Effects of Childhood Experience with Superstitious Sayings as Pedagogical Discipline upon Child Rearing : How the Experience Affects Parental Attitude

In Japan, many superstitious sayings have traditionally been used to discipline children and motivate them to follow social rules and parental expectations. This study provides useful date for supporting parenting and parents' education, and examines the correlation between the frequency of being admonished with superstitious sayings in childhood and current child-rearing practices as parents. One hundred eighty-six Japanese parents with children in kindergarten participated in the survey. Fifteen superstitious disciplinary sayings (SDS) were presented to the participants, and their responses regarding their childhood experience of hearing each saying and the effects of those experiences on current child-rearing were evaluated. Responses to nine items on current child-rearing styles (acceptance-control), twelve items on severity of discipline, and six items on irrational causal inferences (immanent justice) were also assessed. Analysis of subjects' responses to these superstitious sayings indicated that frequency of exposure and influence on present thought life differed depending on the type of saying. Results further indicate that experiencing superstitious discipline in childhood might lead to restrictive child-rearing ideas and methods. Superstition-based discipline has been used historically in Japanese society to make obedient children. It is suggested that the fear of experiencing such control might engender restrictive child-rearing attitudes in parents, which might, in turn, lead to fear in their children.journal articl