Japanese Preschoolers Research Articles

Emotion expression and regulation in three cultures: Chinese, Japanese, and American preschoolers’ reactions to disappointment

There are strong cultural norms for how emotions are expressed, yet little is known about cultural variations in preschoolers’ outward displays and regulation of disappointment. Chinese, Japanese, and American preschoolers’ (N = 150) displays of emotion to an undesired gift were coded across both social and nonsocial contexts in a “disappointing gift” paradigm. Generalized estimating equations revealed that, regardless of culture, when children received a disappointing gift, they showed more positive expressions of emotion (“fake smile”) in social contexts (in the presence of unfamiliar and familiar examiners) relative to when they were alone, suggesting that preschool-aged children are able to mask their disappointment with positive displays. However, children’s emotion expressions varied across both cultures and contexts. American children were more positively and negatively expressive than Japanese children and were more negatively expressive than Chinese children. Chinese and Japanese preschoolers verbally reported more negative emotions but showed more neutral expressions than American preschoolers when receiving the disappointing gift. In addition, across different contexts of the task, there were subtle differences in how Chinese and Japanese children regulated their emotional expressions, with Chinese children showing similar levels of neutral expressions (e.g., “poker face”) across different contexts in the task. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural meanings and practices underlying emotion development during early childhood.

P132 Dietary Pattern Differences in Breakfast Between Rice-Centered and Bread-Centered Diets Among Japanese Preschoolers

<h3>Background</h3> Breakfast is essential to provide the energy and nutrients needed by young children throughout the day. Grain dishes form the base of meals, and rice or bread are mainly eaten as grain dishes for breakfast in Japan. However, little research exists on the relationship between dietary patterns and kinds of grain dishes. <h3>Objective</h3> This study examines the difference in dietary patterns based on the kinds of grain dishes consumed for breakfast among Japanese preschoolers. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> A sample of 121 preschoolers aged 3-6 years and their mothers participated in this cross-sectional study. The mothers completed the children's dietary record and took pictures of meals for 5 days. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> The 5-day breakfasts were divided according to the kinds of grain dishes—rice or bread. Here, the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was considered using chi-square test to examine the difference between rice-centered and bread-centered diets. <h3>Results</h3> Data for 602 meals were collected. Of these, 197 meals (32.7%) were rice-centered diet; 303 meals (50.3%), bread-centered diet; and 102 meals (16.9%), cereal-centered diet and no grain dishes. Out of 500 meals (6.8%) consisted of 5 dishes (grain, vegetables, protein, fruits, and dairy products); 18.0%, 4 dishes; 34.0%, 3 dishes; 30.8%, 2 dishes; and 10.4%, only grain dish. There were no significant differences in the number of dishes between rice-centered and bread-centered diets (<i>P</i> = .19). However, rice-centered diet had a significantly higher percentage of diets with protein dish and without fruits and dairy products than that of bread-centered diet (<i>P</i> < .001). <h3>Conclusions</h3> There was no difference in the number of dishes between rice-centered and bread-centered diets for breakfast among Japanese preschoolers. However, there were differences in the types of dishes.

One-year outcomes of low-intensity behavioral interventions among Japanese preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders: Community-based study

Despite the need for evidence-based practice for children with autism spectrum disorders in the community, especially in areas with a scarcity of qualified experts and high financial costs, there is a lack of evidence concerning the potential benefits of early interventions which may be affordable in the real world (e.g. low-intensity behavioral or eclectic interventions). This study examined behavioral changes in preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorders who received low-intensity behavioral interventions (a mean of 5.5 h per week) or non-behavioral eclectic interventions delivered in community settings in Japan across a 1-year period and compared outcomes between the groups. We assessed children’s developmental quotient, adaptive behavior, autism symptom/severity, and maternal stress and depression at baseline and after 1 year. Our results revealed that children receiving interventions in their communities showed improvement in language and social development. Further, the degree of improvement in children receiving low-intensity behavioral interventions was significantly greater than in children receiving non-behavioral eclectic interventions. The improvement was associated with the intensity of total, especially one-to-one interventions. On the other hand, there were no group differences in the degree of improvement in other outcome measures. Our results suggest that some preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder may benefit from low-intensity behavioral interventions for their language and social development. A greater intensity of one-to-one interventions was found to be associated with greater progress in language development and communication skills. The current study highlights the importance of implementing early interventions in the community, even at a low intensity.

