Effects of different decision-making preferences of breast cancer patients on the level of doctor-patient communication, trust in surgeons, and satisfaction with treatment decisions were investigated. Female participants (n = 86) who had undergone the first surgical treatment for breast cancer over six months ago were administered a questionnaire inquiring about the above variables. Factor analysis of autonomy identified two factors, Decision-Making and Information Seeking. Participants were classified into high and low Decision-Making groups based on their Decision-Making scores. Results of a multiple regression analysis of the low Decision-Making group indicated that a higher level of doctor-patient communication increased the trust in surgeons, which in turn increased satisfaction. Results of a multiple regression analysis of the high Decision-Making group indicated multicollinearity between the level of doctor-patient communication and the trust in surgeons. Further analysis excluded the level of doctor-patient communication. These results indicated that trust in surgeons increased the level of satisfaction. There was also a significant correlation between the level of doctor-patient communication and satisfaction. These results suggest that high and low Decision-Making groups differed in terms of the relationships among the three variables.

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Effects of job stressors and irrational beliefs on three symptoms of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduces personal accomplishment were investigated in nurses. Nurses working at twogeneral hospitals (n = 389) completed the Nursing Job Stressor Scale, the Japanese Irrational Belief Test－20, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that both job stressors and irrational beliefs affected emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, but only irrational beliefs affected reduces personal accomplishment. These findings suggest that preventing burnout in nurses is important not only for improving the work environment in hospitals, but also for modifying the irrational beliefs of nurses.

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The present study examined the influence of cognitive reappraisal on the duration of a negative emotional experience and corresponding cardiovascular responses after a speech task. In addition, we compared negative emotional responses that were elicited during the initial task performance and a repetition of the same task, in order to examine the role of cognitive reappraisal on emotional responses in a repeated task. Before the first task, participants were instructed that their performance would be evaluated, and that they would be questioned if they failed to achieve a standard level of performance. To manipulate cognitive reappraisal, participants were randomly given false feedback about their performance, and arbitrarily assigned to a “success,” or a “failure” group after completing the first task. Both groups were then monitored during the post task period, after they were given the feedback. Participants were then instructed to perform a similar speech task, and prepared for the second task in the same way as they did for the first. Results showed that in the post-task period, the “success” group had a less negative emotional experience, and a rapid blood pressure recovery through a greater decline in total peripheral resistance, in comparison to the “failure” group. In addition, only the “success” group exhibited decreased systolic blood pressure reactivity during the task repetition. These results suggest that cognitive reappraisal plays an important role in psychological and physiological well-being.

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Study 1, kinder garden teachers (n = 66) indicated behavioral and physical problems of young children in their classes, and significant characteristics of these problems were identified. Results indicated that the physical problems included, “getting tired easily”, “idleness” and “decreased strength”, and certain behavioral problems had features similar to those of slightly disabled children. Study 2, factor analysis was conducted on the problems recognized in Study 1, which identified two factors related to physical problems; “Bad physical condition” and “Problems in physical control”, as well as four factors related to behavioral problems; “Selfishness”, “Lack of motivation”, “Compulsive tendencies” and “the Issue of food”. The causes and implications of these findings are discussed.

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Relationship between body-sense and mental health was investigated. Personal body sense was explored from the perspective of body-work in relation to the sensitivity of the body-sense and its positive acceptance. Psychological wellbeing is a new concept in mental health, which can be achieved during a person's life span. Results of the study suggested the following. To understand how the body-sense is perceived, it is necessary to take the sensitivity and the positive acceptance of the body-sense into account. Moreover, psychological wellbeing is closely related to the sensitivity of the complete body-sense and its positive acceptance. Furthermore, psychological wellbeing is also closely related to the “sense of body belonging,” or the perception that one's body belongs to oneself.

