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The implicit attitude toward violations is regarded as a contibuting factor in those violations. Adachi & Usui (2010) applied the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure this attitude in nursin. This study examines the IAT's validity and reliability. We conducted the IAT for 51 medical staffs who serve as risk managers in a hospital. The IAT's validity was demonstrated from the difference of the reaction time between the blocks of IAT and by showing that the IAT scores of nurses who had served on a safety-related committee were higher than those of nurses who had not serves on such a committee. A high IAT score indicates that the participant has stronger implicit attitudes (e.g., persons with high scores felt that violations were more distasteful). Reliability was indicated by dispersion between trials.

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Self-efficacy is an individual's confidence that he or she possesses the ability to or will be able to accomplish a task. Previous literature has indicated that self-efficacy is linked to persistence on a difficult and challenging task. Herein, we showed that the manipulation of perceptual fluency increased the self-efficacy beliefs, and even changed the behavioral persistence to a challenging task. In Study 1, we manipulated perceptual fluency by changing the figure-ground contrast of an intelligence task. The results indicated that the high contrast task increased self-efficacy relative to the low contrast task. In Study 2, we examined the effect of perceptual fluency on behavioral persistence using an unsolvable intelligence task. The results showed that participants worked on the unsolvable task significantly longer in the high contrast condition than in the low contrast condition.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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This paper presents an inferotemporal cortex model for object recognition and classification. The model is based on the modular network SOM, and produces a self-organized map of RBF networks. It can be trained to classify artificial 3D objects according to their structural similarity, and its properties are consistent with those in the TE area of the brain of macaque monkeys. We show that the model is able to distinguish between canonical and noncanonical views of objects. We further demonstrate that this ability leads to view-invariant recognition of objects by incorporating a mental-rotation type mechanism. Finally, we discuss the similarities and differences in view canonicality between the model and human observers.

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Recent functional neuroimaging studies suggested that distinct neural networks are recruited for regulating response and perceptual conflict separately. We employed a conflict adjustment paradigm using a modified Stroop task to verify the multiple conflict-driven cognitive control networks. Neuroimaging results demonstrated that the cdACC and the pre-PMd are involved in detecting and regulating perceptual conflict, respectively, which is analogous to the recruitment of the rdACC and the DLPFC in control processes for response conflict. We also investigated neural networks for detection and regulation of stimulus/response conflict in multiple-conflict situations by developing the OX-arrow conflict task, where "stimulus + response" and "response + response" conditions could be manipulated to measure stimulus-conflict and response-conflict separately. With the experimental results, the independence of underlying neural networks for conflict-driven cognitive control will be discussed.

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The role of semantic transparency in the recognition and learning of Sino-Korean words was investigated with four experiments. It was found that semantically transparent words were easier to recognize and learn than semantically opaque ones, suggesting lexical representation of Sino-Korean words based on morpho-syllabic units.

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Kanji (Chinese characters in Japanese) recognition processes among Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean were examined using MEG when the participants passively watched Kanji1 (average stroke order is 8), Kanji2 (average stroke order is 13), Korean characters, Simplified Chinese characters, and Complicated Chinese characters (average stroke order is 13). Amplitudes of M170 component (magnet reaction after stimulus onset of 170 ms) were compared within subjects as well as between subjects. The complexity of characters is not in portion to computation in character processing. In all groups, the number of stroke orders did not always reflect the amplitudes of M170. Prominent differences were not found on the basis of mother languages; rather it appears that individual language experience plays an important role on Kanji recognition. For example, the amplitudes of M170 of Kanji2 and Complex Chinese characters were the same in a Japanese participant who had lived in Taiwan.

