2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Empathetic Understanding and Preschoolers' Consideration for Others
| Project/Area Number |
13610175
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
教育・社会系心理学
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| Research Institution | Kansai University of Welfare Sciences |
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Principal Investigator |
KAMESHIMA Shinya Kansai University of Welfare Sciences, Department of Social Welfare, Ph.D., Professor, 社会福祉学部, 教授 (90241108)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
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| Keywords | empathy / behavioral analysis / interpersonal behavior / preschool education |
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| Research Abstract |
The study investigated the empathic understanding of preschoolers. The means of data collection included survey reports by the preschoolers' caretakers and teachers, and systematic behavioral observation.
The participants consisted of 110 caretakers of preschool children between the ages of three and four years old. The survey aimed to examine the developmental changes from the third and fourth years of age. The results of the data analysis from the survey indicated that the caretakers reported the higher level of empathic understanding of the child compared to the preschool teachers' report. Reports by the caretakers of the four-year-olds showed the higher level of empathic understanding in the affective domain for the girls compared to the boys. Reports by the teachers indicated the higher level of empathic understanding in the behavioral domain.
The level of empathic understanding reported by the survey was examined through the behavioral observations in a kindergarten. The settings in which the behavioral observations took place consisted of "unstructured peer interaction (free-play setting)" and "drawing with peer." The latter was an experimental setting which instigated a mild level of stressful encounter with a peer using his/her own clayons. The results of the behavioral analysis did not show any relationships between the caretakers' reports on the children's empathic understanding and their actual empathic behaviors. However the survey by the teachers revealed that the higher level of empathic understanding was reported for the children who showed the low activity level through behavioral observation.
In summary, the findings suggested that the caretakers and the teachers held different perspectives regarding the preschool children's empathic understanding. The caretakers focused on the affective aspect while the teachers emphasized the behavioral aspect.
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