Examined extent of paternal involvement and fathers' and children's perceptions toward their relationships among Japanese and American fathers and their adolescent children. Found American fathers spent more time with their children. Although American children's perceptions toward their fathers were associated with such interaction, Japanese…

Examined Swedish and Japanese mothers' understanding of the story, "The Giving Tree," by Shel Silverstein, and possible effects of how their conceptions relate to social and cultural experiences in each society. Found six qualitatively different conceptions, related to differences in age and differences in cultural background. (JPB)

Surveyed fourth-, seventh-, and tenth-graders in Japan and the United States regarding evaluations of peer group exclusion of atypical peers. Found that with increasing age, children demonstrated sensitivity to context (reason the peer was different) and believed that the excluded child should not change to be accepted. Girls were less willing to…

This cross-sectional study examined Japanese children's action-related beliefs about school performance and compared them with comparable data available from studies of German, Russian, and American cultures. A total of 817 Japanese children aged 8 to 13 years completed the Control, Agency, and Means-Ends Interview (CAMI), which assesses general…

The reasons 184 American and 399 Japanese fifth-graders gave for achievement and good conduct in school were compared. Responses of Japanese children may reflect stronger identification with adult authority. Japanese children gave fewer external reasons for actions than their American counterparts. Implications for the study of motivation are…