Few studies have investigated the imagery experiences that occur during scale responses on the mental imagery vividness scale. The current study examined and categorizes such imagery experiences. A total of 68 adults were presented with visual items of the Japanese version of the Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (Psi-Q) online. They were then asked to write freely about the imagery experiences. The results of the KJ method revealed three major categories of such experiences: cases in which i) only visual imagery, ii) unspecified sensory modality imagery, and iii) an emotional experience occurred. Next, the visual imagery was classified along six axes (movement, source, realism, presence, perspective, and range of imagined objects). According to these results, various imagery experiences occurred during the scale responses. Future studies should examine the influence of such experiences on vividness measures.

A recent legal development lifted the ban on real-name reporting of “specified juveniles” (18- and 19-year-olds). Following the individualization theory, this study aimed to test a hypothesis that posits a reciprocal mechanism between real-name reporting and causal attribution. To this end, scenarios depicting crimes of forcible sexual intercourse and damage to property were used. Study 1 (N=820) revealed that support for real-name reporting was positively related to dispositional attribution and negatively to situational attribution in both scenarios. Study 2 (N=1,042) found that respondents exposed to real-name reporting, compared to those exposed to anonymous reporting, tended to attribute the cause of crime to the offender’s disposition in the forcible sexual intercourse scenario. In summary, the two studies suggest the existence of a reciprocal mechanism in which those with high dispositional attribution tendencies are more supportive of real-name reporting and such reporting strengthens dispositional attribution, at least for the scenario depicting forcible sexual intercourse.

This study aimed to create the Japanese version of the Specific Phobia of Vomiting Inventory (SPOVI-J), which measures threat monitoring and avoidance behaviors characteristic of emetophobia. The SPOVI-J’s factor structure, reliability, and validity were also examined. This study included 222 undergraduate and graduate students, and the retest reliability process included 26 undergraduate students. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor structure for the SPOVI-J. The SPOVI-J and each of its subscales were confirmed to have high internal consistency and a certain retest reliability. Regarding the correlation of the SPOVI-J and its two subscales with other concepts, the findings for disgust sensitivity differed from those in previous studies; for anxiety about vomiting, findings were weaker than expected; for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and generalized anxiety symptoms, findings were generally concordant with those in previous studies, indicating a certain convergent validity. This study also indicated that 21.2% of university students in the sample exceeded the cutoff of the original version.

This study developed a scale for measuring the self-focused attention of early adolescents. Totally, 451 students completed a self-report questionnaire at two time points with a 2-week interval. The self-focused attention scale comprised three subscales: “focus on positive self-aspects,” “focus on negative self-aspects,” and “focus on neutral self-aspects.” The scale demonstrated good test-retest reliability. Focus on positive self-aspect scores positively correlated with positive and negative self-focus scales (Kumada & Oikawa, 2015), self-strength, and private self-consciousness scores. Focus on positive self-aspect scores also negatively correlated with depressive-anxious feelings scores. Negative self-aspect scores positively correlated with the negative self-focus scale (Kumada & Oikawa, 2015), depressive-anxious feelings, and private self-consciousness scores. Focus on neutral self-aspect scores positively correlated with private self-consciousness, self-strength, and depressive-anxious feeling scores.

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between Dark Tetrad traits and loneliness and the mediating effects of rejection experiences. Four hundred Japanese individuals with an average age of 21.11 years completed the Dark Tetrad Scale, a scale regarding rejection experiences, and the Japanese version of the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA). Path analysis indicated that psychopathy increased loneliness directly and via rejection experiences, while narcissism decreases loneliness directly and via rejection experiences. Machiavellianism and sadism had indirect positive effects on loneliness, but no significant direct effects. These results indicate that Dark Tetrad traits may be associated with loneliness through the experience of rejection. The relationship between each Dark Tetrad factor and the experience of rejection and loneliness is discussed.

The purpose of this study was to develop a revised version of Multi-dimensional Privacy Scale for Internet users (MPS-I-R), which measures the concern about information privacy on the Internet. We added to the MPS-I the information contained in sensitive personal information and individual identification codes, as well as other information that we are currently concerned about privacy and conducted a web-based survey. Factor analysis of responses to the scale revealed four dimensions of concerns about one’s information privacy: Autobiographical and Sensitive Personal Information (12 items), Demographical Information (9 items), Identifiable Information (6 items), and Password and Personal Identification Code (6 items). The MPS-I-R is considered to be an appropriate scale of information privacy in the current social context.

Prosocial lying often serves to enhance interpersonal relationships; however, it can also increase depressive mood. This study investigates how the personality trait of unmitigated communion–defined as an excessive focus on others at the expense of oneself–influences the relationship between prosocial lying and depressive mood. Our findings reveal a positive correlation between unmitigated communion and prosocial lying. Furthermore, we find that unmitigated communion contributes to depressive mood via prosocial lying. This finding extends prior research, indicating a link between prosocial lying and increased depressive mood.

The anchoring vignettes method requires respondents to rate the hypothetical persons described in the vignettes to enhance comparability in self-ratings. However, the conventional method of presenting all the items for each vignette (the individual presentation method) can cause respondents to inappropriately rate hypothetical persons. We propose a new method for presenting all the vignettes for each item (the simultaneous presentation method) to reduce inappropriate ratings. Participants (N = 1365) were randomly assigned to simultaneous or individual presentation methods and asked to rate hypothetical persons. The χ² tests and mini meta-analysis revealed that the proportion of inappropriate ratings was significantly lower in the simultaneous presentation method.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale-Teacher form (CCNES-T). We assessed the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the CCNES-T with 487 Japanese teachers following a meticulous translation/back-translation process. The findings indicated that the Japanese version of the CCNES-T, comprising nine scenarios, demonstrated good reliability, construct validity, and high test-retest reliability. However, confirmatory factor analysis did not show a completely satisfactory fit for the six factor structure.

This study aimed to elucidate the interactive effects of peer status on the relationship between relational aggression and school adjustment. Questionnaires were distributed to 180 middle school students in grades 1 and 2. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and simple slope analyses. A multiple regression analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between relational aggression and school adjustment. In contrast, a simple slope analysis indicated that when peer status was low, relational aggression was high, and the sense of school adjustment was significantly low; when peer status was high, there was no significant relationship between school adjustment and relational aggression. Moreover, the importance of considering a collective perspective when discussing relational aggression and school adjustment is discussed.

This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of sensory processing sensitivity on the association between life events and depression. A total of 175 undergraduates completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, negative and positive life events in both the interpersonal and achievement domains, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6 items (K6). The analysis, however, did not provide sufficient evidence that sensitivity to sensory processing moderated the association between life events and depression.