Japanese Psychological Research最新文献

This study examines situational fluctuations in academic self-concept (ASC) during English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learning, focusing on perceived self and peer achievements, and the moderating effects of course type. Using an intensive longitudinal method, 27 Japanese first-year undergraduates completed surveys over 5 weeks after two EFL classes: General English and English Communication. Results from hierarchical linear modeling showed that perceived self-achievement positively predicted situational ASC, consistent with previous findings. Perceived peer achievement decreased ASC in English Communication, reflecting the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect (BFLPE), while it increased ASC in General English, reflecting the Basking-in-Reflected-Glory Effect (BIRGE). Furthermore, the effect of perceived self-achievement was stronger in the English Communication course than in General English. These findings underscore the situational and social nature of ASC, highlighting its variability across classroom contexts. The study also demonstrates the utility of intensive longitudinal methods in studying motivational constructs and provides insights into optimizing EFL learning environments, especially in interactive language classes.

We conducted a preregistration study (https://osf.io/apsvr) to examine the relationship between guilt and self-control via the experience sampling method (ESM) in Japan. In addition to replicating Hofmann and Fisher's results (2012), we also examined whether cultural factors moderated the effects of self-conscious emotions on subsequent self-control, whether deservingness mediated the negative relationship between guilt and behavioral inhibition, and whether guilt increased initiatory self-control. We recruited 211 participants and sent them seven ESM signals per day, for seven consecutive days over a 14-h period. Participants answered questions regarding their current state of desire, self-control process variables (goal importance, conflict, resistance, and inhibiting desire), and emotional state when they noticed the signals. We collected 9,737 available responses, of which 68.7% indicated desire experiences. Multilevel path analyses revealed that previous guilt for self-control failure indirectly impacted the inhibition of subsequent desire. The potential mechanisms and implications of these findings are discussed.

The instrumental model of emotion regulation suggests that emotional preferences influence the selection of emotion regulation strategies, as individuals choose strategies that help attain their preferred emotional states. An empirical gap exists in whether such preferences prospectively predict subsequent emotion regulation strategy use. This study employed the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to explore the prospective relationship between emotional preference for positive emotions and the subsequent use of emotion regulation strategies. This study also examined positive emotion regulation characteristics of individuals with varying levels of depression severity. The sample comprised nonclinical undergraduate and graduate students (N = 108, 72.22% female, M = 20.54 years, SD = 4.84 years) who reported their momentary preferences for positive emotions and use of emotion regulation strategies four times a day over 10 days in their daily lives. Results indicated that a stronger momentary preference for positive emotions predicted greater subsequent use of emotion-focused positive rumination. No significant association was found with self-focused positive rumination or dampening. Elevated depression severity was associated with greater overall use of dampening and less use of self-focused and emotion-focused positive rumination. These findings suggest that individuals regulate positive emotions in alignment with the hedonic principle, seeking to maximize positive emotional experiences. However, individuals with elevated depression severity displayed a distinct pattern of emotion regulation characterized by increased downregulation and decreased upregulation of positive emotions.

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder and high worriers often engage in maladaptive cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS), such as worry and threat monitoring, which can impair psychological well-being (PWB). This study examined whether attentional control, both ability (objective) and beliefs (subjective), moderates the negative effects of CAS on state PWB in daily life. Twenty-three high worriers completed psychological measures, performed a dichotic listening task, began a 7-day experience sampling the next day, and completed the measures again the day after the final sampling day. Model comparison via leave-one-out cross-validation indicated that moderation models better explained the data for both CAS components. For worry strategy, individuals with higher attentional control beliefs and faster reaction times experienced less negative impact. In contrast, threat monitoring negatively affected PWB across all profiles, though the magnitude varied depending on attentional control levels. These findings suggest that attentional control moderates the link between CAS and state PWB in a strategy-specific manner. Enhancing attentional control beliefs may mitigate the negative impact of worry strategy, while interventions targeting situational attentional strategies may be necessary for threat monitoring.

Some older adults do not seek or may even refuse help when it is available and needed. To explore the psychological basis of this phenomenon, this study examined both the level and instability of self-esteem and their association with help-seeking. Data were obtained from 140 older adults aged 65 years and older through a 1-week diary survey using an experience sampling method. Finally, 134 individuals (M_age = 73.84 years, SD_age = 6.57 years; 70 females) were analyzed. Multiple regression analysis revealed that older adults with low self-esteem and high instability exhibited increased help-seeking toward family members when all participants were included in the analysis. However, when individuals with outlier values for help-seeking were excluded, the relationships between self-esteem and help-seeking were no longer statistically significant. These results are discussed in relation to the characteristics of older adults and the validity of the help-seeking indicators used.

While unstable and confused self-concepts have been linked to poorer psychological health, less attention has been paid to the reverse direction—namely, whether poorer psychological health contributes to self-concept instability. To address this question, three experience sampling studies were conducted in which university students rated their self-concept approximately every 2–3 days. Variability in self-concept was analyzed using a mixed-effects location-scale model, with both the mean and within-person variance as outcomes. In Study 1, self-concept was assessed using trait-descriptive adjectives, and principal component analysis yielded two evaluative components. Lower psychological health, measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), was associated with greater variability in both components, even after controlling for self-esteem, social acceptance/rejection, and relational context. Study 2, using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, replicated this effect for the evaluative component of the Big Five, but not for the descriptive one. Study 3, using a similar method, replicated the findings from Study 2 and additionally showed a GHQ effect on variability in the descriptive component. These results suggest that poor psychological health may contribute to self-concept instability and highlight challenges in distinguishing genuine self-concept variability from measurement error.

Studies have revealed that differences in individuals' beliefs about the extent to which mind wandering is controllable (implicit theories of mind wandering) affect the frequency and intensity of emotional responses to mind wandering. However, these associations were observed only when frequency and emotional intensity were assessed using a self-rating scale that asked participants to recall experiences in their daily lives. This study used a smartphone-based experience sampling method to measure the frequency of mind wandering and emotional intensity in everyday life. It examined the relationships between implicit theories of mind wandering, frequency of mind wandering, and emotional intensity. In the pre-survey, participants completed the Japanese version of the Theories of Mind Wandering (TOMW) Scale, which assesses implicit theories of mind wandering. The main survey was conducted the next day, in which participants received eight signals on their registered LINE accounts. Upon receiving the signal, participants answered questions about the frequency of mind wandering and emotional intensity. The results of the multilevel correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between the TOMW score and the two measures of the frequency of mind wandering. However, the TOMW score positively correlated with the measures of emotional intensity experienced immediately after mind wandering episodes. These results suggest that implicit theories of mind wandering intensify resistance to mind wandering; implications for future research have been discussed.

Understanding individual personality requires methods that capture within-person variability rather than relying solely on between-person models, such as the Big Five. This study aimed to elucidate individual personality structures by conducting factor analyses on longitudinal Big Five indicators and applying graphical vector autoregression (GVAR) models to reveal the dynamic interactions among factors. Five female undergraduates completed a 30-item questionnaire daily for approximately 90 days, allowing us to identify idiographic factors specific to each participant. Results revealed significant heterogeneity in factor structures and network dynamics, challenging the assumption of ergodicity in Big Five indicators. Moreover, while similar factors emerged across participants, their network relationships varied considerably, highlighting the need for individualized approaches to personality research. This study highlights the importance of integrating idiographic methods to achieve a nuanced understanding of individual personalities and encourages future research to further develop methodologies that better capture individuality.