Search

The impressions of pictures and voices of the characters in “The Idolmaster” were investigated. In Experiment 1, pictures of 61 characters who appear in the mobile game, “The Idolmaster, Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage” were used as stimuli. Moreover, voice recordings of the title calls spoken by voice actress were used as stimuli in Experiment 1. The participants were requested to rate their impressions of the stimuli. The results of factor analysis showed that the impression space was constructed by three factors: “activity”, “coolness” and “evaluation”. In Experiment 2, the congruency between the pictures and the voices was investigated. The results showed that coincidence in both the activity and the coolness factors was important for the congruency between the pictures and voices.

Emotional features have been illustrated by a two-dimensional model, which was spanned by valence and arousal axes, in the simplest way. In the present study, the correlations between semantic congruency and the emotional coincidences on the valence and arousal factors between music and videos were clarified, in the context of game contents. Participants rated the degree of congruency between music and videos. The semantic congruency was very high when the emotions of the music and video were coincided in both factors. In the cases where emotional feature of a musical piece did not coincide with a video in the valence or arousal factor, the congruency significantly decreased. When the emotions coincided neither factor, the congruency showed the lowest values. The results implied that both the valence and arousal factors in the emotional features were equally important for the semantic congruency between musical pieces and videos.

Immersion is one of the most important sensations a player experiences when playing a game. Virtual Reality (VR) is one gaming design method used to increase this sensation. However, VR usually requires the use of special, but often cumbersome devices such as goggles which foists a cumbersome burden on players. Therefore, the authors propose a new method to increase Immersion. The method entails bringing the game character into the real world. The authors developed an air hockey game that has two modes: “Virtual Robot Mode” and “Real Robot Mode”. In “Real Robot Mode”, a robot acts as the opponent’s character in front of the display. In “Virtual Robot mode”, the opponent’s character shows on the display as in the past. The authors prepared a questionnaire and analyzed the responses using the Semantic Differential method. 39 subjects responded to the questionnaire after playing the game in respective modes. The authors analyzed the results using Factor Analysis and found that the factors of the “Real Robot Mode” are significantly higher than that of the “Virtual Robot Mode” (p

Recently reported research indicate that forest environments have physiological and psychological relaxing effects compared to urban environments. However, some researchers claim that the stress of the subjects from being watched by others during measurements can affect the measurement result in urban experiments conducted in the center of a street. The present study was conducted to determine whether forest environments have physiological and psychological relaxing effects, using comparison of viewing a forest area with viewing an urban area from the roof of an urban building without being watched by others. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurement was performed on subjects while they viewed scenery for 15 min at each experimental site (urban and forest areas). Subjective assessments were performed after the NIRS measurement was complete. Total hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin concentrations were significantly lower in the forest area than in the urban area. For semantic differential in subjective assessments, feelings of “comfortable”, “natural”, and “soothed” were significantly higher in the forest area than in the urban area, and for profile of mood states, negative emotions were significantly lower in the forest area than in the urban area. The results of physiological and psychological measurements show that viewing the forest enabled effective relaxation.

To investigate the best blue primary for color display from KANSEI-evaluation point of view, evaluation experiment using Semantic Differential method was carried out using four different blue primaries of 430nm, 450nm, 470nm, and 480nm at 60cd/m2. The same experiment was done for 450nm, 470nm, and 480nm at 170cd/m2. In the results of 4 primaries, 450nm and 470nm blue primaries show the best, 430nm is the next, and 480nm blue primary shows the worst performance. In the results of 3 primaries, 470nm shows the highest scores for bluish test images. Results are compared with color naming data in the entire chromaticity diagram.

