This study investigated how trait benign envy enhanced academic performance within the framework of achievement goal theory. Two longitudinal surveys were conducted. Survey 1 followed 297 female undergraduates, and Survey 2 followed 232 female high-school students. First, we tested the applicability of the Japanese version of the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale, which is a measure of trait benign and malicious envy, in another undergraduate sample. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the original factor structure. The same structure was subsequently confirmed and further validated in a high-school sample, which supported the scale's applicability to a younger age group. Next, structural equation modeling was used to examine the link between envy and test scores, with achievement goals as mediators. In both surveys, trait benign envy positively predicted test scores through the mediating effect of performance-approach goals, whereas trait malicious envy showed no association with achievement goals. These findings suggest individuals prone to benign envy may attain higher academic performance, potentially because of their dispositional tendency to strive to outperform others.

Individually-tailored psychological assistance considers client preferences and has been linked to various positive effects of psychotherapy. However, a method for evaluating client preferences has not yet been developed in Japan. This study aimed to create a Japanese version of the Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NIP) to effectively assess clients' preferences for psychotherapy. We also explored the method's factor structure, reliability, and validity. In total, 240 undergraduate and graduate students (Study 1) and 663 adults (Study 2) participated in two online questionnaire surveys. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis confirmed the Japanese version of the C-NIP displayed a four-factor structure, acceptable internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and some convergent validity. We discuss the scale's psychometric properties and offer insights for further research in clinical practice.

A subgoal refers to an intermediate goal that represents a subdivision of the actions required to achieve a final goal. This study focused on the role of subgoals as reference points to address the issue of low motivation during the high-progress phase of goal pursuit when subgoals are set. The process of assessing one's current status using reference points in goal pursuit is termed progress monitoring. Progress monitoring can be categorized into two frameworks: a to-date frame, which uses the starting state as the reference point, and a to-go frame, which uses the final goal as the reference point. Motivation tends to increase as the distance from the reference point decreases. We manipulated subgoals (absence vs. presence) and progress monitoring (to-date vs. to-go) in a laboratory experiment. The results showed that motivation in the high-progress phase was significantly higher in the to-go condition than in the to-date condition when subgoals were present. These findings suggest that the use of a to-go frame can mitigate the motivational decline during the high-progress phase when subgoals are present.

Delay discounting is the reduction in the perceived immediate value of a reward when its receipt is delayed. This study examines the inhibitory effects of episodic future thinking on delay discounting in children in conflict with the law. A total of 62 children admitted to a youth detention center were divided into two groups: an episodic future thinking group and a control group. The results indicated that episodic future thinking was effective in decreasing delay discounting in children in conflict with the law. The potential influence of age, intelligence, and previous drug use on delay discounting reduction was also examined, but no significant associations were found. These findings suggest that engaging children in conflict with the law in episodic future thinking may enhance their future orientation and improve their self-control.

This study investigated the directional influence of prosocial motivation for mask-wearing, which is an infection-prevention behavior, on individuals' subjective well-being and loneliness. I also examined the psychological mechanisms mediating these effects. Two short-term longitudinal studies were conducted using a four-wave weekly panel design. Study 1 (January and February 2024) included 1,301 Japanese adults. Study 2 (January and February 2025) included 1,231 unmarried Japanese employees. Analyses using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) did not detect significant cross-lagged effects of prosocial motivation for mask-wearing. However, cross-lagged panel model analyses (CLPM) showed higher prosocial motivation in the preceding week predicted greater satisfaction of relatedness needs in the subsequent week. This satisfaction was associated with higher positive affect (Studies 1 and 2) and reduced loneliness (Study 2). Therefore, prosocial motivation demonstrated significant, although weak, indirect effects through relatedness satisfaction. In the discussion, I consider the influence of prosocial motivation for mask-wearing on emotional well-being and interpersonal experiences through a comparison of the RI-CLPM and CLPM results.

