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This paper aims to examine the academic significance of the concept of "ibasho" (a place or community one feels at home), which emerged from the problem of truancy in Japanese society in the 1980s. Free schools were created as "places ibasho" for truant children. In the field of youth work, group-work-based youth organizations and youth centers were no longer attracting young people to these organizations. In 1992, the Ministry of Education issued a report on truancy, proposing to make schools "ibasho" for children. Widely studied in psychology, sociology, and architecture, the concept of "ibasho" has three elements: a place where one can feel safe, good relationships, and time factor. In order to clarify the concept of "ibasho," a comparative study was conducted with the theories of human needs and identity. "Ibasho" is a refuge for the socially oppressed and a foundation for empowerment that enables them to transform society. Therefore, the theory of "ibasho" has been applied beyond youth issues to the fields of social welfare, gender, and community development. Finally, "ibasho" can contribute to social inclusion not only in Japan but also worldwide.

Conservation and executive function (EF) are important early childhood skills; however, knowledge about their relationship is scarce. Hence, in this study, this relationship is investigated, and a comparison is conducted between the Piagetian conservation and EF tasks to obtain the total hemoglobin (mMmm) for the left and right brain activity in the prefrontal cortex of children, using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy. As a case study, a survey was conducted in the home of a four-year-old child (boy) in Japan in 2020. His home was selected as the primary place of investigation owing to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 infection. The researcher was an expert in pedagogy and psychology. The following hypothesis could be formulated from the case studies analyzed herein: From the viewpoint of the brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, there may be a link between the conservation of quantity and EF. The preservation of quantity is closely related to mathematics education. This hypothesis can thus expand the scope of research and practice in the fields of psychology, education, and mathematics education. Furthermore, the results may help psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers, parents, and others involved in the development of children sublate the value of their concept of conservation and improve their support methods.

This study examined how to enhance the quality of students' question generating and to encourage their spontaneous information searches after classroom instruction in university. The teacher assigned One Minute Paper as homework, and students answered three questions; "Q1: What was the most important thing that you learned today?", "Q2: What important question remains unanswered?", and "Q3: What information did you search for after the classroom instruction?". While it was necessary to answer Q1 and Q2 for submission, answering Q3 was not necessary and they could answer it if they wished to do so. The teacher, however, realized that some students were not generating questions actively and the quality of their questions were not adequately improved. After 7 weeks, he changed his intervention and gave feedback on some students' questions to enhance their question quantity and quality. The latent growth curve modelling showed that question quality, spontaneous searching behaviour, and the link between question generation and conducting searches increased after the intervention change. The result also showed that post-intervention change slopes were larger for the feedback group than the class without feedback. The results indicate that besides assigning homework tasks, it is also important to connect learning outside along with inside the classroom to enhance question quality and encourage spontaneous information search.

This study explored effects of question generation instructions on students' attitudes towards question generation and strategy use. Three hundred seventy-four Japanese college students in two psychology classes participated in lectures after a pre-lecture preparation time and completed questionnaires on attitudes towards question generation and learning strategy use in and outside the classroom. Students in the "instruction group" were instructed on how to develop questions during lecture preparation to better understand the upcoming lecture. In the "connecting group", in addition to instruction, the questions students generated during preparation were linked to lecture content. The results showed that instruction significantly decreases students' perception of difficulty regarding question generation and increases learning outside the classroom. The result also suggested that connecting questions to lecture content increased students' use of micro-understanding focused strategies during preparation and increased positive attitudes towards question generation of students who did not place importance on meaningful learning.

Japanese universities have lately begun to teach academic content in English instead of Japanese. In this article, I examine curricular and ideological issues related to having English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at a Japanese university before examining their links to larger cultural-political forces in Japan, including neoconservative agendas. My discussion is framed within the setting of a Japanese higher education facing the challenges of: (1) low enrolments and institutional solvency; (2) curricular reform in keeping with the need for institutional renewal. Specifically, based on a critical narrative inquiry into a workplace encounter involving two university courses, one in introductory psychology and another in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), I will explore the ideologically-embedded nature of discourses affecting professional understandings of language, meaning making and curriculum. I will also observe that the "changes" resulting from the adoption of EMI are only superficial and that the role and status of English, in reality, remains circumscribed.

