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Korean Journal of Psychology: General

Korean adults' beliefs about the essence of children's traits

Korean Journal of Psychology: General / Korean Journal of Psychology: General, (P)1229-067X; (E)2734-1127
2008, v.27 no.2, pp.403-423


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Abstract

This study examined four questions. First, what kind of view do Korean adults have about the children's traits? Second, do adults' beliefs of children's traits have conceptual coherence? Third, can adults' beliefs about children's trait vary depending on the types of traits? Last, do adults' beliefs about positive and negative traits of children differ from each other? One hundred-two Korean mothers participated in Study 1, and one hundred-two Korean college students participated in Study 2. The results indicated that there was no significant differences between Korean mothers and college students in their views about the essence of children's traits. Overall, the results showed that Korean adults have incremental views about children's traits: they believe the children's traits are changeable and affected by the environment. This research is an initial attempt to investigate the nature of Korean adults' beliefs about children's traits. The results will provide a foundation for future studies on the development of beliefs about traits, and the origins of Korean parenting styles.

keywords
특질, 본질, 사회 인지, 사람 지각, traits, essence, social cognition, person perception

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Korean Journal of Psychology: General