In the past, the predominant value of sexual division of labor was "men are work, women are home", but in recent years such thinking has faded, but the current situation is that the rate of male employees taking childcare leave is sluggish in Japan. The reason is not fully understood.

　Therefore, a research group at Kyushu University said that one of the causes of the slump in the rate of taking childcare leave is the social psychological phenomenon "plural ignorance = (although many people do not accept certain values ​​and opinions, they themselves. (Situations in which others mistakenly assume that they are accepting it) ”, using data collection and statistical analysis by web surveys targeting Japanese men in their 20s and 40s. We examined the relationship with male childcare leave.

　As a result, many men speculate that others are more negative about men's childcare leave than they are, and those who answered that "both myself and other men are positive about childcare leave." "Strength of desire to acquire = (how much you want to acquire)" between (self-other positive group) and those who answered "I am positive, but other men will be negative" (plural ignorance group) However, it was clarified that the "intention to acquire when the child was actually born = (whether or not to actually acquire)" was lower in the "plural ignorance group".

　This study shows that despite the high desire to take childcare leave, others tend to refrain from taking childcare leave because they think they are negative about it.The results of this study are expected to be useful findings in formulating strategies for improving the rate of male employees taking childcare leave.

Paper information:[Frontiers in Psychology] I Want to but I Won't: Pluralistic Ignorance Inhibits Intentions to Take Paternity Leave in Japan