This study investigated, by means of an ethnographic approach, what exactly occurs when Japanese novice writers are socialized into the undergraduate thesis genre and how the processes differ among disciplines. Data were collected from 10 undergraduate students enrolled in various humanities disciplines at two Japanese universities. The study identified the genre chains in psychology and non-psychology consisting of the thesis genre and the related genres to capture the whole picture of their socialization processes, and then examined cognitive and sociocultural aspects of their learning. All of the four psychology students were systematically inducted into research and experimental reports, a genre similar to undergraduate theses, in their first 2 years with emphasis on acquisition of knowledge and skills of the research process and report writing, which appear to follow the tradition of the natural sciences. In the last 2 years, the students were then weekly guided by their supervisors specifically in writing their undergraduate thesis in groups. The non-psychology students were socialized into the undergraduate thesis only in the last 2 years, with a particular focus on subject-matter knowledge, which was solely dependent on their supervisors, in the group and/or individual sessions. On the other hand, the psychology students experienced less difficulty in writing their theses than the non-psychology students. The study concludes that the highly prescriptive and regulated training for writing in the disciplinary context at the early stage via the written genres similar to the thesis were likely to account for the psychology students' success.

Objective: Intrinsic academic motivation is one of the most important psychological concepts in education, and it is related to academic outcomes in medical students. This study examined the relationships between academic and family conditions and intrinsic academic motivation. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: The study group consisted of 120 healthy second-year medical students. Method: Participants completed questionnaires dealing with intrinsic academic motivation, lifestyle factors, academic and family conditions, and academic performance. Results: In the multiple regression analysis (adjusted for age, gender, and lifestyle factors), taking pleasure in school and spending time with family were positively associated with intrinsic academic motivation scores. Conclusion: Pleasure in school and spending time with family are correlated with intrinsic academic motivation among medical students. Good academic and family conditions may contribute to lowering the incidence of and/or increasing the rates of recovery from low intrinsic academic motivation. (Contains 3 tables.)

The authors test the hypothesis that separation from a violent husband or partner improves maternal parenting in Japan and examine how childhood abuse history (CAH), experience of domestic violence (DV), mental health problems, husband or partner's child maltreatment, and other demographic factors affect maternal parenting after such separation. A self-administered questionnaire survey is conducted for mothers (n = 304) and their children (n = 498) staying in 83 mother-child homes in Japan to assess the mothers' CAH, DV experiences, current mental health problems, and exposure to a husband or partner's child maltreatment. The authors also assess maternal poor parenting (physical and psychological abuse, neglect, no playing, and no praise) before and after admission into the mother-child homes. The total poor parenting score (specifically for neglect, no playing, and no praise) significantly reduces after separation from a violent husband or partner (p = 0.001, paired t test). However, scores for psychological abuse significantly increase after admission (p less than 0.001, paired t test). CAH, DV, and mental health problems are not associated with a reduced total poor parenting score after admission. Husband or partner's child maltreatment is independently significantly associated with a reduced maternal poor parenting score: A 10% increase in such maltreatment is associated with a 5% reduction in the poor parenting score after separation. Marital status also contributes to the score reduction: The reduction is less in married or divorced mothers than in those who did not marry the partner. Mother-child homes might be useful for improving maternal parenting. Further study is needed to elucidate the mechanism of the impact of separation from a violent husband or partner on maternal parenting. (Contains 3 tables.)

We examined the associations and likely pathways underlying the relationships between peer attachment style, self-concept, and Internalizing/Externalizing Problems among high school students in Japan. A total of 228 senior high school students (186 boys and 82 girls; mean age = 16.4) completed the Attachment Questionnaire for Children, Self-Description Questionnaire II-Short, and Youth Self-Report. The main results were that securely attached adolescents reported fewer mental health problems and more positive self-concept than those who reported insecure attachment. Some patterns of associations among variables appeared to be different across gender. The Structural Equation Modeling provided a support for the mediating role of self-concept in influencing the relationships between Attachment and Internalizing Problems, but not Externalizing Problems. The paths for the model were significant across gender. The results promote understanding of psychological processes that influence the relationships between attachment and psychological well-being among high school adolescents in Japan.

