Purpose: This study aimed to clarify Filipino parents’ perceptions of dexterity and clumsiness. It also aimed to gain insight into how cognitive functions affect self-other relationships when asked about dexterity and clumsiness. Method: This study used text mining techniques to solicit free descriptions of dexterity and clumsiness from Filipino parents of children aged 3 to 6 (n = 520). Co-occurrence relationships between words were identified using co-occurrence networks and correspondence analysis. Results: Similar co-occurrence groups were identified in previous studies in Japan and the United States (Noda, 2024a, 2025), as well as groups unique to the Philippines. These findings suggest an indirect association with the unique cultural concepts of kapwa and hiya. Furthermore, when age was used as an external variable, the dexterity questions revealed a “dexterity” axis, which refers to gradual improvement in handling skills, and a “spatial change” axis, which refers to a shift from small-scale to large-scale activities. Furthermore, in the clumsiness questions, no clear trend was observed along one axis, but on the other, a “stability” axis emerged, in which movements gradually became more adaptive. When gender was considered an external variable, boys focused on fine finger movements, while girls focused on the action itself. Frequency and qualitative analysis revealed a difference between first-person and third-person descriptions. We discussed whether parents’ perceptions were based on simulations of “becoming” their children, or whether they were judged based on external standards. Conclusions/Significance: These results suggest that the Philippines has similar trends to Japan, but differs from those in the United States. The descriptions of “my . . .” suggest that the existence of representations shared between parents and children plays a significant role, and that the motor imagery of “to be ...” plays a role in parents’ perception processes. Furthermore, we found content that conflicts with the differences between Asian and Western self as suggested by Markus & Kitayama (1991, 1994).
Mitsuru Noda (Sun,) studied this question.