PURPOSES : While driving, drivers are usually limited in communicating with others except for using the horn. Excessive use of the horn may cause noise pollution, quarrels between drivers and pedestrians, damage, etc. This study developed a methodology for environmental adaptation and improvements of vehicle horns. METHODS: In this study, we performed a literature review of previous studies and related technologies regarding the overuse and damage of the horn. The proposed methodology employed the paired comparison method, as well as the semantic differential method. These methods can consider various vehicle horns, such as the Sport Utility Vehicle(SUV) Horn, Van Horn, and Buzzer. In addition, we conducted a factor analysis in order to provide a direction for improvement of future horns. This research provides a means of complimenting existing intellectual property related to vehicle horns. RESULTS: As a result, the most preferred of the selected horns were the Buzzer at 86.7%. In addition, based on the factor analysis, the horns could be classified into pleasantness and comfort factors. The results indicate a positive reaction for various vehicle horns. The horn type and size of the process control have been properly developed considering the position of the vehicle and the surrounding noise measurements. CONCLUSIONS : Based on the proposed methodology, public and private sectors can use fundamental data for reasonable traffic-noise control policies.

The objective of this study was to examine the validity of the “twice-application method of treedrawing technique”, by using the impression evaluation of the subjects based on the S-D method. Thefindings from the impression evaluation and the tree drawing test performed on 84 subjects（ 37 menand 47 women） were as follows: the first drawings as compared to the second were more focused andconcise, drawn with greater control. The study also revealed that tree drawing technique indicesrelated to the“ energy factors” were: trunk width, crown spread and the differentiation of branches. Inaddition, the “control factors” were seemingly associated with the naked branches, distortion of thetrunk and the tilting of the tree.

This research photos of eight different categories of everyday products to examine the attractiveness of consumer products and product selection In study 1, participants were asked to rate their impression of 96 products using 14 adjective pairs on a semantic differential scale (Ν = 109). In Study 2, the three highest and three lowest-rated products from Study 1 were selected and presented in pairs, and participants were asked to choose which of the products they preferred (Ν = 30). Results indicated that products that left a better impression according to the semantic differential scale tended to be selected in a paired comparison. 本研究では、商品の印象評定と実際の選択行動について、8カテゴリーの商品写真を用いて検討した。研究１では、96商品に対して14形容詞対を用いたＳＤ法によって各商品の印象評価を求めた（Ｎ = 109）。研究２では、研究１の結果に基づいて、研究１とは異なる対象者に各商品カテゴリーの中から最も評価の高い商品と最も評価の低い３商品を取り上げて対呈示し、気に入った商品を一つ選ぶように求めた（Ｎ = 30）。全般的な傾向として、ＳＤ法による印象評定において好印象であった商品群は、一対比較においても選択されやすい傾向が認められた。

Personal mobility vehicles are proposed as a new category of transportation device that offers several potential benefits to solve the current problems, such as mobility issues of the elderly, downtown area revitalization, and development of low-carbon transport. This paper aims to explore basic attitude of the general public to understand how people think about three-wheeled personal mobility vehicles. Using the surveys data on i-REAL conducted in Toyota, a discussion is made by employing Quantification Theory and Semantic Differential Method. Moreover, textual data derived from the survey are classified by applying Text Mining. Furthermore, conclusions are drawn and suggestions for further work are made. As a conclusion from the comparative analysis between the unexperienced and experienced groups, the experience brings people to make different evaluations so that the test rides are very important to know the true answers. The analysis on the experienced people shows that the elderly highly evaluated the hobby factors, the male highly evaluated the practice factors and the weather condition seems being a key factor for the current model.

As a new estimate, we analyzed a mismatch between public evaluation and planning decisions. In this paper, we call this mismatch “the failure of spatial planning for sustainable development”. This paper will compare two adjoining municipalities (α town and β city) that employed different settlement relocation processes after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (March 11, 2011). α town selected seven new candidate relocation sites from non surplus land of pre-existing city plan by a citizen participation and holistic land selection process. On the other hand, β city selected unused city planning sites (pre-existing), which were already planned before the 2011 disaster. The reconstruction process of α town involved citizen and public co-determination, whereas β city only determined a quick-fix solution without renewed planning. Unfortunately, most disaster reconstruction efforts in Tohoku appear similar to β city. With a field survey on 16 relocation sites in 2012, we asked 80 university students to evaluate the environments of the two municipalities' relocation sites by Semantic Differential Method. As a result, α town’s relocation sites, which are determined with citizen and public codetermination, are higher valued that of β city. Then, by overlay, analyzing the accessibility of the relocation sites with a new transportation network, we found that the accessibility of relocation sites in α town is better. Our result suggests that planning processes with low administrative agency and public participation, tend to be more successful in producing an attractive redevelopment plan.

