Conceptualizing the Japanese Prosocial Behavior from the Viewpoint of the “Seven Practices of Giving” in Buddhism

What is the Japanese-specific prosocial behavior, if any? We attempted to articulate it in terms of the Buddhist Seven Practices of Giving: (a) bodily/behavioral, (b) seat-offering/letting-go, (c) house-offering/hospitality, (d) kind words-giving, (e) smiling, (f) tender looking, and (g) mental/compassionate practices. We argued with psychological evidence that the West-originated concept of prosociality refers basically to active overt behaviors toward others’ welfare, whereas the Japanese prosociality involves one’s subtle facial expressions and inner gentle attitudes. A possible underlying mechanism might well be theorized, based on Haruki’s “alien reinforcement” theory, which can ably explain social behaviors especially in collective cultures

Effects of Brief Seiza (vs. Normal Sitting) Postures on the Chair on Sleepiness, Fatigue, and Leg Pain

We examined how seiza sitting would influence sleepiness and cognitive performance. We randomly assigned 23 participants to either a seiza or a normal sitting group in an actual college classroom setting, using the same chair. We asked their subjective sleepiness, physical and mental fatigue, and leg pain, and conducted some cognitive tasks including the word fluency test. In the seiza group, sleepiness remained lower ( ps < .054) and leg pain remained higher (ps < .037) after they adopted the seiza posture compared to the baseline condition. The seiza group showed lower sleepiness (p < .038) and higher leg pain (p < .041) than the normal sitting group. There were no significances in fatigues and fluency between postures. Although the seiza sitting was likely to cause pain and would not affect executive functions, it might inhibit sleepiness without causing mental and physical fatigue. (139 words)正座が眠気と認知パフォーマンスにどのような影響を与えるか検討した。実際の大学の授業でそれぞれ同一の椅子に座った23 名の参加者を正座群と椅坐位群にランダムに割り付け，主観的な眠気や肉体的疲労度，精神的疲労度，足の痛みを測定し，文字流暢性課題などを実施した。その結果，群内比較では，正座群で正座をする前よりもした後に，眠気が低い状態が続き(ps < .054)，足の痛みが高い状態が続いた(ps < .037)。また，群間比較では，正座中で，正座群の方が椅坐位群よりも眠気が低く(p < .038)，足の痛みが高かった(p < .041)。一方で，姿勢間には疲労度，流暢性に有意差はなかった。正座は足の痛みをもたらし，実行機能に影響を及ぼさないと考えられるものの，精神的，肉体的疲労を伴わずに眠気を抑制する可能性が示唆された

A Theoretical Review of Embodied Cognition Research involving Skin Sensations

We reviewed previous empirical research on skin sensations within the context of the embodied cognition or embodiment theory, and discussed its possible mechanisms and limitations. A number of studies have revealed that tactile and thermal sensations could influence one’s cognition and behavior, especially in social context (e.g., trust, empathy, and helping). We argued that this was probably because physical contact is essentially associated with security and intimacy, since it develops interpersonal schemata in early and later developmental stages. Our basic idea may well be supported by ethological, evolutionary, developmental, and neurological perspectives. The methodological limitations, including issues of replicability and generalization, were discussed

Direct Observation of Purchasing Behavior in a Cinema Complex in Japan : Age Group Analyses

Previous research on buying behavior often assumed interpersonal sales scenes. However, as the self-service technologies (SSTs) began to spread, consumers\u27 adaptation to such social changes has receiving more attention. We examined the preference for manned window and ticket vending machines in the actual ticket sale scene of a movie theatre in Japan. We observed 639 people (310 men, 329 women) who purchased tickets in a major cinema complex in Osaka, and classified by gender and age group. As a result, there was no difference in the selection of sales form in women and the middle age group, but the number of men and young people selecting automatic ticket vending machines and older adults selecting manned windows was significantly larger (ps <.02). Although the history of automatic ticket sale is old, in the movie theatres using the touch screen type automatic ticket vending machine, even today, the elderly people can easily use the manned window. Continuing similar research in the years to come will show how the interpersonal consumer behavior will be changing in the age of SSTs, and it will provide the advertising and educational strategies beneficial for both customers and sellers.従来，購買行動の研究は，対人販売場面を仮定するものが多かったが，券売機やセルフレジなどの機械化が普及し始めるにつれ，こうした社会的変化に消費者がどのように対応していくかに関心がもたれるようになってきた。本研究では，映画館のチケット販売場面で，有人窓口と自動券売機の選択行動について性別と年齢層の観点から検討した。関西圏のある映画館で，既定の時間帯にチケットを購入した639名（男性310名，女性329名）を観察し，性別と年齢層で分類した。その結果，女性や中年層では販売形態の選択に差が見られなかったが，男性や若年層は自動券売機を，高齢層は有人窓口を選択する人数が有意に多かった (ps ＜ .02) 。自動券売の歴史は古いが，映画館のタッチスクリーン式の自動券売機では，今日でも高齢層は有人窓口を利用しやすいという結果になった。今後も継続的に同様の研究をすることで，顧客と販売者の双方にとって有益な広告戦略や顧客教育につながる資料となりうる

Is Empathy Possible?; An Overview of Empathy Symposium 2012, Kansai University

This article reported an overview of a series of lectures and a symposium done as part of “special research project” program at the Graduate School of Psychology, Kansai University in December, 2012. First, the background of this symposium was described. Second, three lectures in this program were summarized. Third, a brief summary of three speeches on “facial expression and empathy”, “cognitive and neural mechanism of empathy”, and “empathetic understanding” was provided and a comment on each speech was offered. Finally, a connotation of empathy was discussed