Objective: To understand the independent and interactive effects of childhood abuse history (CAH) and domestic violence (DV) on the mental health status of women in Japan. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among a sample of 340 women staying in 83 Mother-Child Homes in Japan to assess the women's CAH and DV experiences, along with their current mental health problems, including dissociated, depressed, and traumatic symptoms. Results: Independent from DV, CAH, especially psychological abuse, had a significant impact on all of the women's mental health symptoms. DV was found to have an independent effect on traumatic symptoms. Weak interactive effects of CAH and DV were found on dissociated and traumatic symptoms. Among those women without CAH, DV was significantly associated with dissociated and traumatic symptoms; however, DV had no impact on dissociated and traumatic symptoms if CAH was present. Conclusions: The findings suggest the significant impact of CAH on women's mental health problems, independent from DV. CAH and DV weakly interact on women's mental health. Practice implications: In psychological therapy for battered women with mental health problems, if the cases were abused during childhood, it is recommended that therapy be focused on childhood abuse, especially if the client was psychologically abused. In addition, mental health care and welfare providers should be aware that the mental health problems of mothers without CAH might be exacerbated by DV; thus, appropriate resource allocation should be considered. (Contains 5 tables.)

We conducted this cross-sectional study among 392 Japanese and 294 Vietnamese mothers who attended routine child health visits in a Japanese city and at a tertiary hospital in Vietnam, in order to investigate the prevalence and associated sociodemographic, parenting, and psychological characteristics of low maternal confidence in child rearing among them. All data were collected from medical files in Japan, and from medical files and self-administered questionnaires in Vietnam. The proportion of mothers without secure feeling of confidence in the present study was 22% in Japan and 66% in Vietnam. Significant factors associated with a lack of confidence were first-time motherhood and unintended pregnancy in the Japanese dataset and younger age in the Vietnamese dataset. In both groups, a higher proportion of mothers who lacked confidence reported negative parenting outcomes than did confident mothers. Among the three psychological measurements (mood, self-efficacy and depression), higher self-efficacy was associated independently with a significantly reduced risk of not having confidence in child rearing. These results suggest the importance of developing parenting support programs to help Japanese and Vietnamese mothers, particularly those who are young, first-time mothers or who became pregnant unexpectedly, improve their self-efficacy.

In Experiment 1, Japanese children (4-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year-olds (n = 78)) and adults (n = 36), answered questions about the possibility of psychogenic bodily reactions, i.e., bodily outcomes with origins in the mind. The 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers typically denied that bodily conditions could originate in mental states. Developmentally, recognition of psychogenic bodily reactions appeared between ages 8 and 11. Experiment 2 showed that these findings did not depend on whether reactions were positive or negative. The preschoolers had some difficulty in assuming not only negative but also positive psychogenic bodily reactions. In Experiment 3, 5-, 6-, 8-, and 11-year-old children (n = 70) and adults (n = 18) were asked to explain why physical/psychological states would lead to bodily outcomes. Adults relied on mechanical causation for physically induced bodily reactions, while for psychogenic reactions they often referred to vitalistic concepts. In contrast, young children sometimes referred to vitalistic concepts for physically induced reactions, but seldom did so for psychogenic reactions. Vitalistic causality appears to change from causality based on only the body, to a framework that applies not only bodily but also to mental phenomena. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study examined differences between Japanese international college students and U. S. college students on stigma toward people with psychological disorders, stigma tolerance in help seeking, and self-concealment. Japanese international students had greater stigma toward individuals with psychological disorders than did their U.S. counterparts. No interrelationships between these variables, however, were found in the Japanese international student group. (Contains 3 tables.)

The well-developed body of theory and research on men's gender role conflict provides an excellent foundation for developing increasingly complex models of men's gender-related concerns. Theorists and researchers are encouraged to incorporate themes related to social structural aspects of gender as well as to examine the ways in which men's multiple identities and the intersections among these varied identities are experienced by men and boys. The complexity of men's gender-related challenges are illustrated through the exploration of the various individual, interpersonal, structural, and cultural components of gender issues faced by contemporary men in Japan.