We investigated the influence of forest management on landscape appreciation and psychological restoration in on-site settings by exposing respondents to an unmanaged, dense coniferous (crowding) forest and a managed (thinned) coniferous forest; we set the two experimental settings in the forests of the Fuji Iyashinomoroi Woodland Study Center. The respondents were individually exposed to both settings while sitting for 15 min and were required to answer three questionnaires to analyze the psychological restorative effects before and after the experiment (feeling (the Profile of Mood States), affect (the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and subjective restorativeness (the Restorative Outcome Scale). To compare landscape appreciation, they were required to answer another two questionnaires only after the experiment, for scene appreciation (the semantic differential scale) and for the restorative properties of each environment (the Perceived Restorativeness Scale). Finally, we obtained these findings: (1) the respondents evaluated each forest environment highly differently and evaluated the thinned forest setting more positively; (2) the respondents’ impressions of the two physical environments did not appear to be accurately reflected in their evaluations; (3) forest environments have potential restorative effects whether or not they are managed, but these effects can be partially enhanced by managing the forests.

The comfortable universal design is scarce about the objectivity because the comfortable universal design undergoes the psychological and physiological influence. In this experiment, evaluates objectively about the wall colors which composes the pleasant interior for the elderly. Methods of experiment are psychological evaluation and physiological measurement. We use the medical care room of a nursing home for the elderly as laboratory. We use Semantic Differential method for psychological evaluation, and get two factors. Factor one is to be comfort etc., factor two is to be bright etc. We measure a heartrate and analyze heartrate change, and also measure a secretion quantity of salivary amylase for physiological measurement. Result of heartrate measurement, degree of relaxation of Japanese traditional colors are higher than another colors. Result of salivary amylase measurement, we find three colors which contain a lot of factor-score of factor- one. In this experiment there are no intentional relations among degree of relaxation which are measured by SD method and physiological measurement.

Imagination plays a key role in various domains in helping to create innovative ideas, drawings, poems, movies, products, etc. In product design domain, the personal characteristics of imagination are crucial abilities for conceiving novel ideas during design processes. This study focuses on personal characteristic differences and similarities between expert and novice designers for triggering imagination during four design stages. Using the semantic differential method, this study conducted a questionnaire with ten-paired personal characteristics, and analyzed several identical and different characteristics of expert and novice designers in the process of product design. In sum, the similarities and differentials of personal characteristics between expert and novice designers within four product design stages will be concluded at the end of this paper.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Natural scenes like forests and flowers evoke neurophysiological responses that can suppress anxiety and relieve stress. We examined whether images of natural objects can elicit neural responses similar to those evoked by real objects by comparing the activation of the prefrontal cortex during presentation of real foliage plants with a projected image of the same foliage plants. METHODS Oxy-hemoglobin concentrations in the prefrontal cortex were measured using time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy while the subjects viewed the real plants or a projected image of the same plants. RESULTS Compared with a projected image of foliage plants, viewing the actual foliage plants significantly increased oxy-hemoglobin concentrations in the prefrontal cortex. However, using the modified semantic differential method, subjective emotional response ratings (“comfortable vs. uncomfortable” and “relaxed vs. awakening”) were similar for both stimuli. CONCLUSIONS The frontal cortex responded differently to presentation of actual plants compared with images of these plants even when the subjective emotional response was similar. These results may help explain the physical and mental health benefits of urban, domestic, and workplace foliage.