Group Influences on Children’s Delay of Gratification: Testing the Roles of Culture and Personal Connections

Delaying gratification can be difficult, especially for children. Social factors such as group norms influence whether children delay gratification and may shape their life trajectories. However, such influences have been tested experimentally only in American contexts and may not generalize, given differences among cultures in personal connections and group dynamics. We tested the influences of groups and personal connections on delaying gratification in 106 Japanese preschoolers. Extending previous findings with American preschoolers, Japanese children also delayed gratification and valued delaying gratification more if they believed that their group delayed gratification (and an outgroup did not) than if they believed that their group did not delay gratification (and an outgroup did). Group identity shifted toward the outgroup when Japanese children had a personal connection to the outgroup, but they nonetheless followed the behavior of their ingroup in delaying gratification. These findings highlight similarities and potential differences in social influences across cultures, and underscore the importance of cross-cultural work for theories of development.

Sleep habit and internet use among Japanese preschoolers

Sleep habit and internet use among Japanese preschoolers

Cross-Cultural Differences in the Valuing of Dominance by Young Children

AbstractDevelopmental research suggests that young children tend to value dominant individuals over subordinates. This research, however, has nearly exclusively been carried out in Western cultures, and cross-cultural research among adults has revealed cultural differences in the valuing of dominance. In particular, it seems that Japanese culture, relative to many Western cultures, values dominance less. We conducted two experiments to test whether this difference would be observed in preschoolers. In Experiment 1, preschoolers in France and in Japan were asked to identify with either a dominant or a subordinate. French preschoolers identified with the dominant, but Japanese preschoolers were at chance. Experiment 2 revealed that Japanese preschoolers were more likely to believe a subordinate than a dominant individual, both compared to chance and compared to previous findings among French preschoolers. The convergent results from both experiments thus reveal an early emerging cross-cultural difference in the valuing of dominance.

Association between Sleep Disturbances and Emotional/Behavioral Problems in Chinese and Japanese Preschoolers

ABSTRACTObjectives: Sleep disturbances are often associated with emotional/behavioral problems in young children, but whether the association differs among Asian countries remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep disturbances and emotional/behavioral problems in Chinese and Japanese preschoolers and to explore potential differences.Methods: Participants were 1,020 Chinese preschoolers from 10 cities and 438 Japanese preschoolers from 1 city aged 4 to 5 years. Parents filled out the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).Results: Chinese children with sleep disturbances (defined as total CSHQ score >41) demonstrated more peer problems than children without, while there was no such difference in Japanese preschoolers. Domains of sleep disturbances associated with emotional/behavioral problems in Chinese children were sleep disordered breathing and daytime sleepiness, yet in Japanese children were sleep anxiety and night wakings. Children with a higher score of sleep anxiety showed more emotional problems in Japan, but fewer conduct problems in China.Conclusions: Sleep disturbances were associated with emotional/behavioral problems in preschoolers with differences between China and Japan, indicating subcultural differences in preschoolers’ sleep within Asian countries.Abbreviations: CSHQ: Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire; SDQ: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; ANCOVA: analysis of covariance; SD: standard deviation; CI: confidence interval.

Three-dimensional assessment of the pharyngeal airway in Japanese preschoolers with orofacial clefts.