Perceptions of elder abuse were examined in Japanese women (n =100) and men (n =46). Japanese women and men both emphasized physical aggression, followed by neglect and blaming, when giving examples of extremely abusive behavior. Physical aggression was also the most frequently mentioned type of moderate elder abuse, followed by neglect, economic maltreatment, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, blame, and psychological abuse. Japanese women provided significantly more psychological neglect responses than verbal aggression responses when giving examples of mild abuse. Paired samples t tests revealed that physical abuse responses were given significantly more often as examples of extreme abuse than of moderate or mild abuse. Findings have implications for addressing the conflict between changing family relationships and traditional cultural values--such as filial piety--in Japanese society. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Cultural expectations provide meaning to human perceptions of who-does-what-to-whom-where. However, the effects of actions directed at oneself have been much less systematically studied. This article replicates the American factorial design of Britt and Heise (1992) in a Japanese setting. The analysis demonstrates both cultural similarities and differences in psychological principles for attaching meanings to self-directed events. Cross-cultural differences in creating a sense of self-fulfillment or self-actualization are expressed through emotional labeling and trait attribution.

Discusses contemporary psychologists' criticism of Jean Piaget's developmental theory; reviews research in brain science, psychology, history, and the experiences of teachers; proposes a new theory of developmental stages based on children's shifting interests; discuses implications of "shifting interest center theory" for school curriculum in Japan. (PKP)

Reviews the development of family psychology and family therapy in Japan, tracing the origins of these movements, explaining how these fields were activated by the problem of school refusal, and describing an approach to family therapy that has been developed to work with families confronting this problem, as well as preventive programs of family psychology applied at the community level. (SM)

Compares 3 Japanese and 2 U.S. psychology departments, using course catalog data and questionnaire responses from 30 professors and 335 undergraduates. Reports U.S. students studied more and learned specific, career-oriented content, whereas Japanese students emphasized extracurricular activities related to future careers. Links findings to differences in university educational philosophies and secondary school experiences. (NL)

Briefly discusses the formation of the Japanese Association of Morality Psychology and lists the papers presented at its annual meetings since 1985. Presents a survey of publications on moral development and education in Japan, organized by theorists such as Kohlberg and Piaget and themes such as moral development theory. (GEA)

Describes Aokigahara-jukai (Jukai), a dense forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji which is well known as a leading suicide site in Japan, with about 30 people committing suicide there each year. Discusses three cases of psychogenic amnesia following attempted suicide there. Discusses amnesia as an alternative to suicide. (Author/ABL)

