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While lying is considered beneficial in maintaining interpersonal relationships, it has been suggested that it is linked to an increase in depression. This study examined the relationship between the tendency for prosocial lying and depressive mood in 1,034 adolescents. The results revealed that the tendency for prosocial lying had a positive total effect on depressive mood throughout adolescence. A higher tendency for prosocial lying was positively correlated with improved interpersonal relationships among university students. Furthermore, when interpersonal fatigue was used as a mediator, the tendency for prosocial lying had a positive indirect effect on depressive mood in junior high and high school students. These findings suggest that despite the consistent relationship between prosocial lying and depression, this relationship exhibits developmental changes during adolescence.
【Research Impact】
The study’s findings revealed a consistent relationship between prosocial lying and depressive mood during adolescence. It was also revealed that, as adolescents’ educational level progressed, the tendency for prosocial lying became more positively related to improved interpersonal relationships and less related to interpersonal fatigue. These findings indicate that the role of prosocial lying evolves during adolescence.
In childrearing and household tasks, mothers want fathers to proactively recognize and engage in the necessary work. We developed a scale to assess mothers’ perception of fathers’ sensitivity and responsiveness regarding their involvement in childrearing and household tasks (Mother-Perceived Father’s Sensitive and Responsive Coparenting Scale: MP-FSRCS). Online surveys were administered to 497 and 499 mothers with children aged <6 years. In Survey 1, exploratory factor analysis revealed a unidimensional structure with high internal consistency (α = .95) across 10 scale items. High MP-FSRCS scores were significantly associated with increased encouragement and less criticism of the father’s involvement by the mother, increased marital satisfaction, and an increased degree of empathy shown by fathers, as perceived by mothers. In Survey 2, criterion-related validity of MP-FSRCS was examined, and the score was significantly and positively correlated with the Japanese version of the Coparenting Relationship Scale and mothers’ trust in coparenting discussions about parenting concerns. These findings suggest that the MP-FSRCS has high internal consistency and validity as a measure of the constructs associated with harmonious coparenting.
【Research Impact】
This study evaluated harmonious coparenting by measuring mothers’ perceptions of the sensitivity and responsiveness of fathers’ coparenting based on the latter’s involvement in parenting and household tasks. By focusing on the attentive relationship between the primary caregiver (the mother in this study) and the secondary caregiver (father), this scale contributes considerably to future research on coparenting.
Although various assessment tools have been developed for measuring attachment in infancy and adulthood, there are no established measures for assessing attachment in middle childhood and adolescence. Thus, this study employed the semistructured Child Attachment Interview (CAI) to assess the mental representations of attachment in middle childhood. Specifically, it examined the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the CAI with a nonreferred sample of 93 Japanese children (46 boys, mean age = 9.83 years), who completed the CAI, Kerns Security Scale, and subtests for verbal and performance intelligence quotient. Meanwhile, the children’s parents completed the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. The results largely replicated those of prior validation studies, while the distribution of secure/insecure attachment patterns corresponded to the expected distribution. Moreover, although the CAI scales showed the expected correlations with the self-reported attachment measures, they did not correlate with the children’s temperament. Overall, our findings support the CAI’s concurrent and discriminant validities for Japanese school-aged children.
【Research Impact】
The CAI is a semistructured interview designed to assess children’s mental representations of attachment in the age range referred to as the “measurement gap.” This study is the first to test the crosscultural adaptation of the CAI in a Japanese context. The findings support further research regarding this promising tool and its potential applications in clinical settings.
This study examines the reliability and validity of a scale intended to evaluate the difficulties experienced by therapists in providing support to children with disabilities. Furthermore, it determines the relationships between the scale and the attributes of respondents. The participants in this study comprised 324 staff members working in 100 organizations affiliated with the National Council for Child Development Support in Japan. Factor analysis of the scale to assess the difficulties experienced by therapists in providing support to children with disabilities revealed five factors: “engagement with children,” “engagement with other staff members,” “desk work and working environment,” “information sharing with external organizations,” and “engagement with caregivers.” It was also confirmed that the examined scale was highly internally consistent and exhibited a certain level of concurrent validity. Further, the relationships established between the scale and respondent attributes evidenced “desk work and working environment” and years of experience in therapy and “information sharing with external organizations” and job position as significantly differentiating factors.
【Research Impact】
The development of this scale allows the accomplishment of the following actions. First, it enables the quantitative measurement of the difficulty faced by therapists in delivering support to children with disabilities. Second, it elucidates the types of difficulties therapists currently experience and utilizes this information to assist therapists and enhance their environments. Third, the scale can facilitate diverse quantitative studies targeting therapists to investigate the relationships between the difficulties they experience and their mental health conditions.
This study attempted to represent psychological development curves using polynomial equations. We utilized standardized data from the 2020 edition of the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development to specify these equations. Using the least squares method, we calculated equations from the first to the sixth degrees. The results indicated no difference in the fit of the psychological development curve at the third degree and beyond in terms of coefficients of agreement. Further, specifying the psychological development curve as a third-degree equation was found to be favorable. Additionally, the study inferred that individuals’ rate of development varies from birth to adulthood; however, the speed of development gradually decreases with increasing age.
