The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ-J), used to measure mentalizing deficits, and to test its validity and reliability. The author conducted an Internet survey, and data for 250 adults were collected. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the MZQ-J had a single factor structure common to both genders, and sufficient internal consistency and test-retest reliability were confirmed. A correlation analysis showed that the MZQ-J was closely related to self-related mentalization as well as to mindfulness, empathy, Big Five personality traits, attachment, and self-esteem. The MZQ-J clearly showed correlations with pathological indicators of borderline personality traits and depression and anxiety. The results established the acceptable validity and reliability of the MZQ-J. The MZQ-J will also make it possible to provide appropriate clinical psychological assistance tailored to mentalizing capabilities and compare research findings of empirical studies regarding mentalizing at the international level.

The purpose of this study was to create a scale measuring the yarigai of human service professionals in the fields of medicine, welfare, and education and verify the scale's reliability and validity. In Study 1, responses to an open-ended questionnaire were collected from 759 service workers, and a provisional scale of 39 items was created. In Study 2, an online survey was administered to 1,999 human service professionals to examine factor structure, reliability, and validity. The factor analysis confirmed a structure of 28 items under the five factors of "growth and positive change in the recipient," "gratitude and trust," "smooth cooperation," "growth as a professional," and "positive evaluation at the workplace." A significant correlation was demonstrated with respect to test-retest reliability. Moreover, correlations were confirmed between work engagement and meaningful work, degree of job utilization and aptitude, and the intention to quit. These results suggest that the scale possesses a certain degree of reliability and validity.

The effect of older siblings on language development is a phenomenon in which secondborn children with an older sibling have lower levels of language skills than firstborn children without older siblings. Because this effect has been confirmed in only a few cultures (e.g., France and Singapore), it remains unclear whether the effect is robust and universal. Using data for 755 Japanese 4- to 5-year-olds from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children, we investigated the effect of older siblings on children's language skills, measured as verbal IQ by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). Consistent with previous findings, results showed that secondborn children with an older sibling had significantly lower verbal IQ than firstborn children. Further analysis also confirmed previous findings: the more closely spaced the siblings' age gap, the higher the verbal IQ of the secondborn child. Therefore, the present findings suggest that the older sibling effect is robust in Japan and may be universal across cultures.

This study aimed to investigate differences in responses between groups by comparing online responses via smartphones using various response formats on Google Forms with responses from paper questionnaires among university students. Participants were randomly assigned to either an online group where they responded using one of grid, radio button, or linear scale formats, or a paper-based group. In each group, respondents answered multiple psychological scales and rated the visibility of the survey form. Additionally, response times and the ratio of careless responses were recorded. A total of 1,108 valid responses were analyzed. Results indicated that in the grid group, certain mean values of scale scores and some correlation coefficients differed from those in the paper-based group. Furthermore, there were more careless responses, longer response times, and lower ratings for form visibility in the grid group. Differences in mean values for some scales compared to the paper-based group were also observed in the linear scale group. The radio button group showed the least difference in responses compared to the paper-based group.

This study examined the construct validity of ambiguity scores, including the bipolarity and coexistence between extraversion (E) and introversion (I), thinking (T) and feeling (F), and sensation (S) and intuition (N) using the Jung Psychological Types Scale for Coexistence (JPTS-C). Despite the bipolarity assumption, the JPTS-C uses two pairs of items, each scored on a 7-point Likert scale in a unipolar format-to measure the coexistence of between E and I, T and F, and S and N. The results were as follows. (a) Correlational patterns were found among the ambiguity scores for the three subscales on JPTS-C and the Two-Sided Personality Scale. (b) Ambiguity scores between E and I had a negative correlation with anxiety on attitudes toward ambiguity, and ambiguity scores between S and N had a positive correlation with enjoyment and reception on attitudes toward ambiguity, and a negative correlation with dichotomous belief, although ambiguity scores between T and F had a positive correlation with enjoyment and control on attitudes toward ambiguity. This suggests that construct validity about ambiguity scores for the three subscales on JPTS-C was confirmed and that each characteristic of ambiguity score was different for the three subscales.

The autonomic-based Concealed Information Test (CIT) relies on differential physiological responses to a specific item. We examined the impact of categorization rules on physiological responses in the CIT. The stimuli were numbers presented in various colors and participants randomly selected one to memorize. The CIT items comprised a number-congruent item, color-congruent item, and incongruent items; none were the same as the memorized item. In Experiment 1, these items were presented under different categorization rules. In the "unworkable" condition, participants were asked about the stimulus they had memorized, whereas in the "workable" condition, they were asked the color of the memorized stimulus. Notably, the number-congruent item in the "unworkable" condition elicited differential responses in electrodermal activity. In the "workable" condition, the color-congruent item prompted differential responses across all electrodermal, cardiovascular, and respiratory measures. No measure indicated a differential response to the number-congruent item. The findings from Experiment 1 were replicated in Experiment 2, where combinations of color and number varied across each repetition under the "workable" condition. This consistent pattern suggests the differential responses in the CIT is rule-based.

