Amae

🧠 Psychology By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 23, 2026

Amae is the wish to depend on and presume upon another’s benevolence. Psychiatrist Takeo Doi made it central to understanding Japanese relationships.

Contents

1. Overview
2. Family communication
3. Frequently asked questions
4. References

Overview

Doi traced amae from infant longing to adult relationships and argued English lacked an equivalent word.

Family communication

Accepted amae resembles emotional validation; reversed, it can become parentification. Rothbaum et al. (2000) contrasted it with attachment norms in the U.S.

Amae is trusting the door will open before you knock. It needs a sense that leaning is allowed.

Frequently asked questions

Is amae unhealthy?: Not inherently; problems arise when it is excessive or unspoken.

References

土居健郎『「甘え」の構造』弘文堂, 1971.
Doi, T. (1973). The Anatomy of Dependence (J. Bester, Trans.). Kodansha International.
Behrens, K. Y. (2004). A multifaceted view of the concept of amae: Reconsidering the indigenous Japanese concept of relatedness. Human Development, 47(1), 1–27.
Rothbaum, F., Weisz, J., Pott, M., Miyake, K., & Morelli, G. (2000). Attachment and culture: Security in the United States and Japan. American Psychologist, 55(10), 1093–1104.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '아마에' on CampusDown →

Bowlby's Attachment TheoryJohn Bowlby's attachment theory explained: its evolutionary basis, the four phases of attachment, internal working models, Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation and the attachment patterns, plus later research.🧠 Psychology HikikomoriWhat is hikikomori? Japan’s six-month definition, Saitō Tamaki’s social withdrawal, the 2022 Cabinet Office estimate of 1.46 million, the 8050 problem, Korea’s isolated and reclusive youth, and how families can respond.👪 Family & Child Studies ParentificationWhat is parentification? Boszormenyi-Nagy’s concept, instrumental versus emotional parentification, how it differs from healthy responsibility, adult effects, links to young carers and adult children, and recovery.👪 Family & Child Studies Emotional validationEmotional validation: Marsha Linehan’s DBT, six levels of validation, why validation is not agreement, invalidating environments, research on emotional reactivity, and examples for families and couples.👪 Family & Child Studies Toxic ParentsWhat are toxic parents? The term’s origin in Susan Forward’s 1989 book, common types (controlling, critical, inadequate, addicted, abusive), what the ACE Study and spanking research show about long-term effects, and how adult children can set boundaries and heal.👪 Family & Child Studies

The Rule of LawWhat is the rule of law? Its meaning and history from Magna Carta to United States v. Nixon, Dicey and Fuller's principles, and how it differs from rule by law.⚖️ Law Brown v. Board of Education (1954)Brown v. Board of Education (1954) summary: the case, Chief Justice Warren's unanimous ruling, why 'separate but equal' fell, and what happened after.⚖️ Law Civil Procedure StepsCivil procedure steps explained: complaint, answer, pretrial, discovery, trial, judgment and appeal, with Korean and U.S. deadlines, small claims and key cases.⚖️ Law Common Law vs. Civil LawCommon law vs. civil law: how the two legal families differ on sources of law, precedent, trials and judges, and where Korea's mixed system fits between them.⚖️ Law

Latest ArticlesView all ›

New guides for college study and assignments (Korean)

This article was last updated on October 23, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.