Background: A causal relationship between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and occurrence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been claimed, based on an increase in ASD in the USA and the UK after introduction of the MMR vaccine. However, the possibility that this increase is coincidental has not been eliminated. The unique…

The purpose of this study was to examine the concept of "hansei" (introspection) among teachers, parents, and other relatives of Japanese kindergarteners. The data came from essays written by Japanese adults. The data analysis revealed that the concept of "hansei" encompassed self-evaluation, improvement, and morality. The…

This annual report presents six research articles on child development. The articles and their authors are: (1) "Beyond Psychological Limits: Applying Human Development in Education" (John Kirkland); (2) "Beyond Reductionism: Directions toward Understanding Children" (Frank Self); (3) "A Psychometric Examination of the…

Data from the Japanese standardization of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale for Intelligence were used to analyze the structure of abilities of Japanese children in terms of the Burt-Vernon hierarchical model of intelligence. It was suggested that the pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses that emerged would help clarify a number of…

This study examined the functions of structured modeling and mother-child play settings upon the development of pretend actions in young Down Syndrome children. Subjects were 30 pairs of Japanese children, with a developmental age range of 12-35 months, and their mothers. The children were individually administered five phases of premodeling,…

This study, which focused on the social behavior of 4-year-old children toward peers and adults, investigated relationships of 54 children in California and Japan who were observed for 20 minutes while they were playing in preschool or day care. All their behaviors during the first 30 seconds were observed and written down during the second 30…

Summarizes beliefs and values about child rearing from documents written by experts on the mid-17th to mid-19th centuries. The experts argued that children are innately good rather than evil; environmental factors accounted for differences among children rather than innate factors; and children were autonomous rather than passive learners. (HOD)

Japanese and U.S. mothers of three- to six-year-old children answered questionnaires about child-rearing practices. U.S. mothers expected their children to follow more rules than did Japanese mothers. Japanese mothers were more likely than U.S. mothers to use physical punishment when their children showed disrespect for authority. (BC)

Interviewed Japanese preschool staff about mothers' child-rearing strategies and the home-school relationship. Found that most respondents believed mothers should prioritize spending time with their children and should provide firm behavior guidance, but did not view cognitive stimulation as important to the maternal role. Few believed mothers…

A class of 14 kindergartners in Japan was videotaped while playing a card game in groups of three involving the placement of cards in numerical order. The children were followed up in first grade, and it was found that development in one area of logico-mathematical knowledge (for example, the making of temporal relationships) stimulates…

This paper reports on an exploratory cross-cultural study of the attitudes of first and second grade students toward the use of microcomputers in instruction. Questionnaire responses were compared among three groups: Japanese students in Tokyo, Japan; American students in Sanger, Texas; and Japanese students attending a special school for Japanese…

Focusing mainly on mother/infant interactions in non-Western cultures, this review of literature in the area of comparative child development covers theoretical perspectives, empirical research, and issues and trends. Infancy is defined as the period from birth to 3 years of age to provide the broadest possible coverage. Theoretical perspectives…

Describes availability and purpose of Japanese kindergartens and pre-school programs. Relates Japanese child rearing practices to expectations for the child in pre-school. Summarizes typical pre-school activities and their relation to nationally stated goals which focus on successful participation in group life, cooperation, self-reliance, and…

I use examples from my ethnographic work on early childhood education and care settings in Japan and France to demonstrate that quality standards are cultural constructs and to question the universality of such core U.S. standards of quality in ECEC as low student-teacher ratios and multicultural curricula. My argument is that quality standards…

Conversations between mothers and children from three different cultural groups were analyzed to determine culturally preferred narrative elicitation patterns. The three groups included Japanese-speaking mother-child pairs living in Japan, Japanese-speaking, mother-child pairs living in the United States, and English-speaking Canadian mother-child…