It is plausible that allocator usually motivates to allocate rewards fairly. The purpose of this study was to examine the prediction that allocator would more give recipients the verbal messages as psychological reward at monetary reward allocation when the perceived fairness of the reward allocation by allocator was low than it was high. In this study, fairness was manipulated by changing of the recipients' performances, abilities, and efforts and the allocators' expectation of maintaining the allocator-recipients relationship. Subjects (N=122) were under graduate students. The results partly supported the hypothesis. The fairness was lower in the unequal ability condition than in the equal ability condition. There was no difference between these conditions in the total messages, while the messages implying psychological reward were given more in the low fairness condition than in the high fairness condition. And, these messages were influenced by the perceived fairness. However, the effect of these messages on the improvement of fairness was marginally significant.

View full abstract

Most theoretical models on social cognition argue the cognitive processes in terms of the nature of the social objects being processed. However, it has been found that the estimate using an objective numerical index (objective estimate) differs from that using a subjective impression (subjective estimate). Existing models on social cognition cannot explain this difference. Based on Windschitl & Wells' (1998) study on alternative-outcome effect, we interpreted that the difference is due to the comparative processes. And, we conducted two experiments to test the validity of the interpretation. In both experiments, participants were required to evaluate the effects of countermeasure against the plague. The results were consistent with our interpretation. We discussed the suggestions for social cognition research.

View full abstract

Intensive fieldwork was carried out in two residential nurseries, where infants under 2 years old who cannot be cared by their parents by some reason are nurtured on 24-hour basis. The two nurseries, nursery A and B, are in good contrast, namely, nursery A is large enough to have 80 infants, is located on the second floor of a tall building, and has strong medical facilities and specialists while nursery B is much smaller but maintains more natural environment and informal human relations although it is less equipped with medical services. Differences between the two residential nurseries were investigated from two perspectives, i. e., (1) observable organizational or group behavior shown by a group consisted of nurses and infants and an organization consisted of nurses and their supervisors and (2) communication processes in which meaningful distinction is developed. As a result, distinction between efficiency-inefficiency was dominant in nursery A and distinction between privatization and non-privatization of infant by a nurse was dominant in nursery B. At the same time, it was suggested that meaning world in nursery A (or B) was sometimes given turbulence by the distinct like the one dominant in nursery B (or A).

View full abstract

This study examined how leadership by multiple leaders influences a group by using a simulated international society game of an intergroup conflict and cooperation context. The formal leader was a player with the formal leader's role. The informal leader was one member evaluated from 1/3 or more of theingroup members. We classified groups based on the demonstration of both leaders under the following two conditions. The conditions were (a) whether informal leaders exist or not, and (b) leadership types. By using these categories, we examined the effects of multiple leaders on the group identity, and individual property. In addition, eexamined evaluations from other groups, and the perception of the relationship between their group and other groups, because we examined intergroup context. The results showed that the demonstration of all leaderships, which were both intragroup and intergroup leadership, by multiple leaders affected the group's most preferable effects. Thus, results suggested that the demonstration of leadership by multiple leaders who were not formal leaders had positive influences under an intergroup context. Key Words: intragroup and intergroup leadership, simulated international society game, multiple leaders, intergroup context

View full abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the influences of smiling behavior, eye contact, and personality on evaluations of self-promotion tactics. Subjects were female undergraduates (N=24). In study 1, subjects were asked to play a self-promotive role in a job interview situation, and then to complete the Revised Self-Monitoring and the Self-Consciousness scales. The role-playings were videotaped and the subjects were rated by judges for smiling behavior, eye contact, and aptitude for the service industry. In study 2, the relationships between these rating scores and the results of the subjects'job interview in real life were examined. Path analysis revealed that the ability to modify self-presentation of self-monitoring was related to the rating for the appropriateness of smiling, and the self-consciousness was related to the personnel-evaluation. Smiling behavior was also related to the rating for the appropriateness of smiling and personnel-evaluation. The ability to modify self-presentation of self-monitoring, self-consciousness, the rating for the appropriateness of smiling and the personnel-evaluation were related to the rate of subjects' employment in real life.

View full abstract

The present study examined through a quantitative analysis of newspapers how fast people forget natural disasters and accidents which caused considerable damage. We reviewed several empirical studies, finding out a longterm trend, which approximated to a form of an exponential curve, describing how people lose their concern in the events. However, the reanalysis of these data revealed two major factors which affect this fading out process. Firstly, a series of events interfere with each other so that the following event may lead people to forget the preceding one. Secondly, the wearing out processes slow down every time the monthly or annual anniversary of the event comes. Furthermore, we demonstrated how, besides media coverage analyses, some collective behavior variables, such as passenger decrease after major airplane accidents, may be helpful in measuring collective forgetting.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the persuasive effects of the threat appeals that aimed at the receiver him/herself or at the significant others (e. g., his/her family) as the threat-target. We used three independent variables: (1) threat-target (self or family), (2) threat (high or low), and (3) response-efficiency (high or low). Two hundred and forty nine female college students were randomly assigned to one of 8 experimental groups. After experimental groups received persuasive messages, all subjects completed the postexperiment questionnaire for measuring behavioral intentions and affirmative attitudes for recommended coping behaviors. Following results were obtained. Behavioral intention and affirmative attitude were promoted by increments of threat and responseefficiency. And it also showed that behavioral intention in the family condition was higher than in the self condition. The findings of this research indicated that the persuasive technique aiming at significant others as threat-target is useful to increase the persuasive effect.

View full abstract