[EN] Acoustic perception in concert halls has been a topic of research of great interest over the last century. It has been studied through physical and subjective parameters. Nevertheless, a concert in an auditorium is a multi-sensorial experience; so that the acoustic perception may be influenced by other non-acoustical attributes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze whether architectural variables (visual component) affect acoustic perception in concert halls and quantify this influence. This analysis was carried out implementing the Semantic Differential method and differentiating among experts and non-experts users. A total of 310 subjects assessed in situ 17 concert halls. Results showed that acoustic perception was influenced by the visual component, and acoustic parameters had an influence on architecture as well. However, when separating both groups, it was found that experts were able to isolate acoustic variables from architecture when evaluating the sound quality of a venue. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, This research was supported by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Spain (project TIN2013-45736-R).

The article reflects the results of one of the stages of the study, which is connected with determining the characteristics of the influence of various factors on the effective test scores. In particular, the connection between the respondents' emotionally-estimated attitude to various forms of responses to test tasks and the results of their implementation is examined. The proposed study was conducted with using of the authors' tests in the field of Ukrainian language. To determine the generalized students' assessment of the forms of answers, proposed in these tests, we used questionnaire, developed according to the method of semantic differential, which allowed to build a profile of the characteristics of the test in accordance with the semantic cognitive space of the sample. The results of respondents' assessment of response forms are generally correlated with test results and can be an additional explanatory element of their analysis and a prognostic element in the process of further designing and applying the tests. The use of factor analysis of the research results allowed: 1) to draw conclusions about the influence of the response forms offered in the test on the respondents' general perception of test tasks regardless of its content; 2) to justify the assumption that the form of test tasks and answers, as an externally organized test constructs, are a sensory afferent stimulus of the operational imagination of the activity, which, in particular, is expressed in the formation of interest and motivation to doing an assignment. An analysis of the respondents' generalized perception of the separate forms of answers showed the need for combining various forms of test tasks and the forms of answers they defined, both for the formation of positive attitudes and the motivational optimum in the process of their implementation, and for verification and refinement the test results.

The benefits of various nature-derived stimuli that can be used for stress relief and relaxation has recently gained immense attention, however, there are very few studies about their influence on elderly patients. The present study aims to present the effects of viewing bonsai on autonomic nervous activity, prefrontal cortex activity, and subjective assessment findings of psychological relaxation in elderly patients undergoing rehabilitation. Fourteen participants aged 64&ndash, 91 years (mean age &plusmn, standard deviation, 78.6 &plusmn, 9.6 years) participated in this study. Miniature potted 10-year-old Japanese cypress bonsai trees were used as visual stimuli. Participants viewed the bonsai for 1 min, and the control comprised of no experimental stimulus. Physiological effects on autonomic nervous activity were assessed by measuring the heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse rate. The effects on prefrontal cortex activity were determined using near-infrared spectroscopy, which involved assessment of oxyhemoglobin concentrations in the left and right prefrontal cortices. Subjective evaluations were achieved by the modified semantic differential method. Viewing bonsai resulted in a significant increase in parasympathetic nervous activity, a significant decrease in sympathetic nervous activity, and a significant increase in the perceptions of feeling &ldquo, comfortable&rdquo, and &ldquo, relaxed.&rdquo, In conclusion, our findings indicated that viewing bonsai induces physiological and psychological relaxation.

This paper illustrates the design methods of machine tools based on the theory of Kansei Engineering. General attitudes towards the machine tools are measured by the Semantic Differential Method, the mapping between the design elements and the cognitive image is established through the Orthogonal Experiments, and the specific element style that significantly results in a certain image as well as the order of contribution degree from design elements towards images are obtained. Finally, the effectiveness of this method is verified by designing practice of a pipe processing machine.

