Japanese Psychological Research最新文献

In contemplating the future, we often dwell not in the present but in imagined tomorrows. Yet, the envisioned future may not always manifest into reality. This possibility raises a pivotal question: What factors drive our motivation to actualize these imagined futures? Such motivations may span from ideals and goals to acquisitions, transformations, growth, self-control, inheritance, and maintenance. But do these future-oriented motivations truly fulfill our desires? In recent decades, research in this area has burgeoned, proposing a myriad of theories to enhance future motivation. This special issue sheds light on the latest empirical and theoretical advancements in the psychology of future motivation.

Lee (2024) uses a meta-analysis to examine the strength of the relationship between various types of motivation and accompanying future outcomes that individuals intend to change, based on 337 effect sizes from 62 studies. Considerable variation existed among the 14 theoretically postulated types of motivation, ranging from small negative effect sizes to moderate positive effect sizes. The 14 summary effect sizes were also moderated by the type of future outcomes, the use of a motivational intervention, the use of a longitudinal design, and the time between the point that measured motivation and future outcomes. The findings of this study are critical because they integrate previous studies and raise new questions for future research.

Nishimura (2024), utilizing self-determination theory, explores how aspirations (future motivation) uniquely influence active behaviors in positive classroom participation while controlling for academic motivation (current motivation). The study's findings illustrate a distinct variance in aspirations: Intrinsic aspirations correlate positively with active class participation, while extrinsic aspirations demonstrate a negative relationship with participation. This study is noteworthy for its revelation that future motivation, particularly when intrinsically driven, enhances active learning behaviors beyond the influence of present motivation.

Goto et al. (2024) examine the interplay between students' achievement goals and their preferences for personalized questions in computer-adaptive tests. The study found that while mastery goals aligned with a preference for challenging problems, performance goals correlated with a preference for success-guaranteed problems. Interestingly, only the preference for complex problems predicted future intentions to engage with computer-adaptive tests. These findings suggest that merely introducing computer-adaptive testing in educational settings may not suffice. The study offers practical insights into integrating educational technology, such as computer-adaptive tests, to tailor teaching and learning experiences.

Takehashi et al. (2024) examine the motivational impact of growth mindsets from the perspect

We examined the moderating effect of regulatory foci on the efficacy of episodic future thinking in reducing delay discounting. We hypothesized that the impact of imagining positive future events (vs. recent positive events) on delay discounting of gains would be stronger for individuals with a high promotion focus than for those with a high prevention focus (Hypothesis 1). Conversely, the effects of imagining adverse future events (vs. recent negative events) on delay discounting of losses would be stronger for individuals with a high prevention focus than for those with a high promotion focus (Hypothesis 2). We conducted two experiments in which participants, randomly allocated to episodic future thinking (EFT) or episodic recent thinking (ERT) groups, completed a delayed discounting task of gain (Experiment 1) or loss (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 (N = 73) weakly supported Hypothesis 1; Experiment 2 (N = 99) did not support Hypothesis 2. Our findings suggest positive EFT is particularly effective for individuals with a high promotion focus compared to individuals with a high prevention focus, which further reveals how EFT attenuates delay discounting.