Social anxiety disorder is characterized by fear of negative evaluation (FNE), fear of positive evaluation (FPE), and related attention bias. There are no previous studies on attention bias relating to FPE and positive stimuli. The purpose of the current study is to clarify whether the attention bias to facial expression stimuli differs according to FNE and FPE. Fifty-five undergraduate and graduate students were administered questionnaires and performed a dot-probe task using negative, neutral, and positive facial expression images, and attention bias scores were calculated for negative and positive facial expressions. Results revealed that higher FNE was associated with significant attention bias to negative facial expressions, while FPE that was more closely related to social anxiety did not correlate with attention bias. It is suggested that future studies be conducted using real evaluative situations to further investigate the role of FPE on attention bias.

The purpose of this study was to develop a Japanese version of the Work-related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (WAAQ) and to examine its reliability and validity. In Study 1, we created a Japanese version of the WAAQ, examined its structural validity and internal consistency, and conducted hypothesis testing (convergent validity) using 180 workers. The Japanese version of the WAAQ was found to have high internal consistency, partial structural validity, and convergent validity. In Study 2, we examined the structural validity of the questionnaire and conducted hypothesis testing (convergent validity and comparison between subgroups) using 2,071 workers, of which 320 were involved in verifying test-retest reliability and measurement error. The results showed that the Japanese version of the WAAQ possessed high convergent validity and adequate structural validity, and displayed small effects in difference between subgroups in terms of age group, type of business, job type and measurement error. However, test-retest reliability remained an issue.

In at-home rehabilitation, the ability to set and achieve goals is often impaired, owing to the decreased psychological flexibility demonstrated by older people. In this study, the effects of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention on quality of life and goal-setting for at-home rehabilitation patients were investigated in a single case study. The patient, a male with chronic low back pain, was experiencing decreased activity and demonstrating refusal of exercise. A total of 12 intervention sessions were conducted, with sessions occurring twice a week; one booster session was conducted 2 weeks after the conclusion of the first invention. The results showed that psychological flexibility and quality of life improved, and exercise refusal behavior decreased. The authors suggest that refusal behavior was reduced because exercise was associated with value, in addition to the realization that chess could be played as a value-based behavior and that activity is possible, even when experiencing pain. In addition, it is proposed that the effectiveness of this intervention was further enhanced by addressing not only the psychological state of the patient himself, but also their relationships with their families and rehabilitation personnel and their individual challenges.