Shinrigaku Kenkyu最新文献

In this study, we investigated cultural differences in multisensory perception of emotion between Chinese and Japanese participants, focusing on mutual interference of visual and auditory emotional information. In this experiment, the face-voice pairs were consisted of congruent or incongruent emotions (e.g., a happy (an angry) face with a happy (an angry) voice in congruent pairs, and a happy (an angry) face with an angry (a happy) voice in incongruent pairs). Participants were asked to judge the emotion of targets focusing on either face or voice while ignoring the other modality’s information. In the voice-focus condition, the effect of to-be-ignored facial information was smaller in Japanese than Chinese participants, only when the participant and the target belonged to the same cultures (in-group). This indicated that Japanese people were more likely to be based on the voice information in multisensory perception of emotion of in-group. Our study illuminated that although both Japanese and Chinese people belonged to the Eastern culture, there were cultural differences in perceiving emotion from visual and auditory cues.

The present study examined effects of predictions made by a help-seeker about the emotions and costs of a helper on help-seeking behavior. We surveyed undergraduate and graduate students who completed a questionnaire and scenario task. The scenario presented that a person would face the trouble. The questionnaire presented a case where a person was troubled. Respondents were required to answer the following questions: (a) whether they would seek help; (b) whether the helper would respond to help-seeking; (c) the helper’s costs; (d) the negative moods of the helper. Covariance structure analysis of 189 participant responses revealed that help-seeker predictions about the helper’s emotions and costs were used to predict the intentions of the helper, which affected the intentions to seek help. We discuss these results with respect to interpersonal cognition in intimate relationships.

Consumers have had concerns over the safety of Fukushima-produced foods since the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. To dispel these concerns, the public administration has distributed the informational leaflets, which guarantee the safety of Fukushima-produced foods in the marketplace. We investigated the effectiveness of the leaflets. Previous research showed that the activation of behavioral immune system exacerbated prejudice toward out-group members. Therefore, we investigated whether reading the leaflets about the safety of foods would increase prejudice toward foreigners. Participants (N = 50) were asked to read a leaflet either relevant or irrelevant to the safety of Fukushima-produced foods and then complete a Japanese-Foreigners Implicit Association Test and Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Scale. As predicted, participants high in chronic germ aversion (GA) were more prejudiced against foreigners when reading the leaflet relevant to the safety of Fukushima-produced foods than when reading the leaflet irrelevant to the issue. No such effect was observed among participants low in GA. These results indicated the possibility that the current leaflet about the safety of Fukushima foods might backfire.

Empathy is a multi-dimensional concept with emotional and cognitive components. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is a multi-dimensional scale of empathic traits. Although some researchers have attempted to translate the IRI into Japanese, these translated scales had limitations with content and construct validity, and measurement invariance. We therefore attempt to overcome these limitations by developing a new Japanese version of the IRI (IRI-J). We used three approaches to assess the validity and measurement invariance of the IRI-J. In Study 1, content validity was tested using back-translation, and construct validity was confirmed through a comprehensive investigation of a web-based survey using six other scales. Results indicate that the factor structure of the IRI-J was equivalent to that of the original version, and that the IRI-J had adequate reliability and construct validity. In Study 2, measurement invariance by gender was confirmed using data from four web-based surveys. These results suggest that the factor model of IRI-J for each gender is equivalent. The present study thus provides an improved measure of empathic traits for the Japanese population.

Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between the use of a learning strategy and perceived benefits. However, the impact of perceived benefits as conditional knowledge in metacognitive knowledge has not been examined. The present study investigated the effect of perceived benefits about when (short and long) and how (persistent and suitable) to use learning strategies using two surveys. Each survey utilized a sample of undergraduate students from three different Japanese universities, and the Bayesian hierarchical modeling and within-person variance were used to verify the relationship between the use of a learning strategy and perceived benefits. The students completed questionnaires regarding cognitive (Survey 2a) and metacognitive (Survey 2b) strategies (Survey 1 included two strategies), and achievement goals (without Survey 1). Findings revealed the effects of long-term and short-term persistent perceived benefits on the use of a learning strategy in all the surveys. These results suggest that persistent benefits be emphasized in order to promote the use of learning strategies, and that the appropriate perceived benefits be emphasized in order to become an adaptive learner.

This study examined the relationships among motivational regulation strategies, motivational factors, and learning behaviors outside the classroom. There are three subtypes of motivational regulation strategies: autonomous regulation strategies, cooperative strategies, and performance-focused strategies. Motivational factors included in the investigation were self-efficacy and task value, while behavioral and emotional engagement and study time were selected as learning behaviors outside the classroom. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 322 undergraduates from two universities. Multiple regression analysis revealed the use of autonomous regulation strategies, and that task value was positively correlated with engagement and study time. Moreover, self-efficacy positively predicted study time. In contrast, the use of performance strategies negatively predicted engagement. The use of cooperative strategies did not predict learning behaviors. These results indicate that motivation, as well as the regulation of motivation, were important for learning outside the classroom. The effects of regulation of motivation and motivation on learning outside the classroom are discussed in light of the current findings.

This study attempts to identify response styles of Japanese students by cross-level and cross-national analyses. Tasaki and Ninomiya (2013) demonstrated the existence of an acquiescence response behavior of Japanese students based on the model by Billet and McClendon(2000), who measured latent response characteristics as “style factor.” In this study, we used a different response style measurement model proposed by Weijters, Schillewaert, & Geuens (2008) positing that response styles are psychological constructs and observed response style variables are summary indicators derived from sets of various, but independent, test items. Results of cross-national analyses indicated that Japanese and Korean participants were more likely to choose a mid-point response (MRS) and less likely to choose an acquiescence response (ARS) than American counterparts, but no significant difference was observed for an extreme response (ERS) among participants from the three nations. Within the Japanese response style model, cross-level analyses showed that ARS scores were significantly higher than ERS scores, indicating that Japanese participants had an acquiescence response style, consistent with the findings from Tasaki & Ninomiya (2013).

This study investigated the independence of old and new item processing in recognition judgment. Conventional recognition studies have focused on the “memory” aspects of recognition judgment, while new item processing has been treated as a “residual response” of old item processing. However, prior studies on confidence ratings and the brain research suggest the possibility that old and new items are independently processed. This study conducted recognition judgment tests with the number of learned items as independent variables, and response times for four answer categories (hit, miss, correct rejection, and false alarm) as dependent variables. Hit response times were consistently shorter than misses for all old items, while correct rejection (CR) and false alarm (FA) response times approached equivalence (CR = FA) for new items as the number of old (memorized) items increased. These results suggest that recognition judgment changes according to the number of old (memorized) items. We discuss the idea that new item and old item processing in recognition judgment occur independently.

This study examined the relationships between the reasons for confessions and interviewing styles by administering a self-reported questionnaire to new male adult prison inmates across Japan. The three factors proposed by Gudjonsson and his colleagues (1991, 1992, 1994, 1999), namely, perception of proof, internal pressure, and external pressure, were investigated. When participants had decided to confess prior to interviews, they were more likely to confess due to perception of proof and internal pressure compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, participants who experienced a relationship-focused interviewing style, which stressed active listening and rapport-building while talking about the criminal incidents directly, were more likely to confess due to internal pressure and less likely to confess due to external pressure.