Individuals with orofacial clefts often experience respiratory problems because of nasopharyngeal abnormalities. Pharyngeal airway morphology is thought to differ among the various cleft types. We measured three-dimensional (3D) airway volume using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis to evaluate and compare pharyngeal airways in Japanese preschoolers with and without orofacial clefts. Retrospective case-control study. We enrolled 83 subjects (37 boys, 46 girls; mean age = 4.66 ± 0.56 years) with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts and 16 noncleft healthy subjects (seven boys, nine girls; mean age = 5.30 ± 0.52 years) as controls. The subjects were divided into five groups. Four groups were based on the cleft type: isolated cleft palate, unilateral cleft lip and alveolus), unilateral cleft lip and palate, and bilateral cleft lip and palate. The fifth group included the noncleft controls. All subjects were examined with CBCT, and the 3D airway volume was measured. We analyzed group differences statistically using analysis of covariance with the Bonferroni post hoc pairwise comparison tests for the corrected means. Compared with the noncleft group, each cleft group exhibited significantly decreased total and nasal airway volumes and increased superior and inferior pharyngeal airway volumes. The differences were all statistically significant. Our findings suggest that anatomical differences exist in pharyngeal airway volumes among various cleft groups and in those without a cleft. 3b Laryngoscope, 130:533-540, 2020.

Working Toward Cross-Cultural Adaptation: Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of the Affect Knowledge Test in Japanese Preschoolers

To facilitate preschoolers’ emotional development, it is useful to have a developmentally and culturally appropriate measure of emotion knowledge. The Affect Knowledge Test (AKT), a widely used mea...

Effects of Birth Order on Self-Reliance of Japanese Preschoolers during Daily Routines

To examine the effect of birth order on the period at which preschool children begin to receive less direct care from adults, a questionnaire was given to 149 Japanese mothers with two children. They answered whether or not each of their children interacted with a parent or another adult during 4 situations in daily life (having a meal, wearing/changing clothes, taking a bath, and falling asleep). Logistic regression analyses revealed that birth-order effects were responsible for the time-point at which children became self-reliant while having a meal, wearing/changing clothes, and falling asleep even after controlling for other family variables including the age of the children, gender combination of the siblings, age-spacing between the siblings, family structure (nuclear family or extended family), and mother’s occupation. The findings are discussed with reference to cultural background and differences between older and younger siblings with regard to their social environment.

Understanding of moral emotions and social exclusion in pre-schoolers and third graders

This study examined whether children use information about moral emotions when judging peer exclusion. Japanese pre-schoolers and third graders (N = 110) listened to stories featuring characters who felt happy or sad after engaging in immoral behaviour or avoiding immoral behaviour (pushing a child off a swing and stealing another child’s doughnuts). In study 1, participants judged the extent to which characters who felt happiness, guilt, and pride would be socially excluded. In study 2, participants judged whether characters who felt guilt, no guilt, pride, and no pride would be socially excluded. Participants believed that characters would be socially excluded based on moral emotions. Characters who did not feel guilt or pride were excluded more frequently relative to those who did; however, children found it easier to judge exclusion based on guilt rather than pride, especially in the case of pre-schoolers. Moreover, pre-schoolers had difficulty explaining their reasoning.

Differences in sleep problems between Japanese and Chinese preschoolers: a cross-cultural comparison within the Asian region

Study objectivesPrevious studies have performed cross-cultural comparisons of differences in childhood sleep problems between Asian and Western countries. However, whether such differences can be observed among Asian countries remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate differences in the pattern of sleep problems between Japanese and Chinese preschoolers. MethodsData were collected from one city in Japan and 10 cities in China. The present study recruited 438 Japanese and 1020 Chinese preschoolers aged four and five years. Sleep problems and patterns were assessed on the basis of parental reports using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). ResultsAnalysis of covariance revealed no significant difference in total CSHQ scores between Japanese and Chinese preschoolers, thus indicating that the total severity of sleep problems did not differ between the groups. Japanese preschoolers exhibited higher scores on the bedtime resistance subscale of the CSHQ than Chinese preschoolers. Conversely, Chinese preschoolers exhibited higher subscale scores for night wakings and sleep-disordered breathing. In addition, Japanese preschoolers exhibited earlier bedtimes and wake times and shorter total sleep times than Chinese preschoolers. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the patterns of sleep problems in preschoolers differ between Japan and China and that such differences may be due to differences in cosleeping practices, bedtime routines, and/or environmental conditions. Thus, investigators studying sleep in preschoolers should consider regional differences in the pattern of sleep problems, even among Asian countries.

