Project Title: Attachment
and Amae: A
comparative
study of mother-child
close relationships
in Japan and
Britain
Supervisors:
Professor
Jennifer Wishart and Dr Katie Cebula
Research
topic:
Attachment theory addresses young children's biological and psychological need to elicit their mother's protection and care, and the emotional bond that forms between them in the early years of life. Although there are many cross-cultural similarities in core aspects of mother-child attachment, there can also be subtle and important differences in the ways that these are behaviourally expressed in different cultures.
My PhD study addresses the possible association between attachment patterns in
Japanese mother-child dyads and 'amae' (emotional one-ness between mother
and child) using the custom-designed amae attitude questionnaire, the Manchester
Child Attachment Story Task, and the Emotional Availability Scale.
Professional experience:
March
2005 - present: Classroom teacher at Scotland Japanese
School, Livingston, UK.
September 2006 - present: Tutor at Education 1 at The University of Edinburgh.
October 2008 - present: Statistical analyst in The University of Edinburgh/
NSPCC Centre for UK wide Learning in Child Protection.
Publications
& presentations:
Kimura,
K., & Rajendran, G. (in prep.). Amae Attitude Scale:
A comparative study of Japanese and Scottish mothers'
attitudes towards children's amae behaviours.
Kimura, K., & Rajendran G. (2005, September). Amae: A comparative study of
Japanese and Scottish Mothers' attitudes towards children's Amae behaviours.
Poster presented at The British Psychological Soceity Annual Developmental Section
Conference, Edinburgh, UK.
Kimura, K., Wishart, J.G., Cebula, K.R., Rajendran, G. (2008, July). Attachment and Amae: A comparative study of mother-child close relationships in Japan and Britain. Poster presented at the19th International Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Bremen, Germany.
Grants & awards:
2008: The Godfrey Thomson PhD Research Support Award
2008: Moray House School of Education Conference Grant
2007-2009: The University of Edinburgh, Principal Award
2006-2009: The University of Edinburgh, Humanities and Social Science College Scholarship
2006: The University of Edinburgh Development, Trust Small Research Grant
2006-2007: British Council Japan Association Scholarship
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