日本美國調査超過１万人: 血型同性格「沒有関連」

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

血液型と性格「関連なし」…日米１万人超を調査

2014年07月19日 20時59分

　血液型と性格の関連性に科学的根拠はないとする統計学的な解析結果を、九州大の縄田健悟講師（社会心理学）が発表した。

　日米の１万人以上を対象にした意識調査のデータを分析した。「Ａ型の人は真面目」「Ｂ型は自己中心的」といった血液型診断は、国内で広く信じられているが、就職や人事などで差別される「ブラッドタイプ（血液型）・ハラスメント」の問題も指摘されており、一石を投じそうだ。

　研究成果は６月２５日に発行された日本心理学会の機関誌「心理学研究」に掲載された。

　縄田講師によると、血液型と性格を結びつける考え方は国内では流布しているが、海外ではほとんど知られていない。１９７０年代に出版された関連本がきっかけで、その後もテレビ番組などで紹介されたことで広がったという。

　縄田講師は、経済学分野の研究チームが、２００４～０５年に日米の１万人以上を対象に、生活上の様々な好き嫌いなどを尋ねた意識調査に、回答者の血液型が記載されていることに注目。血液型によって回答に違いがあるかどうかを解析した。

　その結果、「楽しみは後に取っておきたい」「ギャンブルはすべきではない」など、計６８項目の質問に対する回答のうち、血液型によって差があったのは「子供の将来が気にかかる」などの３項目だけで、その差もごくわずかだった。このため「無関連であることを強く示した」と結論づけた。

　血液型を巡っては、特定の血液型の人格が否定的にとらえられる例があり、問題視されている。厚生労働省によると、採用面接などで血液型を尋ねられるケースは後を絶たず、同省は「血液型は職務能力や適性とは全く関係ない」として、血液型を質問しないよう企業に求めている。大阪労働局によると、採用試験の応募用紙に血液型などの記入欄を設けていた企業に対し、是正するよう行政指導した例があるという。

(試譯文)

Kengo Nawata, a lecturer (social psychology) of the Kyushu University released the statistical analysis result which supposed that there was no scientific basis to suggest that blood type and personal character were related.

The survey data on over 10,000 people from Japan and the U.S. were analyzed. While character diagnosis saying that “blood type A people are serious" and "B type are self-centered" was widely believed in Japan, "blood type harassment" incident: discrimination in employment and personnel affairs etc. had been also pointed out, and was seen to have caused a stir.

The result of this research was published in a bulletin: the "Psychology Research" of the Japanese Psychological Association on June 25.

According to lecturer Nawata, although the view that connected character to a blood type had circulated in the country, it was hardly known overseas. It was said that after a related book was published in the 1970s that this view was spread by taking advantage of the introductions made by TV programs etc.

Lecturer Nawata noted the respondent's blood type as indicated in the survey sheet when a research team in the economics field made inquiries on various tastes in life etc. on over 10,000 people from Japan and the U.S. in 2004 - 05. Data were analyzed based on blood types to see whether the replies could show a difference.

As a result, in the replies to questions, out of a total of 68 items such as "prefer putting pleasure aside" and "should not gamble" etc., only three items such as "children’s future is worrisome" that showed a difference among the replies based on blood types; yet even such a difference was negligible. For this reason, "showing strongly that they were not related" was concluded.

Revolving around blood types, there were cases which perceived negatively the character of certain blood types; this was regarded as problematic. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, cases that asked about blood type during employment interviews etc. would not come to an end. But as "a blood type is not related to functional skill or aptitude at all", the said Ministry would request companies not to ask about blood types. The Osaka labor bureau said that there were incidents that they gave out administrative guidance to correct those companies which had prepared columns in their recruitment application forms to ask about blood type etc.

It is an interesting finding.