Prevalence of sleep problems in Japanese preschoolers in a medium-sized city: Community-based survey using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire.

Although the mean score of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) differs between countries, there are no normative data for the CSHQ of Japanese preschoolers based on a community sample. The aims of this study were therefore to present normative data for the CSHQ and determine the prevalence and characteristics of sleep problems in Japanese preschoolers. Parents or the primary caregiver of 482 preschoolers aged 4-5years completed the CSHQ and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Approximately 80% of preschoolers scored above the cut-off for sleep disturbance on the CSHQ. In addition, co-sleeping was prevalent in Japanese preschoolers but the habit of co-sleeping contributed little to behavioral and emotional problems. Sleep problems appear to be prevalent in Japanese preschoolers based on the CSHQ, and could be associated with the Japanese sleep habit of co-sleeping.

Japanese preschoolers’ evaluation of circular and non-circular arguments

Observational and experimental data have revealed that preschoolers possess some argumentation skills, both in the production and the evaluation of arguments. However, these skills might have been fostered by the particular cultural context of Western middle- and upper-classes families, to which most children studied belong. Some data suggests that children in other cultures possess at least some of these skills, but no experimental data had been gathered in Eastern cultures. These cultures are supposed to frown on argumentation, and might thus be less conducive to the early development of argumentation skills. We test the emergence of argument evaluation skills in Japanese 5-year-olds by presenting them with a choice between endorsing a strong, perceptual argument, and a weak, circular argument. A first experiment revealed a trend in the direction of the strong argument. A second experiment that addresses some methodological concerns of the first demonstrates a significant tendency to follow the strong argument. These results are similar to those previously gathered in two other cultures (Swiss and Maya), and suggest that some basic argumentation skills are early developing across cultures.

Conventionality and Intentionality as Potential Contributors to Ideational Praxis in Japanese Preschoolers: An Exploratory Study with Correspondence Analysis.

Ideation is an essential central concept in sensory integration theory. The Test of Ideational Praxis (TIP) (May-Benson, ) is the first instrument developed to specifically assess children's ideational abilities but qualitative differences of its performance are not well examined. The purpose of the present study was to explore the components of ideational abilities that influenced the TIP score or its developmental change. The TIP was administered to 119 Japanese preschoolers, aged 3-6 years. The demonstrated actions were categorized based on the scoring criteria, and scores were calculated by summing the number of actions. Correspondence analysis was conducted to summarize the data into several components. Results indicate that conventionality and intentionality are contributors to ideational abilities in preschoolers. Conventionality was significantly related to the development of ideation, while intentionality was significantly associated with the TIP score. These results suggest that action differences during the TIP, in addition to the score, may be helpful for interpreting the results of the TIP when it is used clinically. Although the data does not sufficiently explain these two components, the results add new evidence for understanding preschoolers' ideational praxis. Further research is needed on factors related to the TIP score and development of ideational abilities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sleep problems are more frequent and associated with problematic behaviors in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often suffer from sleep problems that in turn correlate with behavioral problems. However, in Japan, there have been few studies of sleep problems in children with ASD. AimsThis study compared sleep problems in preschoolers from the community and preschoolers with ASD in Japan, and examined whether sleep problems were related to problematic behaviors in ASD preschoolers. Methods and proceduresSleep problems were assessed in 965 community and 193 ASD preschoolers using the Japanese Sleep Questionnaire for Preschoolers, which was developed to assess sleep problems in Japanese preschoolers. Behavioral problems were assessed in 107 ASD preschoolers using the Child Behavior Checklist. Outcomes and resultsCompared with community preschoolers, ASD preschoolers experienced significantly more sleep problems, including obstructive sleep apnea and parasomnias. ASD preschoolers with sleep problems exhibited more behavioral problems than those without sleep problems. The severity of sleep problems, especially insomnia, was significantly correlated with behavioral problems in ASD preschoolers. Conclusions and implicationsThe present study suggests that sleep problems, especially obstructive sleep apnea, are more common in ASD preschoolers than in community preschoolers. The study also shows that sleep problems, especially insomnia, are related to problematic behavior in ASD preschoolers.

