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Japanese Preschool-Aged Children's Gratitude as a Moral Virtue: Is the Development of Gratitude Culture-Specific?

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Title: Japanese Preschool-Aged Children's Gratitude as a Moral Virtue: Is the Development of Gratitude Culture-Specific?
Language: English
Authors: Mayuko Kato-Shimizu (ORCID 0000-0002-8293-2404), Toshihiko Hinobayashi
Source: Journal of Early Childhood Research. 2025 23(3):268-279.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Moral Values, Cultural Traits, Social Values, Preschool Children, Ethics, Cultural Differences, Foreign Countries, Vignettes, Helping Relationship, North Americans, Asians, Comparative Analysis
Geographic Terms: Japan
DOI: 10.1177/1476718X251318886
ISSN: 1476-718X
1741-2927
Abstract: Gratitude has been regarded as a moral virtue in most cultures. This study examines how cultural differences may influence children's expression and understanding of gratitude. Two vignettes involving a high- and low-cost situation of expressing gratitude were presented to Japanese preschool-aged children, and their responses to the scenarios were recorded. Compared with the results of a previous study conducted with American children (Nelson et al., 2013), more Japanese children associated positive feelings with the benefactor when they were helped, would help the benefactor if they were in need, and cited reciprocity as a reason for doing so. The findings confirm the hypothesis that the emergence of gratitude as a moral virtue is also observed in preschool children from non-Western countries, and commonalities in moral development across cultures were found. At the same time, depending on the cost incurred by the benefactor on offering help, we found cultural differences in various aspects of gratitude. The findings suggest that gratitude, which encompasses the norm of reciprocity, is triggered in Japanese children in response to the cost to the benefactor.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1481211
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Japanese Preschool-Aged Children's Gratitude as a Moral Virtue: Is the Development of Gratitude Culture-Specific?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mayuko+Kato-Shimizu%22">Mayuko Kato-Shimizu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8293-2404">0000-0002-8293-2404</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Toshihiko+Hinobayashi%22">Toshihiko Hinobayashi</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Early+Childhood+Research%22"><i>Journal of Early Childhood Research</i></searchLink>. 2025 23(3):268-279.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Moral+Values%22">Moral Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Traits%22">Cultural Traits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Values%22">Social Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethics%22">Ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Differences%22">Cultural Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vignettes%22">Vignettes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Helping+Relationship%22">Helping Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22North+Americans%22">North Americans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asians%22">Asians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Japan%22">Japan</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/1476718X251318886
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  Data: 1476-718X<br />1741-2927
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  Data: Gratitude has been regarded as a moral virtue in most cultures. This study examines how cultural differences may influence children's expression and understanding of gratitude. Two vignettes involving a high- and low-cost situation of expressing gratitude were presented to Japanese preschool-aged children, and their responses to the scenarios were recorded. Compared with the results of a previous study conducted with American children (Nelson et al., 2013), more Japanese children associated positive feelings with the benefactor when they were helped, would help the benefactor if they were in need, and cited reciprocity as a reason for doing so. The findings confirm the hypothesis that the emergence of gratitude as a moral virtue is also observed in preschool children from non-Western countries, and commonalities in moral development across cultures were found. At the same time, depending on the cost incurred by the benefactor on offering help, we found cultural differences in various aspects of gratitude. The findings suggest that gratitude, which encompasses the norm of reciprocity, is triggered in Japanese children in response to the cost to the benefactor.
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        Value: 10.1177/1476718X251318886
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      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 268
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      – SubjectFull: Moral Values
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Traits
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Values
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      – SubjectFull: Cultural Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Vignettes
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      – SubjectFull: Helping Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: North Americans
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      – SubjectFull: Asians
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      – SubjectFull: Comparative Analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Japan
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      – TitleFull: Japanese Preschool-Aged Children's Gratitude as a Moral Virtue: Is the Development of Gratitude Culture-Specific?
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            NameFull: Mayuko Kato-Shimizu
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            NameFull: Toshihiko Hinobayashi
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              Y: 2025
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