Development of children's contamination sensitivity at mealtimes

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26380905
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Toyama Noriko 早稲田大学, 人間科学学術院, 教授 (80328038)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 概念発達 / 食 / 病気 / 素朴生物学 / 衛生習慣 / 認知発達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study examined young children’s illness conception and understanding of hygiene norms and rules at mealtime.
(1) By observing preschool mealtimes, the present study examined how adults talk to children about contamination, as one possible source of children’s knowledge. Although preschool teachers' explanations on hygiene were not precise, 3- and 5-year-old preschoolers have sophisticated understanding, i.e.,they frequently generated contamination-mechanism explanations. (2) By comparing teacher-child interaction at mealtimes in day care centers in Okinawa and in Tokyo, it was shown that hygiene habits were deeply rooted in social communities. (3) Examined whether children notice different causes for contagious illnesses, non-contagious illnesses, and injuries, it was shown that 4- and, 5-year-old children consistently denied a belief in immanent justice. For contagious illnesses, they appeared to notice that physical contact with contaminants make us sick.

Free Research Field

発達心理学