The effect of labour on ownership decisions in two cultures: Developmental evidence from Japan and the United Kingdom

Creative labour has an effect on children's and adults' ownership decisions in Western cultures. We investigated whether preschoolers and adults from an Eastern culture (Japan) would show a similar bias. In a first-party task (Experiment 1), in which participants created their own objects, Japanese preschoolers but not adults assigned ownership to creators. When participants watched videos of third-party conflicts between owners of materials and creators (Experiment 2), Japanese adults, but not preschoolers, transferred ownership to creators. In a British comparison group, both preschoolers and adults showed an effect of creative labour in the third-party task. A bias to attribute ownership on the basis of creative labour is thus not specific to Western culture.

Objectively-measured physical activity and body weight in Japanese pre-schoolers

Background: The prevalence of thinness has increased among Japanese children.Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between physical activity and body mass index (BMI) among Japanese pre-school children.Subjects and methods: Subjects were 425 4–6-year-old Japanese girls and boys. Their weights were classified as normal, overweight or thin, based on Cole’s international cut-offs for BMI. Physical activity was assessed using a triaxial accelerometer (ActivTracer, GMS) for 6 consecutive days.Results: Physical activity in overweight children was comparable to that in normal-weight children after controlling for age and gender. However, thin children spent significantly greater time engaged in low-intensity activities (physical activity ratio < 2) and spent less time engaged in light-intensity physical activity (2 ≤ physical activity ratio < 3) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (physical activity ratio ≥ 3) than normal-weight and overweight children, and less time engaged in higher-intensity physical activity (physical activity ratio ≥ 4) than normal-weight children. Moreover, thin children spent significantly less time engaged in locomotive physical activity than normal-weight or overweight children.Conclusion: This study suggests that thinness, rather than excess weight, is associated with decreased light, moderate and high intensity physical activity in Japanese pre-school children.

Japanese Preschoolers&apos; Segmentation of English Word Sounds : Comparison with Chinese by English Word Memory Span

Japanese Preschoolers&apos; Segmentation of English Word Sounds : Comparison with Chinese by English Word Memory Span

Relationships between maternal emotional expressiveness and children's sensitivity to teacher criticism

Caregivers' emotional responses to children influence children's social and emotional development. This study investigated the association between maternal emotional expressiveness in the context of mother–child interactions and young children's sensitivity to teacher criticism. Sensitivity to teacher criticism was assessed among 53 Japanese preschoolers using hypothetical scenarios in which a puppet child representing the participant made a small error, and a puppet teacher pointed out the error. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure maternal expressiveness. The results demonstrated that negative maternal expressiveness toward one's own children was positively related to children's ratings of their own ability and negatively related to children's motivation to continue with the task after teacher criticism. Positive maternal expressiveness was not related to children's sensitivity to criticism. These findings suggest that children who have experienced more negative emotion from mothers may be more likely to hold negative beliefs about how others will respond to their behavior more generally. This may, in turn, lead to a defensively positive view of one's own abilities and a disinclination to persevere as protection from additional opportunities for teacher evaluation.