Parenting is an essential factor affecting child development. Therefore, several studies have focused on individual differences in parenting (i.e., parenting styles). However, there exist only a few useful scales in Japan, especially for parents who have preschool children. Therefore, a new scale for assessing parenting styles in Japan, based on the traditional theoretical framework, was developed, and examined for its validity and reliability. In Study 1, 82 original items were constructed and 1236 parents with preschool children completed these items. Next, 28 items for the Japanese Parenting Style Scale (JPSS) were selected based on factor analysis and the analyses of the graded response model. The JPSS included four factors: warmth, hostility, permissiveness, and harsh control. The results showed that each sub-scale had sufficient conceptual validity and internal consistency. In Study 2, the criterion-related validity of the JPSS was examined. A total of 1236 parents, non-participants in Study 1, completed the JPSS and other scales. The results showed sufficient criterion-related validity for the scale.

Issues concerning caregiving behavior in attachment theory have been overlooked, even though it is an essential factor of the theory. In this paper, we reviewed previous studies on caregiving to explore why there is a lack of research and to determine future directions. To begin, based on research pertaining to parent-child relationships and intimate adult relationships, we defined caregiving in the context of attachment theory. In addition, we outlined the idea of a behavioral system and an internal work model (IWM) that can become a basis of research, or a process of formation and development of the caregiving system and the IWM, including the problems to be investigated in future studies. Then, some problems in the research of intergenerational transmission of attachment and intimate adult relationships were suggested as the reason why the research on caregiving behavior has been delayed in attachment theory. Moreover, it was also indicated that the proximate occurrence mechanism of caregiving behavior was not clarified as a cause. We suggest a new model and some future directions.

The purpose of this study is to examine mutual influences on self-improvement in romantic relationships. On the basis of attachment theory, for participants in romantic relationships, we assessed individuals' attachment and caregiving tendencies and conducted an analysis based on the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). The results indicated an actor-effect of attachment avoidance on individuals' own self-improvement and some partner-effects on their attachment and caregiving. In addition, the results indicated an interaction effect between women's attachment avoidance and men's caregiving hyperactivation to women's self-improvement. Therefore, within romantic relationships, it can be concluded that self-improvement is mutually influenced by attachment and caregiving tendencies.

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