Does an American puppyamaeru? A comment on Dr. Doi's paper

Doi's paper has successfully spelled out several important points on Amae: (1) Amae is an interpersonal process; (2) the origin of amae probably lies in the infant-mother relationship; (3) the concept of amae provides no absolute standard to classify a behavior in terms of amae; (4) amae is best understood as a combination of patterns of behaviors; and (5) amae is a very broad concept. Implicit, but insufficiently recognized in Doi's paper, is the concept that amae is an interpersonal process of negotiation that is continuously revised throughout life. It is not just a motivational factor embedded in an individual; underneath the surface phenomenon of amae, an amaeru-ing person usually allows the other to feel needed, valued, and respected. Operationalizing the concept of amae for international research requires that the term be defined in relation to a combination of patterns of behaviors observable in the infant/child-mother dyad.