This study aimed to examine relationship between self-consciousness and loneliness. In study 1, the relationships between public and private self-consciousnesses and loneliness were examined. A total of 200 Japanese individuals completed the Public and Private Self-Consciousness Scale as well as the Japanese Version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that public and private self-consciousnesses were not significantly associated with loneliness. In study 2, we focused on the sub-dimensions of public self-consciousnesses, specifically praise seeking and rejection avoidance, and the sub-dimensions of private self-consciousnesses, namely self-rumination and self-reflection. Their relationships with loneliness were examined. A total of 400 Japanese individuals completed the Praise Seeking and Rejection Avoidance Needs Scale, the Self-Rumination and Self-Reflection Scale, and the Japanese Version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. A multiple regression analyses revealed that praise seeking and self-reflection were negatively related to loneliness, while self-rumination was positively related to loneliness. Rejection avoidance needs showed no significant association with loneliness.

This study examined whether (1) perceived social desirability (PSD) and personal desirability (PD) of each Big Five trait are positively correlated, and (2) perceived relational mobility (PRM) moderates its strength. Participants (Study 1: 224 undergraduate students; Study 2: 558 research firm monitors) reported PSD and PD of the Big Five scale items and PRM. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a five-factor structure with a random slope or a method factor fit best for both PSD and PD. Correlations between PSD and PD were positive for all traits (Study 1: rs = .52–.69; Study 2: rs = .59–.67), and their strength differed by high vs. low PRM for some traits: conscientiousness (r = .42 vs. .64 in Study 1 and r = .55 vs. .66 in Study 2) and agreeableness (r = .59 vs. .73 in Study 2). Implications for studies of personality trait desirability were discussed.

Many studies have reported lower executive functioning in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and those with high autistic traits. In this study, trait anxiety was considered a contributing factor to lower executive functioning in adults with high autistic traits. Autistic traits and trait anxiety were measured using self-administered questionnaires, while executive function was measured using the Flanker and Wisconsin Card Sorting Tasks along with a self-administered questionnaire. The results showed no association between autistic traits and executive function as measured by experimental tasks. Alternatively, there was an association between autistic traits and executive function as measured by the questionnaire, which was partially mediated by trait anxiety. This indicates that adults with high autistic traits can perform their inherent executive functions without being affected by trait anxiety in a structured environment. However, in a daily environment, they have difficulty applying their basic skills of executive function appropriately because of trait anxiety.

Although the importance of child abuse prevention and the role of the public in the child abuser’s sentencing is widely recognized, studies investigating the relationship between sentencing a child abuser and attitudes remain elusive. Contextually, based on evidence from studies on sex role attitudes (SRA) and arguments in jurisprudence, this study aimed to test a hypothetical mediational model, which assumes that traditional SRA strengthen blame toward an abuser and blame, in turn, leads to a longer sentencing recommendation. Data analysis of 807 Japanese adults revealed that the mediating effect of traditional SRA on sentencing was significant. However, contrary to our hypothesis, its direction was negative, meaning that those with more equality-oriented SRA (i.e., low in traditional SRA) were more likely to blame child abusers and recommend longer sentencing. These results suggest that equality is an important factor in sentencing studies.

Previous studies have suggested difficulties in emotion regulation in narcissists. However, interpersonal emotion regulation (IER), which is used in interpersonal interactions, has not been sufficiently examined despite its importance in narcissism. This study examined the effects of narcissistic tendencies on the perceived effectiveness of IER mediated by fears of compassion. We asked 228 university students to recall their most recent IER experiences and measured the perceived effectiveness of IER, narcissistic tendencies, and fears of compassion. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis of data from 217 participants showed that narcissistic grandiosity was negatively associated with the perceived effectiveness of IER through fear of compassion for others, narcissistic vulnerability through fear of compassion for others, and avoidance of compassion from others.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between romantic passion and the motivational factors driving adolescents to form romantic relationships. Undergraduates (N=132) who had experienced at least one romantic relationship were invited to participate in a questionnaire. The relationships between the Romantic Passion Scale and the Motivation for Romantic Relationships Scale were examined. The results were as follows. First, “harmonious passion” was related to “intrinsic regulation,” “identified regulation,” “internalized regulation,” and “external regulation.” Second, “obsessive passion” was related to “internalized regulation,” and “external regulation.” The results suggested that romantic passion plays a pivotal role in shaping the motivation of adolescent students when it comes to romantic relationships.