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Psychological and cardiovascular reactivity to acute, moderate-intensity exercise were investigated in student participants (n = 20). Psychological indices showed a significant increase in “positive engagement,” whereas the Waseda Affect Scale of Exercise and Durable Activity (WASEDA) indicated a reduction in “tranquility.” Moreover, “Negative affect” showed a maximum increase during exercise and a decreased after exercise. Physiological indices, such as systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO) showed a significant increase, whereas levels of total peripheral resistance (TPR) and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) decreased during exercise, which is a typical physiological reaction during aerobic exercise. BRS, an indicator of cardiac vagal activity reached a minimal level during exercise and increased after exercise. Relationship between psychological and physiological indices indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between “positive engagement” and SBP, DBP, and TPR, as well as between “tranquility” and CO, whereas there was a significant positive correlation between “tranquility” and TPR, as well as between “negative affect” and SBP, DBP, and TPR.

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The Relapse Prevention Model (RPM) has provided a framework for the successful long-term maintenance of certain health behaviors. Although RPM has applications in preventing relapses in exercise programs, this model has not clarified the relationship between the psychological burden and practical coping strategies in high-risk situations. To clarify this relationship, Study 1 compared the role of psychological burden of the following high-risk situations: fatigue, bad weather, illness and injury, work and academic obligations, personal problems, interpersonal relationships, and boredom, in inducing lapses in exercise programs as a function of gender and the stage of behavior change, including pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Participants were Japanese people (n = 263). The results indicated that illness and injury was the highest-risk situation followed by fatigue and work and academic obligations. In comparison to males, female participants had significantly higher psychological burden caused by fatigue, bad weather, and personal problems. There were significant differences in psychological burden between stages of behavior change for each high-risk situation. Those doing outdoor exercises had a significantly larger burden associated with bad weather, in comparison to people doing indoor exercises. Study 2 identified practical strategies for coping with each high-risk situation. Participants were Japanese exercisers (n = 165) chosen from the participants described above. Exercisers described positive coping strategies that were associated with doing exercise and negative coping strategies that led to slips and lapses in each high-risk situation. Results suggested that adopting coping strategies specialized for each high-risk situation was necessary to prevent slips and lapses in each situation. These findings are expected to extend future interventions in the application of the RPM for preventing slips and lapses in exercise programs.

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The Speech Perception Questionnaire (SPQ) is a subjective and objective measure of public speaking performance. The purpose of present study was to develop the Japanese version of the SPQ. First, the permission was obtained from the author of the original SPQ and it was translated into Japanese. Then, the content validity of a back-translated version of the Japanese SPQ was confirmed and approved by the author of the original SPQ. Three hundred and forty-three undergraduate students were screened by using the Short Fear of Negative Evaluation scale (SFNE). Of these, two groups of participants, with high (HS group; n = 10) and low social anxiety (LS group; n = 10) were selected based on the scores of SFNE. The participants engaged in 3-minute speech task. ANOVA were conducted on the Z-scores of the SPQ based on their self-ratings and observers' ratings. The results indicated that the HS group rated their own performance to be worse than the LS group (p < .05). Moreover, there was a significantly greater discrepancy between their self-ratings and observers' ratings in the SPQ (p < .05). Furthermore, Cronbach's α indicated the high internal consistency of the SPQ. These results suggest that the Japanese version of SPQ has high internal consistency and construct validity.

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Validity of the Goodness of Fit (GOF) hypothesis in interpersonal stressor in relation to the functionality of coping and coping patterns was investigated. Undergraduate students (n = 377) completed the following questionnaires: Coping, Controllability, the Functionality to the Environment and the Functionality to the Individual. Functionality of coping was assessed by positive scores for Functionality to Environment and Appraisal of Coping Options scores that measured the functionality to the individual. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that problem focused coping was not associated with the functionality of coping, and that emotion focused coping was positively associated with the functionality to the environment and to the individual, suggesting that the GOF was not valid. Clinical implications of this study and future research issues are discussed.

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