中道 圭人

We investigated whether the cool and hot executive functions (EFs) exhibited by kindergarteners could predict their academic achievement in the middle grades of elementary school. The study assessed the cool and hot EF of 48 Japanese kindergartners (M = 78.12 months) and then measured these same children's academic achievement in language and mathematics between grades one to four. The study's confirmative factor analysis indicated that early childhood EFs have both cool and hot factors. Its structural equation modeling revealed that although both cool and hot early childhood EFs can directly predict academic achievement in grade one, cool EFs had a greater predictive effect. It also found that cool and hot early childhood EFs had an indirect effect on academic achievement between grades two to four insofar as children's academic achievement in grades two to four was predicted sequentially by their previous academic achievements.

type:text [要約] 幼稚園年長児40名（男18名，女児22名；Mage＝78.12か月）を対象に，ネガティブ刺激に対する情動的反応，心の理論，仲間関係の測定を実施した。本研究では，情動喚起刺激を視聴している間の鼻頭皮膚温度を情動的反応の指標として，ソシオメトリック・テストでの被選択数・相互選択数を仲間関係の指標として用いた。その結果，心の理論の能力の高さは被選択数の多さと，ネガティブ刺激に直面した際の鼻頭皮膚温度の低下は相互選択数の少なさと有意に関連した。また，鼻頭皮膚温度と相互選択数の関係は心の理論の能力によって調整されており，鼻頭皮膚温度が低く，ToM得点の低い幼児は，相互選択数が少なかった。これらの結果は，幼児における情動的反応の生理学的指標の有用性や，生物学的基盤に由来する情動的反応と認知能力の交互作用をさらに検討する必要性を提案している。 [SUMMARY] In this study, measures of emotional responses to mood induction stimulus, theory of mind, and peer relationships were administered to a sample of 40 preschoolers (22 female; Mage = 78.12 months). We used the nasal skin temperatures during watching negative emotional induction stimulus as emotional response index, and the numbers of times selected and mutual nominations by sociometric peer nominations as peer relationship index. Results showed that theory of mind and nasal skin temperatures were significantly related to peer relationships. Moreover, theory of mind moderated the effect of skin temperatures on the number of mutual nominations. These results suggest the usefulness of skin temperatures assessing children’s emotional responses and the necessity for examining the interaction between cognitive abilities and temperamental traits.

We investigated whether preschoolers' social-emotional competencies predict their peer relationships and academic achievements during grade one. Measures of cool and hot executive functions, theory of mind, social-problem-solving, and peer acceptance were administered to a sample of 48 preschoolers (M = 77.91 months). Academic achievement and peer acceptance were assessed at the end of Grade 1. A path analysis revealed that cool and hot executive functioning during preschool had a direct impact on academic achievement in elementary school and an indirect effect on peer acceptance via the theory of mind and social-problem-solving, respectively. Further, peer acceptance in preschool had a positive direct effect on peer acceptance during grade one. These findings indicate the vital role of social-emotional competencies on peer relationships and academic achievement. Future study should include additional measures to examine the effect of preschooler's cool and hot executive functions on later school adjustment.

This study investigated differences in young children's peer preference by inhibitory control and emotion regulation. In Study 1, 66 preschoolers (M=5 years 11 months) were assessed for inhibitory control (IC), emotion regulation (ER), and peer preference. Stroop-like tasks (the black-white task and shine-rain task), the disappointing gift task, and a positive nomination measure were used as measures of IC, ER, and peer preference, respectively. The results of Study 1 showed that participants with high IC or high ER were popular with their peers in comparison to participants with low IC or low ER. Study 2 measured young children's (N=43, M=6 years 1 month) ER by comparing social judgment between a condition that induces negative emotion and a condition that does not. The results of Study 2 showed that participants with high IC or high ER (who could select appropriate behaviors, even when negative emotion was induced) had many mutual relations with friends compared to participants with low IC or low ER. These data indicate the role of inhibitory control and emotion regulation in young children's peer preference.