This study examined consumers tactile images of foam sofa cushions. Firstly, the authors sought to understand the manufacturing process for sofa cushions by interviewing some sofa manufacturers and five popular types of foam sofa cushions were produced. The hardness, density and elasticity of the samples were then assessed by analyzing their physical properties. Thirdly, consumers tactile images were analyzed using a Semantic Differential Method and the results for physical properties and psychological experience were compared using Statistical Methods in order to assess consumers tactile images. The results were as follows:The tactile images of different layers of foam structures were identified as stable for Single-Layered Foam, comfortable and stable for Double-Layered Foam, and comfortable, flexible and stable for Multi-Layered Foam.Experiments to determine tactile images demonstrated that foam sofa cushions that had a smaller mean hardness, density, and elasticity seemed more comfortable and flexible and vice versa.Consumers might sit on a sofa when choosing foam sofa cushions in order to assess their actual properties and stability. More flexible foam cushions provided less support and resulted in consumers feeling uncomfortable and tired.

Why are the product design of the Apple Inc. are so successful in the dog-eat-dog market? One of the most important reasons is that the mental imageries of product user experience design of Apple Inc. are close to the user's expectant material mental imageries.In this study, we want to gain the main mental imageries of information product materials user experience design of the target users (18-28 years old university students or the recent graduates in the east of China) in the near future of the next 1-2 years. We used Culture Scan, Contextual Inquiry, Semantic Differential Method, and the Coordinate of Mental Imagery to study. We discovered that the main mental imageries of information product materials user experience design of the target users in the near future of the next 1-2 years are high-technological and fashionable. We built a bridge from the the material mental imagery of the user to the material mental imagery of the designer. The actual demand of the consumers could be more easily understood by the company.

The purpose of the study is to find out the relations between the respondents’ personal characteristics and their reading preferences in poetry. The methods of semantic differential and q-methodology were used for the research. Semantic differential method was modified to meet the purpose of measuring the reception of poetry and three factors were monitored in the students’ responses to the poems: the factors of comprehensibility, evaluation and impressiveness. The students used this method to assess selected poems. Q-methodology was used to monitor the students’ attitudes towards life values, their personal states, personality characteristics and their opinions of literature (especially poetry) teaching methods. The respondents rank-ordered the Q-sample statements related to the area of the research. We bring the essential survey of the changes in Q-rank-ordering in various age groups (12–18 years old).

In the present study, the impressions of 94 figures of heroines appeared in “Pretty Cure” metaseries were investigated using semantic differential method. The set of 94 figures contained three different types of models. The results showed that the impression space was spanned by three factors, stylishness, activity and cuteness. The stylishness was deeply affected by the proportion ratio of head to body size, and the activity was deeply affected by the figure size, itself. Other than the figure size, it was suggested that colors cover the figures also affect the activity. The cuteness or degree of “Kawaii” did not depend on only one factor. It was suggested that the complex interaction of many factors determine the degree of cuteness.

This study focused on the impressions of robot design in the Japanese robot anime series, “Mobile Suit Gundam”. In Experiment 1, the impressions of robot design were measured using semantic differential method. Results of the factor analysis showed that the impressions of the robot design were illustrated by a three dimensional space, which was spanned by “Massiveness”, “Coolness” and “Roundness”. “Moe” is one of the most important keywords in robot design. The results of a multiple-regression analysis showed that Moe was felt deeply for a massive, cool and box-shaped robot. In Experiment 2, the differences between robots of scale models and super-deformed models were investigated. The results showed that the scale models were designed to be cool and the super-deformed models were designed to be cute.

In the present study, a perceptual experiment was conducted using synthesized faces as stimuli. The results showed that the impression space of the faces were spanned by “childishness”, “potency” and “potency”, and the multiple-regression analyses showed that a cute and childish character evokes Moe emotion, but a cute and mature character does not. On the other hand, “potency” does not affect Moe, beauty and preference. In the next step, the length and width of the faces, the width between both cheeks, and the vertical and horizontal length of eyes were measured. Then, regression analyses with the second order curves were performed, using the ratios of the parameters as independent variables and the degree of Moe and beauty as criterion variables. The results showed quantitatively that a Moe character has a rounder face and widely opened eyes than a beautiful character.

