Shift register, display device provided with same, and method for driving shift register

A method of driving a shift register for driving scanning signal lines of a display device, the shift register including a plurality of stages each of which comprises a stage circuit that operates in accordance with a plurality of clock signals that cyclically alternate between an ON level and an OFF level,

• wherein each stage circuit that constitutes each stage of the plurality of stages includes:
• an output node for outputting a scanning signal to one of the scanning signal lines;
• an output control switching element that has a control terminal, a first conduction terminal, and a second conduction terminal, a clock signal of the plurality of clock signals that changes from the OFF level to the ON level at a time at which the scanning signal output from the output node should be changed from the OFF level to the ON level being input to the first conduction terminal, and the second conduction terminal being connected to the output node;
• an output control node that is connected to the control terminal of the output control switching element;
• an output control node ON/OFF-switching unit that receives as a set signal one of an upstream-stage scanning signal that is a scanning signal output from the output node of a stage one or more stages upstream and a downstream-stage scanning signal output from the output node of a stage one or more stages downstream, receives as a reset signal an other of the upstream-stage scanning signal and the downstream-stage scanning signal, changes a level of the output control node to the ON level in accordance with the set signal, and changes the level of the output control node to the OFF level in accordance with the reset signal;
• and
• an output control node stabilization switching element that includes a control terminal, a first conduction terminal, and a second conduction terminal, the first conduction terminal being connected to the output control node, and an OFF-level supply voltage being input to the second conduction terminal,
• wherein the plurality of stages are divided into a plurality of stage circuit groups, each of the stage circuit groups including the stage circuits of P adjacent stages (where P is an integer greater than or equal to 2), and
• wherein each of the stage circuit groups includes a stabilization node that is connected to the control terminal of the output control node stabilization switching element of each of the stage circuits included in the stage circuit group and a stabilization node controller that controls a level of the stabilization node,
• the method of driving the shift register comprising, for each of the stage circuit groups:
• using the stabilization node controller to maintain the stabilization node at the OFF level throughout a period in which one of the output control nodes of the P stage circuits included in the stage circuit group is at the ON level;
• and
• using the stabilization node controller to maintain the stabilization node at the ON level throughout a period in which all of the output control nodes of the P stage circuits included in the stage circuit group should be maintained at the OFF level.