Interventions for intimate partner violence tend to focus on violence against women by men. However, empirical surveys have shown that men and individuals in same-gender relationships also experience intimate partner violence. This study examines the association between gender and experience of intimate partner violence, including men and same-gender couples. An internet survey was conducted among women and men aged 20-35 who were in either opposite-gender or same-gender relationships. Men in same-gender relationships were the most likely to have experienced intimate partner violence. Reports of feeling controlled by a partner were lowest among women in opposite-gender relationships and highest among men in same-gender relationships. Social support outside the relationship was highest among women in opposite-gender relationships and lowest among men in same-gender relationships. These results suggest that intimate partner violence against men in same-gender relationships is a serious but overlooked issue. More gender-inclusive countermeasures addressing the experiences of men and intimate partner violence within same-gender couples are needed.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Disclosure Expectations Scale (DES), which assesses anticipated utility and risks of seeking help from a counselor. Following cross-cultural adaptation guidelines, the scale was translated and administered via online surveys to samples of university students and adults in the general population. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original factor structure, and measurement invariance was established across the two groups. Evidence for construct validity was provided through expected correlations with related constructs, including help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking intentions, help-seeking expectations, and help-seeking anxiety. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also demonstrated. These findings suggest that the Japanese version of the DES has acceptable reliability and validity for assessing disclosure expectations in help-seeking contexts.

Individuals of Korean descent are a minority group in Japanese society. Various social and environmental factors mean they are susceptible to accumulating psychological distress, with issues related to the acculturation gap suggested as an underlying factor. This study explored two research problems: (a) how the recognition of an acculturation gap affected psychological distress among youth of Korean descent, and (b) what variables influenced the acculturation gap and psychological distress. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants, and data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The analysis generated one core category, "sense of resignation toward parents," and five related categories: "acculturation gap," "discussion with parents," "seeking support from professionals or peers with non-Japanese backgrounds," "psychological distress," and "psychological stability." The findings suggest that the recognition of an acculturation gap may affect psychological distress through related factors such as resignation toward parents.

"Evaluation exhaustion" has been identified as a negative aspect of evaluation systems in both individuals and organizations. Evaluation exhaustion is a phenomenon that arises from discrete evaluation acts and the entire series of associated activities. However, the concept has not been clearly defined, and no quantitative measurement method has been established. Therefore, we developed items for a scale to measure evaluation exhaustion and organized the concept of evaluation exhaustion (Study 1). Next, we established the Evaluation Exhaustion Scale and examined its construct validity and the temporal stability of responses (Study 2). We found evaluation exhaustion was a complex psychological state comprising four factors: "uncertainty about the purpose of evaluation," "distrust in the evaluation system," "a sense of psychological burden from evaluation work," and "a sense of physical burden from evaluation work." In addition, Evaluation Exhaustion Scale scores were predictably associated with work motivation, occupational stress, meaningful work, and fear of negative evaluation. We expect our scale to be useful for further empirical research on evaluation exhaustion.