In the present study, impressions of monster design in the series of Pokemon games were investigated with semantic differential method. In the Pokemon games, a player selects a buddy monster out of three monsters. In the experiment, the buddy monsters and the other monsters in five different versions were used as stimuli. Most of the monsters in first phase monsters in Pokemon metamorphose into second and last phases. The results showed that the monsters in the first phase were cute but powerless and not sharp. Proceeding to the latter phases, the monsters metamorphose into more powerful and sharper but less cute. The results also showed that the buddy monsters were designed as cuter than the other monsters. Moreover, the relationship between colors and impressions of Pokemon were investigated in the present study. The results showed the colors of Pokemon partly correlated to the impressions of potency and cuteness.

This paper reports participants’ perceptions of gaming simulations (g/s) before and after a 15-week course, using a semantic differential method to analyze two groups of students. From 2011 to 2013, approximately 600 students were asked to rate their perception of g/s on a five-point scale. While the two groups showed similar tendencies, one group showed a clearer attitude than the other. A noteworthy result was the groups’ changed perception of g/s from simple to complex after the course. The results of factor analyses showed two possibilities: the “complexity” factor changed from negative to positive while the “challenge” factor needed to be obtained. Differences in students’ readiness for g/s were discussed.

The teachers’ self-efficacy (TS) is one of the important determinants, which affects teachers’ behavior and also affects the effectivity of educational process. The presented study is based on the concept of Gibson and Dembi, who characterized the teachers’ self-efficacy by two dimensions – Personal Teaching Efficacy (PTE) and General Teaching Efficacy (GTE). Our goal is to present results of the research which was focused on determination of the relation between teachers’ self-efficacy and the factors related with the education of socially disadvantaged pupils. Among the mentioned research tool it was used the semantic differential method. We found out that the teachers from the chosen primary schools are more convinced about their abilities to influence pupils’ learning and behavior (PTE) and less convinced about the overcoming unfavorable effects of environment through the education (GTE). We also discovered that the teachers’ self-efficacy rate from chosen primary schools is not correlated with their experience (with the education of socially disadvantaged pupils) and there is no significant difference between TS and the territory of teachers’ work. The self-efficacy rate is strongly correlated with the evaluation of the concepts related with the education of socially disadvantaged pupils.

We examined how the size of binocular disparity, which determines the apparent depth magnitude, affects the impressions in different dimensions in viewing nonrepresentational stereograms and representational stereoscopic pictures by the use of semantic differential method with the scales that are related to the basic dimensions of impression: evaluation, activity, potency, and reality. In viewing non- representational stereograms, which presented a binocular disparity ranging from 0 to approximately 70 min of arc between the central line, or a rectangle with a peripheral frame, the ratings for the scales for the evaluation impression were the highest at approximately 10-20 arc min of disparity, while the ratings for the activity impression increased with the size of the disparity. In viewing the representational and nonrep- resentational stereograms, the ratings for the scales, which are related to the evalu- ation, activity, and reality factors, increased with the size of the disparity if the disparity specified multiple depth layers. These results indicate that the effects of binocular disparity in viewing a stereoscopic picture depend on the disparity distribution and disparity size rather than the representationality of the stereogram.

This study was conducted by subjective and objective measurement, to clarify the complex relationships among human visual preference and fatigue of major Flat Panel Display TVs with related physical and physiological factors. In the subjective measurement, comparison tests with 24 subjects were conducted and the semantic differential method with factor analysis was carried out for six TVs with different room luminance and length of watching time. The comparison test yielded identification of the most preferable display, which showed little connection with the TV luminance for any length of watching time and room luminance. From the statistical factor analysis of semantic differential method, significant factors were extracted for describing human visual preference. In the objective measurement, the eye motion tracking camera was used to detect the eye response and thus generated physiological data corroborated the significant factors extracted from the subjective measurement. This study allows the human perceptual preference and fatigue of electronic displays to be quantitatively measured with psychological and physiological factors and will tell which parameters are significant and guide the manufacturer in making the optimum TVs.