Introduction: Nurses are now more likely to leave their current role in direct patient care than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Country culture and the organization of health care systems drive nurses' decisions to leave or stay in the profession. Methods: In a fall 2020 survey of nurse professional quality of life, a content analysis of responses to the open-ended question, " What has been challenging or rewarding during this pandemic experience?" was performed. Results were organized within Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory. Results: Six hundred and fifty-six nurses across five countries responded to the question; 526 comments were analyzed. Most (53.6%) respondents were staff bedside nurses. Themes, such as Distress and Fatigue and Building and Experiencing Social Capital were found and understood to reflect cultural values and dimensions such as Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance. Discussion: Recommendations include strengthening culturally tailored leadership knowledge to inform and facilitate countries' nurse retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High nurse turnover is a worldwide problem that was exacerbated by COVID‐19, leading to further staffing shortages and negatively affecting patient care quality. Although options to minimize nurse turnover are frequently discussed, and high levels of work‐family conflict are known to increase turnover intentions while high levels of work engagement are associated with lower turnover intentions, not much is known about how the two interact to affect turnover intentions. This study investigated the impact of work‐family conflict, work engagement, and their interaction on turnover intentions among Japanese hospital nurses. A cross‐sectional design was employed. Hobfoll's conservation of resources theory was applied as the theoretical framework. A total of 827 nurses working at public or similar to public hospitals in the Tokyo metropolitan area participated in a web‐based survey. The survey included personal characteristics, turnover intentions, the Japanese version of the Work‐Family Conflict Scale, and the Work Engagement Scale of the New Simplified Work Stress Questionnaire. Correlation analysis, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and simple slope analysis were used to examine the associations among turnover intention, work‐family conflict, and work engagement, and their interactions. A significance level of 0.05 (two‐tailed) was chosen. Analysis of 124 data sets revealed an average participant age of 40.0 years, with 94.4% being female. Hierarchical multiple regression identified significant relationships among work‐family conflict, work engagement, work‐family conflict x work engagement, full‐time employment, marital status, and having children. Simple slope analysis demonstrated a significant positive link between work‐family conflict and turnover intention, irrespective of work engagement level, with the effect of work‐family conflict buffered by high work engagement. Work‐family conflict must be reduced to minimize nurse turnover, but given the buffering effect of work engagement, measures to increase work engagement should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) have profoundly shaped global conflict and security landscapes throughout history. From the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the chemical attack in Halabja, these catastrophic events underscored the devastating potential of WMDs on health, humanity, ecosystems, and international stability. This study explored the immediate and long-term impacts of WMDs, analyzing historical precedents and current global conflicts to highlight ongoing risks. Emphasizing the urgent need for international disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, the study aimed to raise awareness of the humanitarian, psychological, and ecological consequences of WMD use. By examining the geopolitical hotspots and the humanitarian crises they generated, it called for proactive crisis prevention strategies and enhanced global cooperation to mitigate the catastrophic effects of WMDs and protect global security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregivers in Japan experience a high prevalence of low back pain (LBP), with age, sex, individual pain experiences, and central sensitization symptoms potentially influencing its chronic progression. To determine the prevalence of LBP among caregivers, as well as its relation to age and sex, and explore work status, psychological factors, and central sensitization symptoms as contributing factors to chronic LBP (CLBP). A large-scale cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1214 caregivers in 35 geriatric healthcare facilities. The survey assessed LBP and CLBP prevalence, work status, psychological factors, and central sensitization-related symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing CLBP. Among 936 valid respondents, the LBP prevalence was 69.2%. No significant sex differences were found in the prevalence of LBP and CLBP. Old age, higher pain severity, and severe symptoms related to central sensitization increased the risk of CLBP. However, work status and psychological factors did not significantly contribute to CLBP. There is a high prevalence of LBP among caregivers, age and individual pain experience significantly impact CLBP. These findings emphasize the need for therapeutic strategies to manage pain intensity, especially in the acute phase, to prevent the progression to chronicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the cognitive-behavioral model of social anxiety disorder, fear of negative evaluation by others, estimated social cost, self-focused attention, and perceived anxiety control are considered the key maintaining components in a social situation. This study examined the relationship between cognitive biases and social anxiety symptoms using a cross-sectional design. All of the 309 participants were Japanese individuals with social anxiety disorder at outpatient medical institutions. The hypothesized model's path analysis was conducted. The models assumed that fear of negative evaluation by others affected the relationship between each cognitive bias and that biases influenced social anxiety symptoms. The best-fit model by path analysis showed that self-focused attention and perceived anxiety control have the influence on cost/probability bias and cost bias highly affected social anxiety symptoms. These results indicate cognitive biases may function to maintain social anxiety symptoms. Hence, a reduction in cost bias can be effective in improving excessive anxiety in social situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study investigated the ways in which nurses caring for COVID‐19 patients during the pandemic's early stages recognized professional growth through their experiences and continued working for several years, as well as the key experiences for identifying professional growth, external factors, and career intentions. Methods: We used a qualitative research method called the Trajectory Equifinality Model (TEM). The participants were nine nurses caring for COVID‐19 patients during the pandemic's early stages and had already recognized professional growth through a series of experiences. We constructed a TEM diagram based on two interviews per participant (in February–March, and July–August 2022). Results: The process by which the participants recognized professional growth through a series of experiences was divided into Phases 1–4. The participants experienced adversity in Phases 1 and 3, and the following professional growth in Phases 2 and 4: gaining confidence as a nurse performing tasks of great social significance by acquiring the ability to fulfill my roles and realizing I could use the skills I had acquired by providing nursing care to COVID‐19 patients in other situations, respectively. The key experiences for identifying professional growth as well as the inhibiting and facilitating factors of the process differed depending on the phase. The participants' career intention was wanting to continue to be involved in nursing by utilizing the skills and experience I have accumulated. Conclusion: Managers and directors of nursing should provide appropriate support in each phase to help nurses recognize their professional growth during emerging epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To create environments conducive to the wellbeing of workers, especially older workers, it is important to gain insight into ageism among young workers as a distinct segment in the workplace. However, this ageism remains unclear. This study explored the psychosocial predictors of discrimination against older Japanese workers by their younger male counterparts. Four models – Intergroup Contact Theory (ICT), Knowledge–Attitude–Behaviour Model (KABM), Terror Management Theory (TMT) and Frustration–Aggression Theory (FAT) – formed the basis of the study. All the models included positive and negative dimensions of stereotypes as mediators between predictors and discrimination. Data from 874 participants were obtained through a voluntary web survey for employees aged 25–39 years who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area. A scale describing interactions with older workers (supportive, uncomfortable and avoidance), Facts on Ageing quiz, fears of being an older worker and a job dissatisfaction survey were employed to examine the hypotheses based on the above theories. The results supported the hypotheses based on ICT and FAT but not KABM. Higher supportive contacts were significantly related to lower discrimination mediated by a higher positive and lower negative dimension of stereotypes. Contacts characterised by higher discomfort were significantly related to higher discrimination mediated by a lower positive and higher negative dimension of stereotypes. Higher job dissatisfaction was related to higher discrimination mediated by lower positive stereotypes. Interestingly, higher fear of being an older worker was significantly related to lower discrimination mediated by higher positive stereotypes, contrary to the TMT-based hypotheses. Thus, ICT and FAT regarding ageism can explain young male workers' discrimination against older workers in Japan, which differs culturally from Western countries. Furthermore, the results of the study suggest that boosting the quality of interactions as well as reducing bad interactions with older workers contribute to lower discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore factors associated with ambulance use and emergency department (ED) visits among people with dementia in the month before death. A web‐based survey of bereaved family caregivers of people with dementia was conducted in March 2020. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted with ambulance use and ED visits in the month before death as dependent variables. Age and gender of people with dementia and their family caregivers, home care use, decision‐makers, comorbidities, degree of independence in daily living, and caregivers' preparedness for death were independent variables. Data were collected from 817 caregivers of people with dementia who had died at hospitals (52.4%), long‐term care facilities (25.0%), or own homes (22.4%). Caregivers' lack of preparedness for death was significantly associated with ambulance use in the month before death. Comorbidites and males with dementia were significantly associated with ED visits in the month before death. Better death preparedness of family caregivers may reduce ambulance use for symptoms that can be more effectively addressed by palliative care than acute care for people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Japanese EFL learners often fail to identify and categorise the different degrees of certainty associated with CERTAIN, PROBABLE, and POSSIBLE items. This computer‐mediated study evaluated the relative effects of animated versus static illustrations on stimulating the spatial concept of distance for the acquisition of this knowledge. Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) discover whether the spatial concept of distance captured by three‐dimensional (3D) images in animated or static illustrations help learners understand spatial relationships more clearly, and (2) whether a static illustration is sufficient for learning the different degrees of certainty. Method: Animated and static visualisation groups used 3D images of animated versus static illustrations that capture the spatial concept of distance, and a contrasting group did not use illustrations. The former applied the spatial concept of distance to learn the degrees of certainty, using animated or static illustrations. A spatial concept‐oriented approach that visualises concepts of distance enabled participants to understand the degrees of certainty. The contrasting approach involved rote learning of a list of target expressions for the different degrees of certainty in English. Results and Conclusions: Both the animated and static versions of the spatial concept‐oriented approaches were equally effective. The difference between the two versions did not significantly impact the overall performance of the groups. Takeaways: Regardless of the type of effect, the spatial concept of distance captured in words and illustrations helped the participants (1) process the different degrees of certainty cognitively in terms of distances and (2) retain them in long‐term memory. