Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the significant effects to the one’s social behaviors by using the ingredients in every day foods by developing programs designed to improve the visual perspective taking ability and prosocial behavior in 5-year-old children.

Research Method

After much consideration, we determined 5-year-old children were chosen ideal candidates to work with due to their consistent presence and food materials that are easily accessible for the testing. We selected 23 children who are all aged range between 60 months and 72 months from 3 different kindergartens.
Then we assigned 3 categories; experimental group, comparison group, and controlled group, respectively. The usefulness of the developed program was validated by accommodate emotional vision and prosocial behavior.
The emotional recognition capacity of a young child was measured by Denham and Couchoud (1990a, 1990b) using the interview method that can analyze the depth of their emotional perspective taking ability. Such method has been repeatedly adapted as trusted measuring standard with some fixes along the way. Subjects quite often spontaneously verbalized about the process of making personalized inferences of appraisal. The prosocial behaviors of the children were analyzed using Weir, K and Duveen, G. (1981) ''s Prosocial Behavior Questionnaire(PBQ) modified by Young-Hee Kwon (1995). Focusing on the emotional recognition and expression of emotion, this activity was developed to be essential part of education in this age group called Nuri course utilizing the daily food items.
The program consisted of 7 currently active subject teachers, 5 nursery and early childhood education specialists, 4 teachers who got bachelors in child education, and 3 teachers with master''s degrees in child education. The testing used food ingredients that can be easily found in the vicinity, such as rice cake, flour, kiwis, and bananas. A total of 16 activities were conducted as it was held twice a week over a span of 8 weeks. Each session was scheduled after the morning conversations with experimental group children. For the comparison group, the program was implemented using general art materials such as colored papers, drawing papers, colored pencils, and other art craft objects. Lastly, the controlled group received the basic regular nursery lessons. The food items art activity program is a very effective way to evaluate the before and after results in their emotional recognition. Prosocial behaviors were measured using the Multivariate Covariance Analysis (SPSS) (MANCOVA) and adjusted mean values as the Scheffe post-test was conducted, and the ability to accommodate emotional vision and pro-social behavior (ANCOVA), respectively.

Test Results

Data from the food items art activity program focusing on emotional recognition and counter expression concluded that as a result of multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA), it was found the children in the experimental group that participated in food item art activity showed a significant increase in emotional recognition capacity (F = 42.36, p <.05) and prosocial behavior (F = 59.04, p <.05) when compared to a comparative group and a controlled group that received a basic nursery lessons from Nuri course.
As a result of covariance analysis (ANCOVA), we focused on emotion recognition and their counter expression, also showed a notable increase in emotional recognition capacity (F = 50.26, p <.05) and pro-social behavior (F = 71.00, p <.05). If the results of this research proved one thing to be certain, that is the food item art activities works more effectively than the ordinary daycare program based on general art activities and Nuri course when it comes to helping children to get in touch with their emotional recognition capacities and different expressions.

Conclusion

Through art activities utilizing food ingredients that children are familiar with, it gives the children extra comfort and allows them to talk their minds more freely. It naturally triggers children’s inner prosocial behavior to increase by playing with food items by pounding, massaging, blowing, and touching.
The emotional and prosocial behaviors are naturally encouraged, so that children who feel difficulty expressing their feelings and thoughts become more pro-active in handling daily assignments and carrying out a role as the member of the society.