【Research Impact】
The Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development is a standardized scale widely used in Japan. This study investigated the representation of the psychological development curve using polynomial equations based on standardized data from the 2020 edition of the scale. Notably, this scale exhibited social significance because it can serve as an index of psychological development.
【Keywords】 Psychological development curve, Method of least squares, Polynomial, Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2020
This study examines the relationship between depression in mothers and their reluctance to seek help. We developed to measure mothers’ reluctant thoughts to seek help from partners, their own mothers, friends, and nursery or kindergarten teachers and evaluated their reliability and validity. A total of 315 mothers rearing 3–6 year old children participated in the study and completed the questionnaires. The results of exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that the scales exhibited a single-factor structure with sufficient internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.82–0.83). Regarding the construct validity of the scales, we verified nearly all our hypotheses concerning the positive relationship between depression and help-seeking among mothers and the negative relationship between percieved social support and help-seeking. Moreover, parents with highly depressive symptoms reported high levels of recognized child-rearing problems, low levels of perceived social support, and high levels of reluctant thoughts to seek help for child-rearing problems. Further, the negative relationship between depression and help-seeking was similar to previous studies in other contexts.
【Research Impact】
Research Impact: The problems related to child rearing are endless. However, examining the cognition of parents who are unable to seek help from others will contribute to better child-rearing support services. This study revealed the structures of the reluctance of parents to seek help. Moreover, parents with highly depressive symptoms exhibit high levels of reluctant thoughts to seek help for child-rearing problems. This study infers that parents with highly depressive symptoms may experience multiple difficulties, depression, child-rearing problems, and inability to seek help.
【Keywords】 help-seeking, mother, child rearing, depression
This study examined the efficacy of a psycho-educational program aimed at improving sixth-grade students’ ability to send and receive SOS signals as part of suicide prevention education. We compared the outcomes of a practice group (N = 54) and a waiting-list control group (N = 64). The program was implemented over two sessions on a class-by-class basis. Self-rated scales were used to assess changes in students’ help-seeking preferences toward friends and teachers, help-seeking skills, support skills for friends, and depressive symptoms, which are significant risk factors for suicide. Compared with the control group, girls in the practice group exhibited substantially improved help-seeking skills and reduced depressive symptoms after program implementation. A follow-up survey conducted 2 months later reaffirmed these improvements. Furthermore, correlation analyses from the pre-implementation to follow-up stages revealed a significant negative association between changes in help-seeking skills and depressive symptoms among both boys and girls in the practice group. The study concludes by discussing its limitations, challenges faced, and directions for future research in suicide prevention education for elementary students.
【Research Impact】
This study assessed the efficacy of a psycho-educational program focused on sending and receiving SOS signals among sixth-grade students. Comparisons with a waiting-list control group and follow-up data showed that the program significantly bolstered help-seeking skills and reduced depressive symptoms, which are key risk factors for suicide, among girls; however, results for boys remained inconclusive. These findings can help improve suicide prevention educational practices.
【Keywords】 elementary school students，suicide prevention education，help-seeking preferences，help-seeking skills，depression
This study developed the Japanese version of the Self-concept and Identity Measure (SCIM-J). After the translation of SCIM into Japanese, we conducted two Internet surveys, involving 400 university students and 600 adults. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the factor structure of the SCIM-J was the same as that of the original version, that is, consolidated identity, disturbed identity, and lack of identity. Multi-group analysis confirmed gender equality. Internal consistency and the test-retest reliability of the SCIM-J items were both good. The SCIM-J subscales exhibited good validity for the processes and products of identity, identity disorder, depression, difficulty in emotion regulation, borderline personality traits, and self-injurious tendencies. The results revealed the adaptive aspect of consolidated identity and the maladaptive aspect of lack of identity. Disturbed identity was associated with adaptive and maladaptive indicators, suggesting that it can measure identity crisis in healthy development. The results confirmed the validity and reliability of the SCIM-J as a scale for measuring the psychopathological aspects of identity problems in adults.
【Research Impact】
SCIM-J forms a new identity scale that is created in accordance with the alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders and can be used to assess clinical identity problems. The validity and reliability of the SCIM-J were confirmed, thus indicating the possibility of using the SCIM-J for a simple assessment of the impact of identity problems on mental health in adults, which has not been of much importance in the past.
This study aimed to examine the responses of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers to children’s externalizing problems related to the teachers’ cognition, ECEC methods, and years of childcare experience of teachers. Data from questionnaire-based responses from 628 ECEC teachers were analyzed. The appraisal of responsibility was positively associated with a variety of responses, including inappropriate ones. Meanwhile, inferences about the ECEC environment were negatively associated with inappropriate responses and positively associated with a range of other responses. Teacher-directed tendency in ECEC methods displayed a direct positive association with inappropriate responses, though it also demonstrated a positive association with diverse responses. However, child-centered tendencies were positively associated with a variety of responses, excluding inappropriate ones. Compared with ECEC methods, the association between years of childcare experience and the cognition of and response to externalizing problems was relatively low. These findings indicate that ECEC teachers respond to externalizing problems in various ways, including a few inappropriate responses. Furthermore, the responses varied according to cognition and methods of the teachers.
