The present study provided a methodological discussion about narrative analysis from the point of view of coherence of narrative structure. It investigated narratives concerning turning points in life as told by one elderly adult (n=1). Sub-categories for analysis were extracted based on a framework of temporal, causal, and thematic coherence of narrative structure (Habermas & Bluck, 2000). After examination of this framework, situational coherence concerned with factors such as the listener in the interview was suggested, and sub-categories of the additional framework were extracted. Structural coherence as a result of the analysis showed coherence caused by transcendent others and coherence through reciprocity between the interviewee and the interviewer. The results of this investigation had practical applications for narrative analysis in demonstrating the coherence and meaning of life stories of the elderly.

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This study examined the influences of mothers' adherence to "maternal love" on their emotional dysregulation in their child-rearing. It was postulated that adherence to "maternal love" (defined as the tendency to accept and obey blindly to traditional maternal role and sociocultural belief in "desirable mothers") would have both positive and negative effects on parenting, depending on other factors. In Study 1, The Adherence to "Maternal Love" Scale was developed and its reliabllity and validity were checked. Study 2 tested the hypothesis that adherence to "maternal love" would interact with mothers' appraisal of children's developmental statuses, and thereby affect their emotional regulation over their children. The results showed that (1) when children's developmental statuses were rated as high, adherence to "maternal love" was positively associated with emotional regulation (i.e. anger management), and (2) when children's developmental statuses were rated as low, adherence to "maternal love" was related to their emotional dysregulation (i.e. anger under control). These findings lead to the conclusion that adherence to "maternal love", interacting with other factors, has both positive and negative effects on parenting and therefore represents a "double-edged sword."

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The present study investigated how preschoolers' distribution strategies were influenced by the number of chips on each plate when they were required to distribute a certain number of chips equally among recipients. The number of chips to be distributed varied from 4 to 20, and the number of plates from 2 to 4, generating 9 tasks. One hundred and sixty preschoolers participated in the experiment. The main results were as follows : (1) 80% of 3 year-old children correctly distributed the chips on their easiest task; (2) More than 80% of 6 year old children correctly performed all the tasks; (3) Performance deteriorated for younger children as the number of chips increased; (4) The most advanced Unit Strategy was more often employed by older children for their easier tasks where the number of the chips on each plate was sufficiently small. These results suggested that older children tended to distribute a certain number of chips in their first round, even if they did not know the quotient to distribute in advance.

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This study evaluated the grammatical ability of children, to assess the developmental sequence acquisition ages for Japanese receptive grammar. A sample of native Japanese children (N=390, ages 3-12 years) were tested in a cross-sectional design using a grammatical test (J.COSS : JWU), Japanese test for Comprehension of Syntax and Semantics). The results included the following. First, because the coefficient of reproducibility of scale analysis was within an acceptable range, 20 grammatical items were formed in a step-by-step sequence in accordance with pass rates. At the point of complexity, we analyzed the developmental sequence for each function with respect to phase number, viewpoint, order/particle strategy, structure, and conjunctions. Second, the age of acquisition for 20 items was revealed by average pass rates. There was a difference in acquisition age for a few items because of differences in methodology, but generally acquisition ages were the same as in previous research. Finally, an analysis of error patterns indicated how children understood sentences and demonstrated the developing pattern of their comprehension of Japanese grammar.

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This study examined the emotional responsiveness of 120 mothers of 0-24 month-old infants. Mothers responded to each of 30 photographs of infant's facial expressions (IFEEL Pictures), and their data were analyzed in relation to the gender, numbers, and ages of their children. The participants showed emotional responsiveness regardless of the gender and numbers of their children. In the case of single children, mothers of sons tended to feel frustration in the relationship with the child, while mothers of more than one child observed daughters' emotions as passive ("attention" and "shyness"). In mother-son relations, "self-assertiveness" and "pleasant feelings" correlated positively with the son's age, but in mother-daughter relations there were no such correlations. Many previous studies of mother-child interactions have shown that mothers interact positively with sons and interact with daughters in more varied ways. The findings of the present study, consistent with previous data, demonstrate that analysis of mothers' cognitive processes is necessary for a thorough understanding of mother-child interactions, as well as in clinical applications.

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A sincere apology involves both taking responsibility and feeling guilty for one's behavior. The purpose of Study 1 was to examine whether 5- and 6-year old children (Ns=20, and 23, respectively) satisfied the two conditions for a sincere apology. The results showed that most 6-year old children satisfied both conditions for sincerity, but about half of 5-year olds felt responsible yet did not feel guilty. Study 2 examined whether the child's inferences about the victim's emotions had an influence on the sincerity of an apology. Participants were 5-year-old children (N=41). It was found that a larger proportion of children in the experimental group, who were prompted to infer the negative emotions of victims, showed feelings of guilt when compared with the control group. This finding indicated that most children in the experimental group satisfied both conditions for a sincere apology.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the development of hierarchical temporal organization and the temporal processing strategy in school children. Participants were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders (N=78). First, a card sorting task was conducted to examine the hierarchy of daily activities. To examine the use of time processing strategies, children were asked to compare the length of two time intervals. In addition, a card arrangement task was used to examine children's ability to process information about time. The results were as follows : (1) older children's hierarchical temporal organization had more complex part/whole relations, and (2) children who had hierarchical temporal organization with more complex part/whole relations used a more relevant time processing strategy. This study, however, could not examine developmental relation-ships between image processing ability and hierarchical temporal organization, which is required in follow-up research.

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This study investigated the developmental process by which preschool children become able to take the role of other participants when playing tag (called "onigokko" in Japanese). Children aged 4-(n=15), 5-(n=18) and 6-years old (n=12) took part in the research. The adult researcher formed play groups of three same-aged children and asked each group to play tag. In addition, the researcher participated in each game as a player. The results were as follows. It was much easier for children at ages 5-6 years to change roles between the roles of chasing and catching others ("oni") and that of escaper fleeing from the chaser ("ko"), compared with 4-year olds. In addition, 6 year-old chasers chased more than two escapers at the same time more frequently, compared to 4-year olds. In conclusion, older children were more conscious of their relations with others in playing tag. These results were discussed in relation to the actual game of tag.

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This research investigated developmental changes in the relationship between behavior on experimental tasks and responses on imaginary tasks, focusing on two aspects of self-regulation in young children : self-inhibition and self-assertion. Participants were 4- to 6-year olds (N=101). In the experimental tasks they were prohibited from touching attractive toys, to observe whether they showed self-inhibitive behavior. In addition, the promise that they could play with these toys later was not kept, to observe whether they showed self-assertive behavior. In the imaginary tasks, children were also presented, using a personal computer, with imaginary stories similar to those in the experimental tasks. The results showed that although older children selected more proper responses on the imaginary tasks, there were no age differences during the experimental tasks. The number of children who showed proper self-inhibition in both imaginary and experimental tasks tended to increase with age. But it was difficult for them to assert their demands during the experimental task, even if they recognized that they could be assertive in the imaginary task.

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