The “Help Mark,” a unique symbol that people with hidden disabilities wear to receive help from others, has been promoted nationwide in recent years as part of efforts to achieve a symbiotic society in Japan. However, awareness of the Help Mark has been insufficient, and some people with hidden disabilities have been reluctant to wear it. In this study, a web-based experiment was conducted to examine the factors that promote or hinder the intention to help those who wear the Help Mark, according to social and cultural psychology theories. To analyze the effects of wearing the Help Mark, the cost of helping, and the explicit solicitation of help, the experiment used scenarios that manipulated these factors. We also analyzed the effect of interdependent self-construal on participants’ intentions to help. Results showed that when the cost of helping is relatively low, intentions to help can be increased by the person with hidden disabilities wearing the mark, and intentions can be increased when solicitation is explicit. We also found that when it comes to helping those who wear the Help Mark, the rejection-avoidance tendency and being young may serve as inhibiting factors.