This study sought to discover regulations for the social interaction process (i.e., combination of attitudes) between managers and employees in a department employing persons with mental disability certificates at a special subsidiary company that promotes the employment of persons with disabilities. The goal was to establish a theory for processes that enable improved support for persons with disabilities in the workplace. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten managers (five male and five female) at the special subsidiary company A. Based on the grounded theory approach (GTA), the results showed three situations that managers and able-bodied employees may experience related to workplace support, and the conditions, strategies, and consequences of each. The study revealed the mutual attitudes of managers and able-bodied employees that can lead to more desirable outcomes for support, including psychological and performance stability in the workplace. In order to achieve better support for employees with disabilities, skill and attitude development of three parties is needed: managers, able-bodied employees, and the employees with disabilities who receive the support.

Previous research has established a link between group exclusivity and relational victimization, pointing out that victims often have weaker relationships with outsiders, which potentially trapping them in harmful group dynamics and exacerbating internal conflicts. However, the specific mechanisms of relational victimization within exclusive groups remain underexplored. This study addressed this gap by distinguishing between "in-group relational inhibition" (preventing outsiders from joining the group) and "out-group relational inhibition" (hindering insiders from forming relationships with outsiders). A survey of 957 junior high school students revealed that only "out-group relational inhibition" was significantly related to in-group relational victimization, with no observed gender differences. This finding suggests that out-group relational inhibition hinders in-group relational victims from employing coping strategies such as joining new groups. Consequently, their vulnerability to further relational victimization may also increase.

In the present study, a Japanese version of the Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) was developed, and its reliability and validity were examined. In addition, the effects of boredom proneness on eating behaviors, such as emotional eating and intuitive eating, were examined. In study 1,208 men and women completed the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the Japanese version of the SBPS had a one-factor structure similar to the original version, and the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the SBPS were demonstrated. In study 2,782 men and women completed the questionnaire. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that the more easily bored one was, the more likely one was to engage in emotional eating. Regarding the moderating effect of emotion regulation strategies, the function of emotion regulation differed depending on sex and the characteristic factors of boredom. The results of this study suggest that by accounting for the characteristic factors of boredom, effective interventions for eating behavior may be enabled by accounting for the characteristic factors of boredom.

Social status in the classroom has been shown to influence students' sense of adjustment and interpersonal behavior. While some studies used methods like the peer nominations method to measure sociometric popularity, this cannot be used in Japanese studies because of ethical and other issues. Therefore, this study reviewed the method used in Yukura's (2017) study to measure in-class status perception, developed the Selected In-class Status Perception (SICS-P) method, and examined its validity. Based on the findings of previous studies, in-class group status can be divided into three groups. In the SICS-P method, three scenarios were designed to create these groups, and one scenario was selected. Results indicated significant differences consistent with the predictions among the three groups in the degree to which the scenario applied to themselves, their perceived influence on friends, and their communication skills (assertiveness, empathy, and conformity). In addition, for cross-validation, the sample was randomly divided into two groups and each group was subjected to the same analysis, yielding almost the same results. These results confirmed the validity of the SICS-P method.

In this study, we introduce freely available burnout scales primarily used overseas and examine their reliability and validity. A Web survey was conducted with a total of 953 participants, consisting of 492 nurses and 461 certified care workers. The scales we examined were the Japanese Burnout Scale (JBS), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measures (SMBM), Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), and Matches Measure (MM). First, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the structural validity of each scale. The goodness of fit of the JBS and BAT was confirmed to be good, while the SMBM was moderate; the CBI and OBI were very low. The alpha coefficients of the subfactors were adequate for all the scales. Next, the relationship between the scale scores shows that while all burnout scales share fatigue as a core symptom of burnout, they measure different constructs of burnout from different perspectives. Researchers will need to use these measures differently depending on which symptoms of burnout they are focusing on.

Using a foreign language is known to temporarily reduce the ability to think, due to the cognitive resources lost to language processing. This is called the foreign language side effect. Previous studies have shown that similarity of the structure in the foreign language used to that of the native language is associated with a smaller foreign language side effect. However, what defines a similar structure has not been clarified. This study examined whether the occurrence of foreign language side effects is due to syntactic analysis or lexical retrieval. Using a dual-task method to compare the degree of foreign language side effects between Japanese and English use among Chinese students demonstrated that the influence of lexical retrieval was larger than that of syntactic analysis.

