This study examined a model in which the purpose of real-name reporting mediated the relationship between modern prejudice toward juveniles and support for real-name reporting of specified juveniles (aged 18 and 19), against the background of the amended Juvenile Act of 2021. To measure the purpose of real-name reporting, we used the scales composed of items relating to the purpose of punishment, namely retribution, general deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitation. The model was examined in two studies, and support for the real-name reporting of specified juveniles in general and a specified juvenile in a given hypothetical scenario were examined in Study 1 and 2, respectively. The mediating effects of retribution and incapacitation at the general level, and of retribution, incapacitation, and rehabilitation at the individual level were demonstrated in Study 1 (N=427) and 2 (N=446), respectively. The differences between the findings of the two studies are discussed in terms of the amount of information presented and psychological distance. Different attitudes may have been involved at different levels, even though the theme of support for real-name reporting remained the same.

Previous studies have revealed that morality is associated with sensory perceptions, for example, color perception and cleanliness perception. Some studies have shown that the color black is related to negative evaluations and aggression (Adams & Osgood, 1973; Frank & Gilovich, 1988). Furthermore, an experimental study demonstrated that priming with cleanliness information affected morality ratings regarding social issues (Zhong et al., 2010). However, it is still unclear whether these perceptual effects on moral judgments are related to moral values and categories of social issues. In this study, we conducted two experiments to investigate how moral values and categories of social issues moderate such perceptual priming effects on moral judgments. We found that these two factors influenced the color priming effect, but not the cleanliness priming effect. We discuss the processes that may have caused these differences.

This study examined the relationship between crime victims’ expression of (dis)satisfaction with the dialogue they had with the perpetrators of crimes against them in restorative justice conferences and the sentences required by the public. A model comprised of a direct path from a victim’s expression of (dis)satisfaction to the sentence given to an offender, a path from the victim’s expression of (dis)satisfaction through the victim’s psychological recovery to the sentence given to the offender, and a path from the offender’s remorse, through the need to prevent further such crimes, to the sentencing of the offender was created and examined in high and low offense severity conditions. Data analysis of 562 samples was conducted. The results showed that regardless of offense severity, the respondents perceived that the victim had psychologically recovered to a greater extent when the victim expressed satisfaction. However, they did not show that the perception of a greater psychological recovery by the victim lessened the sentence received by the offender. Specifically, in the low severity conditions the expression of victim satisfaction increased sentencing. Conversely, regardless of offense severity, the perception that the offender was remorseful lessened the sentence received by the offender.

Correcting misconceptions regarding older adults and educating people about the positive aspects of older persons can effectively reduce ageism. This study examined the replicability of previously reported findings regarding the ability of educational interventions to reduce ageism. However, enlightening younger individuals regarding some aspects of older adults’ superiority over younger adults may negatively influence the younger adults’ state self-esteem. Thus, this study examined whether an anti-ageism educational intervention contributed to a decline in the state self-esteem of younger adults. The research plan for this study was pre-registered. An online experiment was conducted with 785 Japanese participants aged 18–39 years. We employed Bayesian analysis, which allows for the positive adoption of the null hypothesis. The educational intervention successfully attenuated ageism, replicating previous findings. It had no detrimental effect on the participants’ state self-esteem. The practical significance of this intervention, which can be efficiently administered online to many participants within a short timeframe, is noteworthy.