This study investigated the relationship between a subject’s evaluation of injection molding machines (IMMs) and formal design features using Kansei engineering. This investigation used 12 word pairs to evaluate the IMM configurations and employed the semantic differential method to explore the perception of 60 interviewees of 12 examples. The relationship between product feature design and corresponding words was derived by multiple regression analysis. Factor analysis reveals that the 12 examples can be categorized as two styles—advanced style and succinct style. For the advanced style, an IMM should use a rectangular form for the clamping-unit cover and a full-cover for the injection-unit. For the succinct style, the IMM configuration should use a beveled form for the safety cover and a vertical rectangular form for the clamping-unit cover. Quantitative data and suggested guidelines for the relationship between design features and interviewee evaluations are useful to product designers when formulating design strategies.

Background In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the physiological effects of nature-derived stimulation. The physiological relaxation effects caused by forest-derived olfactory stimuli have been demonstrated. However, there are no studies on the physiological effects of olfactory stimuli by Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) leaves. We investigated the effects of olfactory stimulation by Hinoki cypress leaf oil on the left/right prefrontal cortex activity, assessed using near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS), and on the autonomic nervous activity, assessed by measuring heart rate variability (HRV). Method Thirteen female university students (mean age, 21.5 ± 1.0 years) participated in the study. Physiological measurements were performed in an artificial climate maintained at 25 °C, 50 % relative humidity, and 230-lx illumination. Hinoki cypress leaf oil was used as an olfactory stimulation with air as the control. The odor was administered for 90 s, while the subjects sat with their eyes closed. Oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentrations were measured in the prefrontal cortex using TRS. The high-frequency (HF) component of HRV, which is an estimate of parasympathetic nervous activity, and the low-frequency (LF)/(LF + HF) ratio, which is an estimate of sympathetic nervous activity, were measured by electrocardiography. A modified semantic differential method was used to perform subjective evaluations. Results Olfactory stimulation by Hinoki cypress leaf oil induced a significant reduction in oxy-Hb concentration in the right prefrontal cortex and increased parasympathetic nervous activity. The subjects reported feeling more comfortable. Conclusion These findings indicate that olfactory stimulation by Hinoki cypress leaf oil induces physiological relaxation.

補聴器適合検査における環境騒音の音源選定のために, 等価騒音レベル55dB, 65dB, 75dBの強さのレベルをもつ38種類の雑音と環境騒音をSD法 (Semantic Differential Method) による聴覚印象によって分類した。健聴者12名に対する音源の聴覚印象を因子分析した結果, 「迫力因子」, 「美的因子」, 「金属性因子」の音色の3因子が抽出された。ほぼ全ての音源に対して強さのレベルが増加するにつれて, 迫力因子のスコアは増加した。美的因子, 金属性因子のスコアは強さのレベルによって変化しなかった。さらに65dBの強さにおける雑音と環境音のクラスター分析を音源の因子スコアから行った結果, 補聴器フィッティングで一般的に用いられる雑音と環境音を聴覚印象によって分類できた。この分類は, 聴覚障害者が訴える環境音をすべて用いなくても, 同じクラスターのグループにある別の環境音を代用することができるため, 補聴器フィッティングに有用であると考えられる。

This paper relates audio features based on fluctuation of music with sensibility evaluation about music as a component technology for an automatic song select system demanded on human sensibility evaluation. When people listen to music, they select a song considering both their own feelings at the time and sensibility evaluation about the song. We consider that sensibility evaluations of songs are influenced by the features based on fluctuation about both volume and pitch of the songs. Thus, we focus on features of fluctuation that contain a dynamic idea on music, and extract thirty six features of fluctuation about both volume and pitch from each songs using Fast Fourier Transform. On the other, we prepare a subjective experiment for plural songs using Semantic Differential method, and obtain the sensibility evaluation about each song. Then, we study the relationships between extracted features and sensibility evaluation about the songs with multiple discriminant analysis. As a result, high accurate discriminant hit-rates and low discriminant error are shown, therefore we suggest that audio features based on fluctuation of songs influence sensibility evaluation about the songs. Furthermore, we confirm the especial parameters related with sensibility evaluation about music while considering canonical variates which construct discriminant spaces.