Bedtime procrastination refers to the act of delaying going to bed despite recognizing the potential negative consequences. Although existing measures assess delays in bedtime, they fail to capture the underlying intentions and motivations. This study aimed to develop a scale that reflects the diverse behavioral patterns and motivations underlying bedtime procrastination to allow examination of how individuals with different patterns of procrastination behave and subsequently experience sleep-related issues. In Study 1 (N = 408) and Study 2 (N = 453), we developed the "Bedtime Procrastination Scale," which measures three patterns of procrastination: deliberate procrastination, mindless procrastination, and strategic procrastination. The scale demonstrated validity in terms of its generalizability, structural aspects, and external evidence. Furthermore, Study 3 (N = 406) revealed that these three patterns were associated with sleep hygiene behaviors and sleep-related problems through different mechanisms. Finally, the implications for further research using this scale are discussed.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0 (J-LPFS-BF 2.0), which is used to measure the levels of personality functioning organized as Criterion A of the alternative DSM-5 model of personality disorders. We also tested the validity and reliability of the J-LPFS-BF 2.0. Data for 291 adults were collected via an Internet survey. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the J-LPFS-BF 2.0 had a two-factor structure (“self-functioning” and “interpersonal functioning”) that was common to both men and women, and sufficient internal consistency. The scale's test-retest reliability was also confirmed. Correlation analysis showed the J-LPFS-BF 2.0 was closely related to the severity of pathological personality, identity problems, and interpersonal problems. The results indicated the J-LPFS-BF 2.0 had acceptable validity and reliability. This instrument will make it possible to provide appropriate clinical psychological assistance tailored to the individual's level of personality functioning. It will also allow comparison of empirical research findings regarding personality disorders at the international level.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Multidimensional Test Anxiety Scale (MTAS; Putwain et al., 2020) and examine its psychometric properties. Participants were first- to third-year high school students in Japan who completed the MTAS, a conventional test anxiety scale, and questionnaires measuring depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and school adjustment. Confirmatory factor analysis supported both a four-factor structure model (worry, cognitive interference, tension, and physiological indicators) and a higher-order factor model, with acceptable fit indices. No substantial changes were observed across gender models, indicating measurement invariance. Evaluation of the scale's reliability showed satisfactory internal consistency, but test-retest reliability was only confirmed for total scores. Convergent validity analysis revealed the MTAS total and subscale scores were highly correlated with the traditional test anxiety scale. The MTAS showed strong correlations with anxiety, moderate correlations with depression, and weak to no correlations with school adjustment. These results suggest the MTAS is a useful instrument for measuring test anxiety among adolescents in Japan.

Dancing is known to reduce anxiety and depression, and appears to be more effective than other forms of exercise (e.g., bicycling), listening to music, or a combination of such activities. However, the factors responsible for these effects remain unclear. Therefore, this study focused on the creative process as a factor to test the hypothesis that the creative process in dance reduced anxiety and depression. In total, 109 university students individually performed an improvisation or imitation dance online for approximately 20 minutes. Participants completed psychological measures of anxiety and depression before and after dancing. The results showed that both types of dances significantly reduced anxiety and depression. However, inconsistent with our hypothesis, there were no significant differences between improvisation dance and imitation dance in the improvement of anxiety and depression. Although the results suggest the creative processes may not contribute to reducing anxiety and depression, we considered participants' limited creative experience and the possibility of alternative mechanisms.

In 2018, Japan introduced a plea bargaining system called "Japanese plea bargaining." This system offers rewards for the provision of information about another person's crime. While the potential risk of false statements has been noted, there have been few actual cases, and a thorough examination has not been conducted. Therefore, this study conducted two experiments to examine the variables that influence the decision-making of those who are offered rewards for information. Experiment 1 demonstrated the impact of the informant's guilt or innocence on decision-making, with a higher acceptance rate reported in cases of guilt. Experiment 2 demonstrated the influence on decision-making of the association between the guilt or innocence of the informant and the degree of intimacy between the accused and the informant. In both experiments, when the informant was innocent, a certain number of offers were accepted, highlighting the likelihood of false statements and the associated risk of wrongful conviction in Japanese plea bargaining.

Police officers must strike a delicate balance between extracting crucial information from victims of sexual violence to solve cases and providing them with necessary psychological care. This study examined whether officers' self-perceptions of their attitudes during victim interviews aligned with victims' perceptions and investigated how these perceptions impacted the acquisition of essential information for case resolution. The current study analyzed 122 paired datasets comprising victims of sexual assaults and the corresponding police officers who interviewed them between October 2017 and December 2018. A categorical exploratory factor analysis identified a common factor, "appropriate attitude," reflecting officers' concern for victims. A moderate intraclass correlation between the factor scores was found. The results from the actor-partner interdependence model indicated that victims who reported being properly cared for by officers were more likely to provide the details about their victimized experiences and influence officers' perceptions of whether they obtained essential information for their investigation, compared with those who did not report feeling cared for.