本研究は、小学生におけるネガティブな情動が複合的な実行機能課題の遂行に及ぼす影響を検討した。小学1・3・5年生74名が調査に参加し、2度の個別面接を受けた。実行機能の測度として子ども用ウィスコンシン・カード分類課題（WCST-KFS：小林，1999）、ネガティブな情動を喚起する映像刺激として日本語版MISC（中澤，2010）の改訂版をそれぞれ用いた。面接の第1 セッションで、参加児はニュートラルな（特定の情動を喚起しない）状態でWCST-KFS を行った。面接の第2セッションで、参加児は情動条件と統制条件のいずれかに振り分けられた。情動条件では、参加児はMISCを視聴（ネガティブな情動を喚起）した後、WCST-KFS を行った。統制条件では、第1セッションと同様に、参加児はニュートラルな状態でWCST-KFS を行った。その結果、情動条件では統制条件より全体的な課題遂行が低く、固執傾向が強まること、情動条件では3・5 年生の遂行がそれぞれ2学年下の児童と同程度まで低下することが示された。これらの結果は、教育実践において、ネガティブな情動が特定の認知能力の低下をもたらすことを考慮する必要性を提案している。This study examined the influence of negative emotion on the schoolchildren's executive function (EF).Seventy-four 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders (7-, 9-, and 11-year-olds) participated in this study. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-Keio-F-S version (WCST-KFS: Kobayashi, 1999) was used as the measure of complex EF, and the mood induction stimulus for Japanese children (Nakazawa, 2010) was used as the stimulus arousing the negative emotion. Participants were assigned to the control condition or emotional condition. On the control condition, participants' EFs were assessed with neutral emotion (not arousing the negative emotion). On the emotional condition, participants watched the mood induction stimulus, and then their EFs were assessed with negative emotion. Results showed that the performance of WCST-KFS on emotional condition was worse than control condition, and the perseverative tendency on emotional condition was stronger than control condition. Moreover, 3rd and 5th graders on emotional condition performed at the same level as the group 2 years younger performed on control condition. These results suggested the educational value of considering that the negative emotion decreases the ability of EF.

静岡大学大学院教育学研究科

幼児の反事実的推論に因果関係の領域が及ぼす影響を検討した。実験1では3-5歳児(N=74)を対象に反事実課題を実施した。反事実課題では,幼児に初期状態⇒原因事象⇒結果状態からなる因果関係を含んだ物語を提示し,その因果関係の原因事象が異なっていたら結果状態がどのように変化するかを尋ねた。因果関係には3つの領域(物理・心理・生物)があった。その結果,年少児より年中児・年長児で,物理的領域より生物的領域で,その2領域より心理的領域で推論遂行が良いことが示された。実験2では3-5歳児(N=30)を対象に結果選択課題を実施した。結果選択課題では,3領域それぞれに関して,ある原因事象を提示し,その結果状態がどのようになるかを尋ねた。その結果,結果選択に関して領域による遂行差は見られず,反事実的推論の領域による遂行の違いが実験1で用いた因果関係に対する理解の違いに起因するのではないことが示された。これらの結果は,反事実的推論能力が4-5歳頃に向上すること,その能力には領域に関する何らかの制約が影響している可能性を示唆している。

The present study examined the relationships among conditional inference, working memory (WM) and prepotent response inhibition (PRI) across different age groups. Participants (N = 112) of this study included preschoolers (6-year-olds), third graders (8-year-olds), fifth graders (11-year-olds) and eighth graders (13-year-olds). There were two conditional inference tasks, one based on a factual proposition and another based on a counterfactual proposition. The backward digit span task and Stroop task were used as the measures of WM and PRI, respectively. Results of the present study revealed that conditional inference was related to WM in all age groups, but was related to PRI in only the preschoolers, third graders and fifth graders. Data suggested that the role of WM and PRI varied with age development.