did not meet the operational definition (Fisher’s exact test, p=.0002). The results suggested that qualitative differences in block play may affect children’s post-play stress state.

Free Research Field

発達臨床心理学