아동의 성격 특질에 대한 이해 발달：특질 추론과 상황적, 시간적 안정성을 중심으로 = Children's understanding of personality traits：with focus on trait inference and situational and temporal stability

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examined 3- to 7-year-old children's understanding of personality traits in three domains: trait identification, prediction of other's behavioral response, and beliefs about the stability of trait. A total of 79 children's responses(Male, Ns = 36, Female, Ns = 43) were used for the analysis. Each child heard 12 stories describing six contrasting pairs of traits and had to answer three questions about each trait. The results of this study are as follows; first, children from 3 years could identify the trait term from target person's past behavioral information. Second, children from 4 years made different behavioral prediction in the same situation for target persons with different trait. Third, children from age 3 to 7 believed that negative trait would be change in a positive direction. These results indicate that preschoolers have ability to understand personality trait as a causal mediator of one's behavior. Also children from age 3 to 7 are instrumental-incremental theorists believing that personality traits are relatively malleable.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 아동의 성격 특질에 대한 이해의 발달적 변화를 세 가지 측면에서 검토했다. 첫째, 일련의 행동 정보를 토대로 대상의 특질을 추론하는 능력의 발달적 변화를 살펴보았다. 둘째, 특질을 통해 대상의 미래 행동을 예측하는 능력의 발달적 변화를 검토했다. 셋째, 아동이 특질을 고정된 실체로 이해하는지 아니면 변화가능하다고 생각하는지의 특질 안정성 믿음을 검토했다. 연구 대상은 만 3세, 4세, 5세, 7세 아동 총 79명(남자 36명, 여자 43명)이었다. 총 12개의 긍정적, 부정적 특질을 지닌 주인공에 대한 시나리오를 작성하여 실험을 실시했다. 그 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 특질 추론 능력은 3세에 우연수준을 넘어서 7세가 되면 거의 완벽한 수준으로 발달했다. 둘째, 행동 예측 능력은 4세에 처음 우연수준을 넘었으며 연령이 증가할수록 수행이 향상됐다. 셋째, 3세에서 7세까지의 아동은 특질이 바람에 의해서 변화될 수 있다는 믿음을 갖고 있었다. 이러한 결과는 특질 이해 능력이 학령전기에 발달하기 시작하지만 그 이후에도 꾸준히 발달하며, 어린 아동들은 특질이 가변적이라는 ‘증대 이론’을 갖고 있음을 시사한다.

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