This study developed and examined the validity of Japanese versions of the Daydream Frequency Scale (DDFS) and the Mind Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ), which measures propensity for spontaneous thoughts and mind wandering, respectively. In Study 1, we translated the items of the DDFS and the MWQ into Japanese and verified their validity. In Study 2, we confirmed the correlation of both scales with mind wandering, as measured by thought sampling during an attention-demanding task. These two studies revealed a dissociation between the properties of the scales; while DDFS reflects propensity for spontaneous thoughts, MWQ specifically reflects propensity for mind wandering. We discuss the usefulness of the DDFS and the MWQ for studying the psychological functions of spontaneous thoughts and mind wandering.
Our preferences are influenced by the presence of others. However, it is unclear how the simultaneous presence of multiple others influences preference judgment. In this study, we presented multiple happy or disgust face images around a target and examined their influence on target preference. In Experiment 1, we presented only happy or disgust faces in order to examine the influence of quantity. In Experiment 2 and 3, we manipulated the ratio of happy or disgust and neutral faces. Findings revealed that the happy face increased the target preference and its effect varied by the ratio of happy faces. On the other hand, the disgust face decreased the target preference only if there was one such face. These results indicate that although the numeric information of others’ facial expressions influences preference judgment, this influence differs with the nature of others’ expressions.