In recent years, some forms of interpersonal communication labeled “ijiri” have played a significant role among the youth. This paper investigates what type of affective experience ijiri is perceived to cause compared with similar behaviors like teasing and bullying. We recruited 312 university students and asked them to answer questions about the possible affective experiences that arise in either of the agents (actor or receiver) in response to each type of behavior. The rating was done from the standpoint of either the actor, receiver, or third party. Results revealed that compared with the other two types of behavior, ijiri was perceived to cause lesser negative affective experiences. Affective experiences entailed by each type of behavior were influenced by the role of the respondent and that of the appraisal target. Future research is warranted to investigate the generalizability of the findings, given the limitations of self-reported measurements and conceptualization of affects.

This study aimed to examine the potential associations between rolefulness and hardiness among high school students. We hypothesized that rolefulness would positively predict hardiness. The present study utilized data from assessments completed by 301 students (51％ girls) in three waves over three years. Cross-lagged panel analysis indicated a significant relationship between rolefulness and hardiness. Specifically, social rolefulness at Time 1 influenced control at Time 2, and control at Time 2 predicted challenge at Time 3. Control at Time 1 influenced rolefulness at Time 2, and rolefulness at Time 2 predicted hardiness at Time 3.

Third-party punishment refers to an individual’s disposition to punish wrongdoers who have not directly harmed them. It appears to be unique to humans and culturally universal. Although this behavioral tendency in adults has been well documented, its ontogeny remains unresolved and controversial. In this review, I present an overview of the developmental literature on third-party intervention or punishment to provide insights into its early ontogeny. First, I review studies that show preschoolers and older children to be agents who punish wrongdoers even when it is costly to do so. I then consider studies of young children as assessors who expect wrongdoers to be punished and positively evaluate those who do so. Next, I present recent studies of preverbal infants to demonstrate two important aspects of third-party punishment: punishment assessors and punitive agents. Finally, I discuss open issues and future directions for understanding third-party punishment in early ontogeny.