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Familiarity and recollection are believed to be two distinct processes of recognition memory in humans. Subjectively, familiarity provides a sense of 'oldness' to perceiving a previously encountered stimulus, whereas recollection recovers events and their contextual details. Despite many investigations involving ERP, fMRI, and behavioural measures, an EEG approach is lacking. With a 2-alternative forced-choice recognition memory task, using abstract visual stimuli, we set out to investigate the role of neural synchrony as measured by human scalp EEG during both encoding and retrieval of recognition memory. In particular, we show that the prestimulus period theta and beta band power may support encoding of stimuli that are subsequently recollected, compared to being familiar. These findings are suggestive of a favourable brain state for a particular type of memory processing.

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This study examined the hypothesis that verbalizing configural information does not impair face recognition. It has been shown that verbalization impairs face recognition (verbal overshadowing effect). The explanation is that while configural information is critical for face recognition. Verbalization may enhance featural processing and may therefore impede face recognition. It is then predicted that verbalizing configural information would not impair face recognition. However, mixed results regarding this prediction have been reported. In those studies, when verbalizing configural information, participants were asked to describe an impression or occupation of the target face, which could actually enhance featural processing. In this study, participants described configural verbalization condition were asked to make those judgments about the target face that require configural processingfeatural information of a target face or described configural information by rating adjectives of the face before a recognition task. The result showed that describing featural information impaired target recognition but describing configural information did not. This result suggests verbalization does not always impair face recognition.

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Retrieving information in memory can impair recall performance for related information on a subsequent test, which is known as retrieval-induced forgetting and is caused by inhibition to resolve competition during retrieval. The current study examined whether individuals with autistic traits demonstrated retrieval-induced forgetting. Participants in typically developing population with high and low scores on the Japanese Autism-Spectrum Quotient questionnaire (AQ; Wakabayashi et al., 2006) studied category-exemplar pairs and then retrieved one third of the studied pairs. Later, a category-plus-stem-cued recall test of all the studied pairs was conducted. Retrieval-induced forgetting was only observed in participants with low AQ scores, but not in participants with high AQ scores. The results suggested that individuals with autistic traits could not inhibit the competitors during memory retrieval.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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This study was to examine two major theories of false memories; implicit activation and source monitoring approach, and fuzzy trace theory, with self-choice effect in the DRM paradigm. The self-choice effect is the superior memory performance observed when participants are allowed to choose the item at the study phase. Twenty-two participants studies four DRM lists in two conditions, forced condition and self-choice condition. And participants were asked to take a recognition test. As a result, about list words and CLs associated from list words, self-choice effect was observed. From the result that self-choice effect were observed about list items and CLs, implicit activation and source monitoring approach was supported.

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We investigated how working memory capacity (WMC) and text difficulty affect the accuracy of metacomprehension monitoring. Participants completed the operation span test to measure WMC and expository text. In the easy-text condition, participants read four texts showing increasing local cohesion, whereas in the difficult-text condition, participants read four original texts. Participants assigned a comprehension rating to each text and then completed a comprehension test. The results found a significant interactive effect of WMC and text difficulty on metacomprehension accuracy. In difficult-text condition, the accuracy of higher-WMC readers was higher than that of lower-WMC readers. In contrast, in easy-text condition, the accuracy of higher-WMC readers did not differ from that of lower-WMC readers. These results suggest that, given no main effect of text difficulty, the reducing of processing texts does not necessarily leads the improvement of accuracy.

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This study aimed to clarify the psychological factors influencing on the elder cyclists' crossing judgments when a car was approaching. Participants rode on a bicycle and looked at the oncoming car. The approaching velocities were 20km/h and 30km/h. When the car reached the critical point where participants could cross in front of it, they pressed the button of LED light. The stronger the participants expect oncoming cars to yield, the smaller the temporal and distance gap between participants and the oncoming car at critical point tended to become. Thus, overconfidence of right of¬ way may lower the safeness of bicycle crossing. Furthermore, the discrepancy between the time participants required for crossing and the time participants anticipated to require may result in unsafe bicycle behavior. Consequently, educational intervention to lessen these psychological factors could reduce bicycle-related accidents.

