AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF AMAE (DEPENDENCE) IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

要旨

The present study aims to measure Amae (dependence) which was proposed by T. Doi. The purpose of the first study is to collect the basic information for unidimensional scaling of Amae and to explore the fundamental dimensions of Japanese interpersonal relations. Thirty five university students (16 males and 19 females) were asked to group 97 descriptive behaviors in a such way that similar behaviors were included in the same group. The similarity matrix was analysed using Hayashi's fourth formula of quantification theory. The following 8 clusters were found: 1. rejection, 2. intimacy, 3. a sense of superiority, 4. protection, 5. subordination, 6. the negative feeling due to lack of Amae, 7. Oime, 8. Amae.The second study attempts to investigate to whom and in what situation Amae was most expressed. The 286 university students (112 males and 174 females) were asked to rate the feeling towards 12 stimulus persons in 11 embarrassing situations using 10 Amae scales.The main results were as flloows:1. Amae was more expressed towards lovers and intimate friends rather than parents.2. The Amae score was greater in females than in males.3. In family problem situations Amae was intensely expressed to parents, brothers and sisters, but in other situations which were related to their personal problems subjects expressed higher Amae scores for their lovers and intimate friends rather than for family members.These results are discussed in terms of the theoretical implication of Amae and related problems.

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