本研究は，後説明効果の生起を検証した。存在が曖昧なものが実際に存在しているという認識（実在性認知）に焦点を当て，説明が説明対象に関する認知に及ぼす再帰的な影響を検証した。加えて，後説明効果の大きさに関わると考えられる変数を明らかにするため，説明に対する自己評価を高く感じるほど，説明対象の実在性認知が高まるという仮説についても検証した。二つの研究において，参加者は，新奇な商品の使用目的や開発の経緯を想像した上で説明し，説明の前後でその商品の実在性を評定した。分析の結果，研究1では，立方体のサッカーボールについて説明した参加者は，説明の前より後で，その実在性を高く評定したことが明らかになった。また，研究2では，説明に対する自己評価のうち，説明内容のもっともらしさが，実在性認知の上昇と関連することが明らかになった。本研究で得られた結果から，後説明効果の生起の背後に想定される認知過程について考察した。

Scholars have explained political orientation and morality as a consequence of epistemic needs and empathic motivation. In this study, we replicate previous research on the influence of psychological states on moral foundations, system justification, and political orientation among Japanese participants. Consistent with previous findings, empathy is positively associated with care and fairness (called individualizing foundations) whereas epistemic needs to manage certainty (e.g., need for closure) are positively associated with ingroup loyalty, respect for authority, and purity (called binding foundations). Empathy and the need for closure indirectly affect political orientation and system justification through their influence on moral foundations. Contrary to previous findings, we find empathy to be positively associated with binding foundations whereas the need for closure is positively associated with individualizing foundations. We discuss the implications of these findings to show that moral foundations are a result of motivated social cognition.

In their study, Nishimura et al. (2022) examined the relationships between parental self-esteem and the levels of depression, autonomy, and career consciousness among children. They specifically focused on the mediating effect of parenting behaviors using triad data involving junior high school students and their parents. They proposed that these associations are mediated through parents’ and children’s perceptions of respecting their children’s thoughts, as well as fathers’ and children’s perceptions of positive responsiveness. However, the models developed by Nishimura et al. (2022) include several paths that have been explored during their investigation. This study examined the external validity of these models using a triad of data (N=642). This study did not replicate the models of Nishimura et al. (2022). However, the relationship between fathers’ self-esteem and children’s career consciousness was mediated by fathers’ and children’s perceptions of respecting children’s thoughts, and fathers’ and children’s perceptions of positive responsiveness. These results support the assertion of Nishimura et al. (2022) that parenting behaviors are essential for career consciousness among children.

A field intervention study was conducted to examine whether goal prompting is effective in improving organizational behaviors in the workplace. Employees in Japanese companies participated in the study (N=82). At the beginning of each working day throughout the study period of one month, a behavioral goal (i.e., description of a desirable organizational behavior) was presented to the employees through a smartphone app. At the end of their working hours, the employees self-evaluated the levels of implementation for two different behaviors, one of which was presented to them earlier that day (i.e., prompted behavior), and another which was not (i.e., non-prompted behavior). Results of the multilevel analysis revealed that the prompted goals were implemented to a greater extent, in comparison to the non-prompted goals. Based on the results, theoretical and practical implications of goal prompting intervention to improve organizational behaviors are discussed.