The Dark Triad is widely associated with antisocial behaviors. This study investigated whether the three facets of the Dark Triad prospectively predict psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, and whether these effects are mediated by higher experiences of ostracism, an extra-relational factor. We focused on psychological IPV in romantic and marital relationships and conducted two three-wave longitudinal surveys over 6 months. We recruited 1,021 romantically involved individuals in Study 1 and 1,608 married individuals in Study 2. Across the studies, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism at Time 1 were significantly positively correlated with psychological IPV perpetration at Time 3 respectively, and ostracism at Time 2 was significantly positively associated with psychological IPV perpetration at Time 3. Furthermore, the latent cross-lagged effects model indicated that Machiavellianism and psychopathy prospectively predicted psychological IPV perpetration at Time 3 through higher experiences of ostracism at Time 2 in both romantic and marital relationships. These results suggest the need for considering everyday experiences outside of intimate relationships for the prevention and intervention of IPV.

"Setsunasa" is one of the typical emotions in Japan and is an important concept that contributes to the construct of sadness. However, it remains unclear to what extent these two concepts are similar, and whether "setsunasa" possesses unique characteristics that distinguish it from sadness. This study examined the conceptual similarities and differences between sadness and setsunasa through three surveys. Study 1 employed features associated with sadness, and Study 2 used functional words related to sadness to investigate differences in ratings between sadness and setsunasa. Study 3 focused on actual emotional experiences, examining the intensity of emotions depending on the context, as well as their relationships with other emotional concepts and states related to sadness. The results of the three studies indicated that sadness and setsunasa share similarities but also exhibit notable differences. The findings suggest, furthermore, that sadness is predominantly characterized as a negative emotion, whereas setsunasa possesses qualities of a mixed emotion. Further investigation of setsunasa may elucidate the cultural characteristics of emotional experiences among the Japanese people.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Online Moral Disengagement Scale (J-OMD) and refine its reliability and validity. A total of 406 students, aged 15 to 18 years, participated in Study 1, which assessed structural validity, measurement invariance, internal consistency, and criterion-related validity of the translated scale. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that, similar to the original English version, the J-OMD had a one-factor structure and demonstrated measurement invariance across genders. The scale exhibited strong internal consistency and criterion-related validity, showing positive correlations with traditional moral disengagement and internet trolling. Study 2 evaluated test-retest reliability over a 1-month interval with 157 of the participants. Test-retest reliability was moderate. These findings suggest that the J-OMD is a reliable and valid measure of online moral disengagement among Japanese students.

Stuttering is a speech disorder and adults who stutter (AWS) often suffer from psychological symptoms. Although psychological interventions have been implemented with AWS, qualitative and quantitative synthesis of the resulting evidence is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and exploratory multilevel meta-analysis of psychological interventions for AWS. Twenty-four studies were included in the review, and data from the 13 selected studies were synthesized, from which the standardized mean difference in pre-post comparisons was appropriately estimated (n = 311, 85 effect sizes). Cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 191, 53 effect sizes) or mindfulness and/or acceptance interventions (n = 94, 22 effect sizes) were used with AWS in most of the synthesized studies. Overall, psychological interventions were efficacious in ameliorating psychological symptoms for AWS (ĝ = 0.63, 95% CI [0.49, 0.76]). Furthermore, significant interaction effects between outcome and intervention types were observed. We also found that effects of mental rehearsal, which was specifically developed in Japan, were explained by long intervention duration. Implications for psychological interventions for AWS are discussed.

This study examined a hypothesized model in which stalking victims' perceptions of the perpetrator's personality are related to their psychological distress. A web-based survey was administered to individuals from the general population who had experienced a breakup within the past five years and were approached by their ex-partner. A total of 207 individuals (73 men, 134 women) were ultimately included in the analysis. The results of the multi-population simultaneous analysis, conducted using structural equation modeling separately for men and women, showed that for men, experiences of unwanted pursuit behavior and perception of the perpetrator's neuroticism were related to psychological distress. In contrast, for women, the results indicated that the experience of unwanted pursuit behavior and perception of the perpetrator's neuroticism and agreeableness were related to psychological distress. These findings suggest the importance of considering the effects of stalking victims' perceptions of the perpetrators' personalities on psychological distress.