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Understanding our experiences in terms of metaphors based on spatially visualised concepts of the physical world leads to mapping the embodied concepts onto non‐embodied concepts and retaining these in long‐lasting memory.3D descriptions direct people's attention to the spatially visualised concepts, which influences people to internalise them with ease.The lack of consensus (in previous studies) on the effect of animated versus static versions of the metaphor awareness‐raising approach with either 2D or 3D images has some relevance to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning. What this paper adds: Computer‐generated 3D images were used to help participants in the metaphor‐based groups understand spatial relationships related to the degrees of certainty among certain, probable, and possible items.This study evaluated the relative effects of animated versus static illustrations on stimulating the spatial concept of distance for the acquisition of this knowledge.The animated and static version of the metaphor‐based approach groups outperformed those in the non‐metaphor‐based and control groups. Implications for practice and/or policy: It is necessary to consider all possible confounding variables and control for their effects when designing future animation versus static studies.Further analysis of the spatial concept‐oriented metaphor‐based approach from the perspectives of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning combined with cognitive linguistic theory would be beneficial for fellow researchers and teachers to gain insight into the nuances of the approach and expand its application in the EFL context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To develop effective promotion strategies for exercise behavior in older adults, it is essential to identify the psychological determinants. Previous studies investigated affective and instrumental attitudes as determinants. However, from the conceptual assumptions of socioemotional selectivity theory, affective attitudes might be more influential on the exercise behavior of older adults with an expansive future time perspective, whereas instrumental attitudes would be more influential on those with limited perspectives. This study examined whether the associations of affective and instrumental attitudes with behavioral intention and exercise behavior differed according to future time perspective among older Japanese adults. Methods Data were obtained from a 3-wave longitudinal questionnaire survey of 886 individuals (Wave 1: December 2017–January 2018; Wave 2, 1-year follow-up; Wave 3, 3-year follow-up). Using the data on exercise behavior, affective and instrumental attitudes, and behavioral intention at each wave, and the data of future time perspective and demographic factors at Wave 1, this study performed multiple regression analyses and a multigroup cross-lagged model. Results Affective attitude was a significant predictor of behavioral intention regardless of future time perspective. Although instrumental attitude significantly predicted behavioral intention among those with a lower future time perspective, it did not predict behavioral intention among those with middle-to-higher future time perspective. Regardless of future time perspective, affective attitude, but not instrumental attitude, significantly predicted exercise behavior. Discussion Unlike the socioemotional selectivity theory, this study found that affective attitude was more influential on exercise behavior than instrumental attitude regardless of future time perspective among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morita therapy is one of the leading alternative psychotherapeutic approaches that has emerged from Japan and has adapted with notable success to the mores and demands of the Western medical establishment. Although still on the margin, Morita therapy has the potential to offer a viable option for those who seek therapeutic assistance for various neuroses and psychosomatic illnesses that culminate in psychiatric symptoms such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive‐compulsive disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Diverging considerably from conventional Western psychiatric approaches, Morita therapy has its own modes of conceiving mental illness and offers distinct curative methods that are in some ways akin to the techniques of meaning‐centred psychotherapies, but in many other ways are rather different. In this paper, the meaning‐formation and the building of a constant sense of purpose in Morita therapy is explored, with a special focus on how these relate to creating a stable psychological framework for the client. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frailty increases the risk of negative health‐related events, such as falls, disability, hospitalizations, and death. Although the association between oral health and physical frailty is well established, the relationship between oral health and psychological frailty has not yet been investigated. Therefore, we conducted a cross‐sectional study to examine the association between maximal occlusal force and psychological frailty in Japanese community‐dwelling older adults. Methods: Psychological frailty was defined as a World Health Organization‐5 scale (WHO‐5) score of <13, cognitive and functional status was defined as a Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA‐J) score of <23, and psychological robustness was defined as a WHO‐5 score of ≥13 and a MoCA‐J score of ≥23. We used a cross‐sectional study design to measure maximal occlusal force in 1810 participants, and examined the following factors relevant to psychological frailty: educational level, financial status, living situation, history of chronic diseases, handgrip strength, and instrumental activities of daily living. We used propensity score matching to match the psychological frailty and psychological robustness groups according to demographic and confounding factors. This process, resulted in 344 participants, of whom 172 were in the psychological frailty group and 172 were in the psychological robustness group. In the matched cohort, differences between groups with and without psychological frailty were compared using generalized estimating equations for maximal occlusal force after adjusting for the number of teeth. Results: After controlling for potential confounding factors of frailty, the psychological frailty group showed lower maximal occlusal force compared with the psychological robustness group (unstandardized