Noriko Shikai

Adolescents' attachment style and early experiences: a gender difference

SummaryWe examined gender differences in perceived rearing and adult attachment style in adolescents. A total of 3,912 senior college students (1,149 men and 2,763 women) ages 18-23 (men’s M = 20.1 years, women’s M = 20.0 years) were administered a set of questionnaires including Relationship Questionnaire (to measure adult attachment), the Parental Bonding Instrument (perceived rearing), and a list of early life events. In the men, positive adult total attachment style was predicted by the scores of paternal care and low scores on maternal overprotection in a hierarchical regression analysis. On the other hand, in the women, positive adult total attachment style was predicted by the scores of paternal and maternal care, and low score on maternal overprotection. Adult attachment was also predicted by fewer Peer Victimization experience as a child in both men and women. However, while men’s adult attachment was predicted by Self Disease experiences, women’s adult attachment was predicted by Top Star experiences and fewer Relocation experiences. The adult attachment style was predictable from early experiences but there existed some gender differences.

Effects of coping styles and stressful life events on depression and anxiety in Japanese nursing students: A longitudinal study

Nursing students face stressful situations during a clinical training. This two-wave (between June and December 2004) study explored the relationship between the coping styles and stressful life events in terms of the occurrence of depression and anxiety among 97 Japanese female nursing students before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) a clinical training. In a structural equation modelling, Time 2 depression was significantly predicted by Time 1 depression and stressful life events whereas Time 2 anxiety was predicted by Time 1 anxiety, stressful life events and emotion-oriented coping. Moreover, Time 1 depression predicted the impact of stressful life events and Time 1 anxiety predicted emotion-oriented coping.

Understanding externalizing behavior from children's personality and parenting characteristics

A total of 946 Japanese children in the 5th to 9th grades and their parents were studied in order to investigate the extent to which parenting characteristics (measured by the Parental Bonding Instrument) and the personality of the child (measured by the junior version of the Temperament and Character Inventory) would be associated with the two aspects of the externalizing problems--aggression and delinquency--of the child (measured by the Child Behavior Checklist). A series of regression analyses demonstrated that (1) aggressive children were higher in Novelty Seeking, and delinquent children were higher in Novelty Seeking and lower in Harm Avoidance, and (2) both aggressive and delinquent children were characterised by low maternal care, paternal over-protection, and low maternal overprotection. A structural equation model confirmed these findings except for the link between the two externalizing behaviour scores and the maternal care. Moreover, it was suggested that Novelty seeking of the child would be predicted by low parental care and low paternal and high maternal overprotection. The childrens aggression and delinquency could, to some extent, be explainable by their temperament patterns and parental characteristics.

Cognitive patterns and depression: Study of a Japanese university student population

Abstract  According to Beck’s cognitive theory, individuals who endure negative self‐schemas (dysfunctional attitudes) are more likely to present automatic thoughts consisting of negative schemata of oneself and one’s world while experiencing depression. In order to examine the relationships between depression, automatic thought, and dysfunctional attitude, 329 Japanese university students were given a set of questionnaires, including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D), Automatic Thought Questionnaire‐revised (ATQ‐R), and Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS). A structural equation model revealed that depression was predicted predominantly by automatic thought, which was in turn predicted by dysfunctional attitude. The male gender had a tendency to predict dysfunctional attitude. The link between a student’s depression and dysfunctional attitude was mediated by automatic thought.

Correlates of the categories of adolescent attachment styles: Perceived rearing, family function, early life events, and personality

Aims:  To identify the psychosocial correlates of adolescents.

The Resilience Scale: A Duplication Study in Japan

To examine the factor structure, construct, and predictive validity of the Resilience Scale (RS), Japanese uni- versity students (N = 504 to 547) were examined. The RS has a good internal consistency and a single factor structure. Students high in resilience were less likely to be depressed or suicidal; more likely to adopt task-oriented coping but less likely to adopt emotion-oriented coping; more likely to have secure attachment with an opposite-sex partner; less likely to have shame feeling but more likely to have pride feeling; more likely to show healthy narcissistic personality traits but less likely to show identity diffusion; more likely to report their parents as high in care and low in overprotection; and more likely to report receiving punishment as a child. The RS is shown to be a significant predictor of the depressive se- verity two weeks later after controlling for demographic variables, baseline depression, and negative life events, which occurred during the previous week. Thus, the RS is a valid measure in a Japanese student population.

Contribution of shame and attribution style in developing PTSD among Japanese University women with negative sexual experiences.

SummaryThe roles of shame and attribution style in developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined among 172 Japanese university women with negative sexual experiences (NSEs) using a structural equation model. “Shame” directly predicted PTSD, whereas “Internal Attribution” and “External Attribution” did not. The effect of Internal Attribution on PTSD was mediated by Shame. In a simultaneous analysis of multi-groups, only the relationship with the perpetrator showed a different contribution for shame in developing PTSD symptoms. In addition, the role of the shame and attribution style in developing PTSD symptoms in the Japanese culture was discussed.

Egalitarian sex role attitudes among Japanese human service professionals: Confirmatory factor analytic study

Abstract  The psychometric properties of the short form of the Scale of Egalitarian Sex Role Attitudes (SESRA‐S) were studied among human service professionals. An exploratory factor analysis yielded two factors interpreted as reflecting women’s rights (e.g. women at home and men at work [a reverse item]) and women’s independence (e.g. working outside is equally important for women [a non‐reverse item]), respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit. Impact of participant age, sex, residential area, and type of profession on sex role egalitarianism were examined by four‐way layout anova. Men in rural areas had the lowest score in the women’s rights subscale and psychiatrists in rural areas had the lowest score in the women’s independence subscale.

Do people cope with situations as they say? Relationship between perceived coping style and actual coping response.

The coping style that individuals think they will use when encountering stressful situations may differ from actual coping response in real situations.

Dispositional Coping Styles and Childhood Abuse History Among Japanese Undergraduate Students

Dispositional coping styles in adulthood may be influenced by ones experiences as a child. Japanese university students were examined in terms of their coping styles and child abuse history. Regression analyses revealed that an emo- tion-oriented coping style was predicted by neglect and emotional abuse during childhood.