The Effect of Participation in a Game of Tag, an Activity Promoting Helping Behavior, on Children’s Helping Behavior-Related Self-Efficacy

Abstract

With a breakdown in classroom discipline, bullying and social withdrawal have become social problems in recent years; there is a heightened expectation toward physical education for developing proper social attitudes and cultivating morality. In this study, children were instructed to play “Nakama-oni (helping tag)”, a tag game variant promoting helping behavior through physical education. Thereafter, the frequency of helping behavior in Nakama-oni was checked, and the effect of participation in physical education through Nakama-oni on children’s helping behavior-related self-efficacy was discussed. Sixty elementary school children in the fifth grade played both Nakama-oni and normal tag. The results suggested that: 1) children experienced helping behavior more often in Nakama-oni, compared to normal tag; and 2) participation in Nakama-oni enhanced children’s helping behavior-related self-efficacy. In conclusion, results suggest that incorporating Nakama-oni that promotes helping behavior in physical education enhances children’s helping behavior-related self-efficacy.