regression coefficients = −72.7, 95% confidence interval: −126.3 to −19.1). Conclusions: Maximal occlusal force was associated with a reduced prevalence of psychological frailty among Japanese community‐dwelling older adults participating in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies on autonomy support and controlling parenting rely on children's perceptions, despite the limitations of this approach. This study investigated congruency between autonomy support and controlling parenting reported by mothers and adolescents and their association with adolescents' depressive symptoms via basic psychological needs satisfaction. Participants included 408 Japanese mother–adolescent (Mage = 13.73, SD = 0.90, 52% female) pairs who completed a questionnaire at two time points four months apart. Results demonstrated low to moderate levels of mother–adolescent agreement. Cross-lagged regression models revealed that mothers' reported autonomy support positively predicted adolescents' basic psychological needs satisfactions, which was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. The independent roles of parenting reported by mothers and adolescents for adolescents' well-being were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the relationship of the environment in small-scaled nursing homes and positive behaviors on the residents' quality of life (QOL). The Environmental Assessment Tool-Higher Care was used to evaluate unit environments. Dementia Care Mapping was used to observe 113 residents' positive behaviors. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis showed that residents living in a dementia-friendly environment showed a significant correlation between their positive behaviors and QOL. In contrast, a non-dementia-friendly environment showed no notable impact upon their QOL despite the high/low frequency of positive behaviors. It is crucial to prioritize a comprehensive facility environment review to support residents' QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core idea of the find‐remind‐and‐bind theory articulated by (Algoe, 2012, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6, 455) is that receiving expressed gratitude facilitates positive attitudes toward the expressor such as increased prosocial behaviour. The current study tries to observe the phenomena in Japan where apologies are sometimes used when people express gratitude. In this experimental study, 671 Japanese participants received expressions of gratitude, apologies, both, or neither (control condition) in exchange for their help. The results showed that expressed gratitude had the most positive effect compared to the control, apology and both conditions; that is, expressed gratitude most strongly facilitated the message receiver's prosocial behaviour, self‐disclosure, predicted outcome values, and social worth. Expressed apologies showed a limited positive effect. A structural equation model further indicated that predicted outcome values and social worth functioned in unique ways to mediate the link between expressed gratitude and prosocial behaviour as well as self‐disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously published work suggests that marginalized Japanese youth have psychologies that deviate from interdependent self‐orientations. To test whether this pattern extends to an independent self‐construal, two previous experiments originally conducted in Japan were replicated in the United States. In Study 1, risk of marginalization was measured among 109 American undergraduates according to a previously developed measure. As expected, high‐risk American undergraduates were less independent. That is, they were less motivated by success than by failure compared to low‐risk American undergraduates. Similarly, in Study 2 with 144 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) Americans, high‐risk American MTurkers were, again, less independent. That is, they were less motivated to maintain the perception of self‐consistency in their behaviours compared to the low‐risk American MTurkers. Furthermore, American MTurkers who were classified as "high risk" were also living more precarious lives in the U.S. Across cultures, the patterns of results were reversed due to opposing cultural norms according to predominant self‐construal. Thus, the tendency to be marginalized in society seems to predict the tendency to have culturally deviant psychologies: this pattern seems to be generalizable across both an interdependent society like Japan and an independent society like the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fatigue is an important factor for the safety of ships. In order to alleviate fatigue of the seafarers, the STCW Convention (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) has made many regulations on the working time of seafarers. At present, if a crew member takes only one day off at home before returning to work on the ship, the working time on the ship must be re-calculated again. If the time spent at home is not sufficient to allow the crew to recover, the regulations of only stipulating the working time, not stipulating the home vacation time, cannot guarantee the crew's fatigue been well controlled. The aim of present study is to explore the relationship between vacation schedule and fatigue of the seafarers. Methods: In present study, a simplified stress scale developed by the Ministry of Labor of Japan has been used as a measurement tool. The method of stratified sampling was adopted. Data collection mainly came from domestic ocean-going seafarers (n = 165). Analysis was conducted using the Cross (chi-square) analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis methods. Results: We found that there was no difference between crew members of different positions in terms of average vacation time and on-board service time (p > 0.05). The length of last vacation time and this service time for seafarers of different positions showed obvious differences (p < 0.01). The rank has a significant effect on the length of the last vacation (χ2 = 101.560, p = 0.000 < 0.01) and the length of this service time (χ2 = 75.624, p = 0.000 < 0.01). Also, the results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between the duration of vacation and overall fatigue (t = –7.160, p = 0.000 < 0.01), while there was a significant positive correlation between the length of service time on board and overall fatigue (t = 3.474, p = 0.001 < 0.01). Conclusion: The results indicated that a reasonable vacation schedule was crucial for the relief of the seafarers' fatigue, and also played a positive role in the state of working on the ship again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]