This study was a priming experiment to determine whether stimulus materials designed to activate helping behavior in children are effective in eliciting helping behavior. The experiment was based on a card-arranging task using picture cards illustrating helping behaviors and unrelated picture cards. After the task was completed, we observed whether children picked up the cards dropped by the experimenter. The results showed that children who received the stimuli to prime helping behavior were more likely to perform helping tasks (45.8%), thus confirming a certain effect of priming.

This study explores the relationship between pathological narcissism tendency and help-seeking. Previous research suggests that individuals with grandiose narcissism terminate treatment by themselves, while vulnerable narcissism is associated with emergency room visits. The present study comprised 300 adults aged between 20 to 50 years. Participants were required to answer questions related to pathological narcissism tendency, anxiety of help-seeking, expectation of help-seeking, and help-seeking intention. Mediation analysis via structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that grandiose narcissistic tendencies positively influence help-seeking intention through the expectation of help-seeking. Whereas, vulnerable narcissistic tendencies negatively influence help-seeking intention through the expectation and anxiety of help-seeking.

Justice-type Schadenfreude is a pleasant emotion that is evoked subsequent to the feeling that the misfortune of others was justified. This study examined whether justice-type Schadenfreude is related to gossiping about unjust people by means of a scenario-based experiment. The results of the analysis of data from 162 Japanese undergraduate students enrolled suggested that justice-type Schadenfreude was not associated with the intention to share information about unjust people.

This study aimed to examine the associations between sadism and loneliness while examining the mediating effects of manipulation strategies. Four hundred Japanese participants, with an average age of 24.7, completed the Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies (VAST-J), a scale assessing manipulation strategies. They also completed the Japanese Version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. The path analysis indicated significant moderating effects, particularly in manipulating emotions from a superior position and behaviors from an inferior position, between sadism and loneliness. The results suggest there are two pathways through which sadism influences the experience of loneliness.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of ME-Work inventory (Schnell & Hoffman, 2020), a modular tool for measuring work-related meaning. The results demonstrated consistent internal consistency and factor structure with the original version. Except for the work-related meaninglessness, all other ME-Work scores exhibited strong to moderate correlations with engagement and a sense of mission across all cases. These findings suggest that the Japanese version of the ME-Work exhibits equal internal consistency, factorial validity, retest reliability, and convergent validity as the original measure.

Studies have shown that female child abusers are sentenced more leniently than their male counterparts. This study aimed to examine whether this effect holds in a Japanese sample. It also investigated whether perceived psychological distance between parent and child plays a mediating role. A vignette depicting a case of abandonment by a person responsible for their care causing death was randomly presented in which the offender’s sex was manipulated. Analyses using data from 185 Japanese adults revealed that female offenders are recommended for a shorter sentence than their male counterparts. However, the mediating role of perceived psychological distance failed to reach statistical significance.

In this study, we examined the relationship between self-concept (self-esteem and self-concept clarity) and ambiguity of future time perspective. A web-based survey was conducted among men and women aged 20 and older, yielding 827 valid responses. The correlation analysis revealed moderate negative correlations between “ambiguity” and self-esteem, and between “ambiguity” and self-concept clarity, respectively. A mediation analysis revealed the relationship between self-esteem and the “ambiguity” of the future time perspective was fully mediated by the self-concept clarity. Based on these results, the importance of examining the ambiguity of future time perspective of self-concept clarity is pointed out, and future issues are discussed.