This study aims to reveal the characteristics of auditory hypersensitivity among Japanese university students with a particular focus on two elements of auditory hypersensitivity: hyperacusis and misophonia. We conducted an investigation of the prevalence and interrelationship of these conditions in a non-clinical sample of 439 individuals using self-reported measures. Additionally, we performed a meta-analysis to compare our findings on hyperacusis and misophonia with the existing literature. Our results revealed a prevalence of 8.2% for hyperacusis, 40% for misophonia, and a 7.2% comorbidity rate for both conditions. Our meta-analysis indicated that our hyperacusis and misophonia scores are consistent with those reported in previous studies, but also suggested variability in these conditions across different countries. This implies that cultural and gender-related factors might influence the prevalence rates of hyperacusis and misophonia in the general population.

This study examined the immediate interpersonal emotion regulation and nonverbal behaviors that occur during short-term interactions. In Study 1, participants were asked to recall an experience of immediate interpersonal emotion regulation and asked about the regulation strategies they employed as well as their nonverbal behaviors. Based on factor analysis, six dimensions for emotion regulation strategies were established, labeled as cognitive support, socioemotional support, emotional amplification, attention deployment, hostility/denial, and cheering up. Meanwhile, among the nonverbal behaviors, five factors were extracted: touch, acceptance, rejection/avoidance, emphasis, and suppression/neutralization. Correlation analyses indicated that nonverbal behaviors were expressed in accordance with the intention of each regulation strategy. Study 2 was conducted using the vignette method, and supported the replicability of the key findings of Study 1. In addition, regulation strategies and nonverbal behaviors were found to differ depending on the type of the target's emotion. In the future, nonverbal behavior should be examined using experimental approaches.

Traditional print advertisements, as well as television and video ads, consist of a headline, images, body text, and brand elements. Although the headline conveys the main message of the ad, it is occasionally accompanied by disclaimers such as "Applies to premium members only." Fine print that is unclear due to small font sizes constitutes an unfair representation and is potentially disadvantageous to consumers. We examined the effects of disclaimer font size on recall and recognition memory and on eye gaze in two video ads about formal suits and smartphone services. The dwell time on the fine print increased as font size was increased from 30 to 55 or 80 pt, but only for one type of ad. The improvements in memory performance were small or negligible and specific to one ad. Importantly, > 80% and 50% of the participants failed to recall and recognize the fine print, respectively. These results suggest that increasing font size has limited ability to improve memory for terms conveyed to customers in fine print.

Moral disengagement is a cognitive distortion that makes it easy to behave immorally and explains how people who internalize moral standards violate them while avoiding conflict and guilt. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Moral Disengagement Scale (J-MDS) to measure individuals' tendency toward moral disengagement and examine its reliability and validity. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the validity of the single-factor structure of the 8-item moral disengagement scale. Additionally, the J-MDS negatively correlated with moral identity internalization and proneness to guilts. Study 2 showed that the J-MDS significantly predicted immoral behavior. Study 3 confirmed the incremental validity of the J-MDS. Study 4 confirmed the test-retest reliability of the J-MDS. Study 5 showed that the J-MDS negatively correlated with internal attribution and positively correlated with external attribution. These results indicate that the J-MDS has a certain degree of reliability and validity.

While the link between autism and gender dysphoria (GD) has received increasing attention, the phenomenon of GD co-occurring with autism remains unclear owing to the lack of autistic transgender perspectives. A recent qualitative analysis found that their GD (i.e., dysphoria related to gender norms) may be a subset of pervasive social dysphoria (PSD: dysphoria related to pervasive social norms), suggesting a link between autism and PSD. To further investigate this hypothesis, we described all their dysphoria about social norms, including GD, at each developmental stage, by examining the life stories of 14 autistic participants who experienced GD as a subset of PSD. We also found that GD may become more prominent than dysphoria over other social norms because of the strong influence of gender norms, which have two characteristics: (a) gender norms are more recognizable from early childhood, and (b) after puberty, gender norms increase their influence on and merge with other norms. Thus, future studies should investigate whether there is a link between autism and GD, or instead, PSD.