Psychology aims to establish universal theories of the mind. However, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that psychological constructs, which constitute theories, are susceptible to cultural variability. This may threaten the aim of psychology. Few studies have investigated temporal variability in constructs likely to underlie current cultural variability. This study explored diachronic semantic changes of constructs in contemporary psychology in Japan using Infinite SCAN, a natural language processing technique, to estimate the number of contexts in which psychological terms representing constructs occur and changes in the proportion of those contexts across periods. The target corpora were obtained from the main texts of the articles published in the Japanese Journal of Psychology between 1974 and 2023. The results revealed that contexts of the terms have changed over the past 50 years. According to distributional semantics, the contextual changes in the psychological terms represent the semantic changes in the constructs. The diachronic semantic changes of constructs should be considered in psychological research and practice.

The Moral Foundations Vignettes (MFV, Clifford et al., 2015) was developed to measure moral attitudes using scenarios involving fictional individuals engaging in morally offensive behavior. Here, we present a Japanese version of the Moral Foundations Vignettes (MFV-J) and examine its validity. Analysis of the responses from 443 participants suggested that the best-fit model was a nine-factor model, which the original study theoretically assumed. To assess construct validity, we examined the association between each factor of the MFV-J and the Japanese version of the Moral Foundations Questionnaires. These results demonstrate a pattern similar to those reported in previous studies. Based on these results, the usefulness of the MFV-J is discussed.

This study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the Spitefulness Scale (SS-J) and evaluate its reliability and validity. Japanese participants (N = 1,500) completed the SS-J and questionnaires assessing the Dark Triad personality traits, Big Five personality traits, and Internet trolling behavior. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the SS-J had a unidimensional structure comprising 15 items. The scale demonstrates strong internal consistency. Moreover, the SS-J scores were positively correlated with Dark Triad personality traits-Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism-including Internet trolling behavior. Conversely, SS-J scores were negatively correlated with Agreeableness, a Big Five personality trait. These findings align with previous studies' findings and provide evidence for the SS-J's convergent and concurrent validity.

The damage caused by fraud and consumer issues remains significant in Japan, although various cases have been widely introduced in consumer education. We hypothesize that hindsight bias would reduce or reverse the warning effects in these cases. Hindsight bias refers to the cognitive tendency to believe that one has predicted an event's outcome after it has occurred, even though it was previously unpredictable. Participants read sentences sequentially regarding a scenario involving a potential victim (A) and a potential fraudster (B). Half of the participants were told that the scenario concerned an actual consumer issue (consumer issue condition). In contrast, the others were told it was a daily (control condition) event. After each sentence, they judged whether the character B was trustworthy. The results showed that participants in the consumer issue condition judged the character B as untrustworthy earlier than those in the control condition. This suggests that hindsight bias occurs when individuals read consumer issue cases, potentially leading to unintended overconfidence in their judgments.

This study examined the causal bidirectional relationship between peer socialization time and self-esteem during early adolescence. A four-month-long two-wave panel survey was conducted with 1,196 junior high school students (M = 13.28 years; 565 women). The questionnaire measured self-esteem and the time spent on various activities, including studying, interacting with peers from the same or different schools, interacting with caregivers, and being alone. All time variables were statistically analyzed using lagged and simultaneous-effect models to control for confounding factors. The results revealed a positive effect of self-esteem on time spent with same-school peers. However, no reciprocal effects were observed. These findings suggest that high self-esteem promotes school adjustment and peer interaction. Finally, this study discusses the need for future research to examine the interplay between the "quantity" and "quality" of peer socialization.

General strain theory posits the existence of conditioning factors that influence individuals' subjective strain (i.e., subjective perceptions of objective strain), negative emotions, and criminal coping when they encounter undesirable events or conditions (i.e., objective strain). However, the conditioning factors that influence these elements remain unclear. Nonetheless, research has recognized the time perspective as an essential factor influencing cognition, emotion, and behavior. We used a questionnaire survey with 252 participants (126 men and women each) to test a model incorporating the time perspective as a conditioning factor within the framework of the general strain theory. We found that time perspective directly influenced criminal coping and indirectly influenced it through subjective strain and negative emotions. Positively reconstructing interpretations of past experiences, reducing feelings of powerlessness in the present, and fostering motivation for the future is crucial for lowering criminal coping.