【Research Impact】
This study identifies multiple factors influencing ECEC teachers’ responses to children’s externalizing problems. The findings highlight the importance of inferring the causal factors of ECEC-related externalizing behaviors and reducing teacher-directed tendencies to prevent inappropriate responses. Addressing these issues is crucial, and the findings are expected to serve as reference for the development of support systems for ECEC teachers.
This study investigates how the relationship between an agent and the individual assessing the agent’s intentionality influences the perception of side effects in behavior. By employing a minimal group paradigm, we manipulated group identity between participants and agents to examine the impact of group membership on both the side-effect effect and social evaluation of the behavior and agents. These findings confirmed the existence of the side-effect effect. Specifically, when the agent was an ingroup member, the judgment of their intentionality was not influenced by whether the side effect was positive or negative. In cases of positive side effects, both the behavior and the agent were judged more favorably, whereas negative side effects led to more negative evaluations. Notably, a positive side effect was judged as good more frequently when the agent belonged to the same group as the judge. This finding suggests that judgments of intentionality and the evaluation of actions are influenced by group affiliation.
【Research Impact】
This study highlights the influence of group affiliation differences between those judging the intentionality of actions and the actors themselves, particularly in the context of children’s judgments of behaviors with positive and negative side effects. This approach identifies one of the factors influencing judgments of intentionality, which could be valuable in understanding how people assess intentionality in everyday communication.
Eliciting descriptions of clothing placement from sexually abused young children is essential to assess their allegations of abuse. In this study, we conducted an experiment with preschool children aged 5–6 to compare their responses to different question types, namely, yes/no questions (YNQs), forced-choice questions (FCQs), FCQs with a “something else” prompt (FCQ + SEs), and wh- questions (WHQs). This study examined their responses to the pairing principle, indicating that open-ended questions followed option-posing ones. Furthermore, it explored the effects of FCQ + SEs on children’s responses. WHQs elicited more intermediate placement details than YNQs, and FCQs elicited simpler responses (on or off) than YNQ. Moreover, the results indicated that the pairing principle elicited additional intermediate placement details. FCQ + SEs led children to provide self-generated placement details and FCQs did not. Furthermore, the implications of obtaining information on clothing placement from young children in forensic interviews are discussed.
【Research Impact】
This study examined effective means of questioning young children concerning clothing placement. The results indicated that WHQs elicited more intermediate placement details and FCQs elicited simpler responses as compared to YNQs. Moreover, intermediate placement details could be elicited using the pairing principle, indicating that open-ended questions followed option-posing ones. These results also showed that FCQ + SEs led to self-generated details.
This study aimed to examine the relationship between facets of shared book-reading at home (quantity, quality, and onset) and preschoolers’ literacy and emotional understanding through unsupervised online tasks. For this purpose, the study recruited 305 parent–children pairs. The parents answered a questionnaire regarding shared book-reading with their children at home while the children completed a kana-moji reading task and an emotional comprehension task while watching images and videos on a screen, along with the support and supervision of their parents. The final analysis indicated that, after controlling for the effects of children’s age, a relationship existed between reading practices at home and children’s hiragana-reading abilities and emotional understanding. Specifically, the number of days per week of shared book-reading was associated with hiragana-reading ability, whereas the quality of shared book-reading was associated with emotional understanding. The results suggest that the quantity and quality of shared book-reading may influence different aspects of child development.
【Research Impact】
The study’s academic importance: it was conducted among preschoolers in Japan and examined the development of literacy (i.e., hiragana-reading ability) and socioemotional skills (emotional understanding). Moreover, the findings are practically important as the study reveals that the quantity and quality of reading are related in different ways to children’s development.
This study presents an overview of practice and research methodologies in psycho-education to improve students’ mental health knowledge and skills based on optimal individual learning and collaborative learning. First, we examine the trends in psycho-educational programs that target Japanese elementary and junior high school students by identifying various challenges across practice and research. Second, we explore the optimal individual and collaborative learning approaches as well as specific educational practices. Such practices reflect the changing social circumstances, evolving perspectives on how people learn, and ongoing advancements in learning science research. Finally, we investigate how psycho-education can further evolve by employing these educational and learning approaches. Based on the findings, psycho-education must evolve beyond the traditional educator-led knowledge transmission model. In this regard, it is important to create learning environments that promote collaborative learning and emphasize optimal individualized learning experiences, which have been frequently overlooked. The implication of the findings is that by adopting these learning approaches based on student-centered knowledge creation models, psycho-education can foster the development of competencies related to students’ mental health.
【Research Impact】
Traditional psycho-education primarily relies on whole-class direct instructions by an educator along with various collaborative learning activities. Thus, this study highlights the potential of psycho-educational practice and research methodologies that consider students as active, autonomous learners. In this case, by emphasizing different environments and opportunities that support optimal individual and collaborative learning, we demonstrate how psycho-education can foster the development of competencies related to students’ mental health.