This work reviewed Japanese sleep research studies within psychology, focusing on the transition in the content of research and research methods. The author conducted keyword searches of PubMed and APA PsycArticles and analyzed changes in the content of international sleep research publications. Next, the author examined changes in the content and methods of sleep research presented at annual meetings of the Japanese Society for Physiological Psychology and Psychophysiology and changes in members and presentation numbers. The author has discussed the need for a more proactive approach to attracting new members in the future and new directions for sleep research in Japanese psychology.

This study reviewed the progress of spontaneous eye blink research over the past 40 years. Three blink researchers who met at a conference established the “Blink Study Group (1992).” This group published a book entitled the Psychology of Blinking. Moreover, it was a successful forum for presenting research, which nurtured and developed other researchers in the field. Blink research relies on the quantification of blinking. This review discusses categories of blink quantification, including the blink rate, the inter-blink interval, the blink latency, and the temporal distribution of blinks. These categories help clarify the cognitive processing stage of blinking. Many recent studies have discussed the relationship between blinking and dopamine. The review ends by considering the future of blink research.

The following three findings are explained through a look back on my life as a researcher: 1) slow oscillation found by Steriade; 2) default mode network found by Raichle; 3) electroencephalogram found by Berger. After initial questions about the authenticity of these findings, all have resulted in real paradigm shifts in the field of psychophysiology.

In this article, I outline four animal studies representing topics in physiological psychology that are selected according to my research interest: 1) timing research, 2) intracranial self-stimulation related to brain and behavior, 3) optogenetics, a new technique controlling cell function with light, and 4) social neuroscience on the relationship among multiple organisms. Then, I present miscellaneous ideas about the future direction of animal physiological psychology.

The past decade witnessed several significant advances in research on the psychophysiological information detection technique known as the Concealed Information Test (CIT). This article focuses on the autonomic-based CIT and reviews conceptual, theoretical, and technical advances since 2010. Theoretical advances include the response fractionation approach proposed as a refinement of the conventional orienting response approach. The validity of the CIT was confirmed using multiple measures in addition to the traditional skin conductance response measure. Furthermore, several studies focused on improving the measurement and analyses of physiological signals, a domain in which Japanese researchers have made significant contributions. Additionally, this article reviews findings on physiological variations within the question series and discusses their theoretical and practical implications. Finally, current challenges and future directions in CIT research are discussed. The article concludes that Japan is uniquely positioned in CIT research and application. Therefore, the Japanese Society for Physiological Psychology and Psychophysiology is expected to grow in significance as a scholarly communication platform.

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been widely used in psychophysiology and related areas to investigate the activity of the autonomic nervous system. This article describes psychophysiological evaluation using HRV analysis and the clinical applications of HRV enhancement (HRV biofeedback). The high-frequency component of HRV (respiratory sinus arrhythmia: RSA) is a reliable cardiac vagal activity index under controlled conditions. Moreover, RSA can evaluate psychophysiological responsivity to various behavioral tasks (e.g., stress and relaxation). In contrast, the nature of cardiac vagal modulation suggests that RSA is an endogenous marker of cardiopulmonary resting function rather than an index of cardiac vagal activity. Furthermore, RSA might be able to evaluate daily life psychophysiological states. This article also describes the origin of HRV biofeedback in the clinical application of HRV enhancement, its clinical usefulness, and the mechanisms underlying the biofeedback techniques’ efficacy. Baroreceptor reflex, which plays an essential role in regulating the cardiovascular system, has resonance characteristics and respiratory control at the resonance frequency (approximately 0.1 Hz) produces a large increase in HRV. HRV biofeedback improves autonomic homeostatic functions in baroreceptor reflexes through the resonance effect, ameliorates various stress symptoms, and regulates emotions. Finally, this article proposes that HRV analysis could be a valuable tool for assessing multiple psychophysiological conditions. Moreover, HRV enhancement could be an essential factor for maintaining mental and physical health and well-being.

In general, consciousness is a subject of discussion in philosophy and psychology. However, in recent years, consciousness has gained attention as a valid topic of study in neurosciences after experimental approaches and mathematical studies based on information theory were developed to explain consciousness from a scientific perspective. In this paper, I present an overview of neuroscience research insight into underlying mechanisms of consciousness. I will also discuss my research on the neural correlates of consciousness based on integrated information theory by considering the association between consciousness and the brain’s complexity.

Measuring physiological responses using Arduino microcomputers has become increasingly popular in recent years. This technical note describes making circuits on a breadboard to measure three major psychophysiological research indicators: electrocardiogram, electromyogram, and skin conductance. This note also explains how to program and measure these indices using the Arduino development environment. An advanced example of wireless measurement utilizing a microcomputer that supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communication is also presented. The measurement of physiological indices using handmade circuits makes the system more affordable and offers additional advantages, including a more precise understanding of the indices and flexible experimental designs. These methods are expected to develop new possibilities for psychophysiological measurements.