The context of a Not in my backyard (NIMBY) facility, a type of public goods, can be established as a NIMBY dilemma because it includes the moral dilemma that requires an ethical judgment, the rightness or wrongness of a utilitarian choice to save the majority at the expense of the minority. This study examined the effects of moral judgment, empathic concern, and relational mobility on people's judgments in the NIMBY dilemma. Participants who evaluated an utilitarian choice as right in the moral dilemma also rated them as right in the NIMBY dilemma. Ethical evaluation in the moral dilemma was also found to be a positive determinant for ethical evaluation and utilitarian behavioral intention in the NIMBY dilemma. Furthermore, empathic concern was negatively related to utilitarian intentions in the NIMBY dilemma, while inference about the ethical evaluation of others had positive relations. These suggested that intuitive processes, such as moral judgment and empathic concern, intervene decision making in the NIMBY dilemma. We discussed the moral tragedy in which individual moral judgment and empathic concern may lead to collective consequences that undermine public goods.

This study examined whether young children integrate pre- and post- observed statistical patterns to infer two types of likelihoods. In Experiment 1 (N = 103, M = 68.47 months) and Experiment 2 (N = 51, M = 67.88 months), we presented 4- to 6-year-olds with two statistical patterns. The results showed that when the integrated probability was 50% vs 50%, participants inferred that the two likelihoods were equal. In contrast, when the integrated probability was 75% vs 25%, participants correctly inferred the height of each likelihood in only one of the three conditions and a certain number of participants incorrectly inferred that the likelihoods were equal. In addition, the older the age, the better the task performance. These results show that young children can infer that two likelihoods are equal based on the two statistical patterns. Furthermore, these results suggest that as children get older, they are able not only to infer that both are possible, but also to infer whether each of two likelihoods is high or low.

Emotions that are a mixture of positive and negative emotions are called mixed emotions. Culture influences what kinds of mixed emotions exist, sometimes regarded as emotions that symbolize a specific culture (e.g., saudade). However, there are few studies on mixed emotions in Japan, and it is unclear what kind of mixed emotions are likely to be experienced by Japanese people. The present study aimed to examine what mixed emotions are evaluated as typical among Japanese people, based on three studies. In a preliminary survey, 24 mixed emotion words were selected as candidates. In Study 1, mixed emotion words were evaluated regarding comprehension and emotional valence, and 12 were selected as more typical mixed emotion words. Finally, in Study 2, the 12 mixed emotion words were examined in more detail, and it was shown that "nagorioshii" and "aizou" in particular, may be typical mixed emotion words in Japanese people.

Belief in a just world entails the inclination to perceive the world as inherently fair and secure, where individuals are shielded from misfortune. While previous studies have focused on adults, none have comprehensively explored the developmental origins of just world beliefs. This study examined the development of two facets of just world beliefs - beliefs in immanent justice and ultimate justice- among participants aged five to nine and adults. Participants were presented with narratives depicting instances of either good or bad luck, followed by inquiries regarding the character's actions the previous day and predictions for the following day. The results exhibited a developmental difference in belief in immanent justice, evidence for the fortunate character during the initial half of age five and for the unfortunate character during the latter half of age seven. Conversely, belief in ultimate justice exhibited no developmental difference, indicating that it was already evident among five-year-olds. These findings suggest that belief in a just world takes root as early as the preschool years, although opportunities for further development persist.

Anger regulation is significant because anger can lead to social problems such as aggressive driving and abuse. This study aimed to systematically review anger regulation strategies and to synthesize research on their characteristics, concerns, and effectiveness. A literature search using the Web of Science and citation screening identified 76 articles on anger regulation. Based on the framework of the process model of emotion regulation, each anger regulation strategy was classified into the specific groups of situation modification, attention deployment, cognitive change, response modulation, strategies to increase the effectiveness of anger regulation, and assessed for validity on subjective anger experience, physiological responses, and aggressive behavior. For subjective anger, cognitive change and attention deployment, such as reappraisal and distraction, were shown to be most effective, whereas response modulation, such as acceptance, venting, and suppression, were not. For aggressive behavior, response modulation by inducing sadness and situation modification that counteracts approach motivation were suggested to be more effective than reappraisal. It is important to use the most appropriate anger regulation strategy depending on the purpose and context.

We aimed to examine whether a member with higher cognitive centrality could make accurate decisions in a multi-attribute decision-making task. Previous studies have indicated that group decisions often result in negative outcomes when relying on shared information. Nevertheless, considering the reliability and validity of shared information, using it in discussions may yield positive results. This study focuses on cognitive centrality, which is defined as the amount of shared information held by group members within a socio-cognitive network. Previous research has shown that members with higher cognitive centrality influence group decision-making, as they are often regarded as experts. This suggests they may be more accurate in their decision-making. However, empirical studies on the relationship between cognitive centrality and decision accuracy are scarce. To test this relationship, a two-choice task concerning the population of Japanese prefectures was administered to 150 participants. The results indicated that there was no clear relationship between cognitive centrality and the accuracy of decision-making.