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We verified the hypothesis that an individual's retributive strategy is activated implicitly when he/she is presented with the opportunity to determine punishment. Participants were asked to complete the IAT before and after being presented with the image of a brutal crime. Because it is assumed that retributive strategy weighs the seriousness of the crime against the severity of punishment, we predicted that the activation of retributive strategy would strengthen the association with a balanced combination of the crime seriousness and the punishment severity and increase the IAT effect. The result showed that the IAT effect increased and supported the hypothesis.

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Gestures are produced for listeners to decode message and for speakers to encode information. Bilinguals need more encoding work in their second language (L2) than in their first language (L1). To examine the role of gesture production in an animation narration task in L2, we measured the brain activity of Chinese-Japanese bilinguals using near-infrared spectroscopy. The average change in the concentration of oxy-Hb was calculated for the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) for three 2s-measurement periods: a pre-gesture, a gesture production, and a post-gesture one. We obtained a significant interaction between the two areas and the three periods. The activation in the left IFG significantly increased throughout the three periods, but decreased marginally in the left IPL. The present results suggest that gesture production is closely related to two functions of story planning in the left IFG and storytelling in the left IPL.

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Illusory correlation means misperceived correlation between two variables which do not correlate. We examined the effects of skews of marginal distribution which is frequency distribution of each variable and joint distribution which is frequency distribution of combined items of two variables on illusory correlation. Participants were asked to predict targets (A or B) from predictors (square or circle). Targets were hidden on the half of trials. This made non-skewed conditions in which either the marginal distribution of the predictor or the joint distribution was not skewed. In skewed conditions and control condition both distributions were skewed, and targets were presented on all trials in the control condition. Illusory correlations were observed in the skewed conditions and the control condition whereas it was not observed in the non-skewed conditions. This suggests that both skews of marginal distribution and joint distribution play crucial roles for illusory correlation.

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In recent years, the concept of "positive illusion" is emphasized. However, there are a few studies about this. Purpose of this study is promoting better understanding of "positive illusion" and researching the relation between "positive illusion" and risk perception or risk-taking behavior. We conducted research with questionnaire that contained measurements of risk perception and risk-taking behavior and self-cognition. As a result, In the optimism of self, we turned up that positive cognition control dangerous behavior. We can look at proper judgment by positive thinking for future of oneself that avert dangerous event. However this result is one of effect of "positive illusion". After this, we thought important to promote better understanding of "positive illusion".

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Earlier studies have focused on the design of signs as the main factor causing errors pushing buttons (open button in place of close button and vice versa) in the elevator. However, in addition to design, other cognitive factors, such as time pressure and eye movements, may cause people to make errors. In this study, we investigated how these factors affect reaction time and error rates of pushing buttons, and compared the effect sizes of each factor. We employed a basic paradigm that is used in attention studies. The signs were presented alone in Experiment 1 and in pairs in Experiment 2. The results of both experiments showed that the eye movements had a stronger effect than types of design, and that time pressure had the least effect. Our findings suggest that the errors can be decreased by keeping eye movements to a minimum.

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We use various tools for household task, work and hobby. When we does habituated a work using habituation tools, we hardly dose confusion. By contrast, when we do a work using non-habituation tools, we dose confusion. In this study, we separate nonsteady action and steady action using biological signals. Furthermore, we apply to interface.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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We examined the effects of visual preference for spatial configuration of objects on visual short-term memory (VSTM). Participants recalled 9-, 7-, and 5-dot locations in spatial configurations in Experiment 1 (spatial memory task). In Experiment 2, participants responded whether orientations of line segments between successive displays were same or different (non-spatial memory task). In the task, 9-, 7-, and 5-line segments were arrayed in the same way as in Experiment 1. After the memory tasks, participants were incidentally asked to rate the preference for configurations. We classified configurations into "likable" and "dislikable" ones based on preference-rating score. Results showed that the performance of dislikable configurations was higher than that of likable configurations in 9 dots (Experiment 1). The same trends were significant in all 9, 7, and 5 locations (Experiment 2). These results indicate that preference is one of the important factors for spatial/non-spatial VSTM.

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