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Social Psychology Lab
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A lab that empirically explores interpersonal communication among present-day Japanese people through comparisons between Japan and the U.S.
AboutAbout the lab
Decoding communication by comparing cultures
Professor Jir Takai's lab studies social psychology, cultural psychology, and intercultural and interpersonal communication.
The lab asks whether the image of the Japanese portrayed in traditional Nihonjinron (theories of Japanese identity) still holds true today, and uses empirical methods to clarify the characteristics of present-day Japanese people.
Its main theme is interpersonal communication competence, the ability to interact smoothly with others.
The lab conducts surveys comparing Japanese and American university students, and is developing VR training for students going to study abroad.
Key terms
- Nihonjinron
- Discourse that has discussed the characteristics of the Japanese. It has advanced images of the Japanese as, for example, reserved and favoring indirect expression
- Interpersonal communication competence
- The ability to carry out smooth interaction with others. Many studies are based on concepts that assume white American men
ResearchResearch themes
The lab investigates how interpersonal communication styles differ across cultures, by comparing Japan with the U.S. and other countries. Taking the relationship with the other person and the situation into account, it explores how people choose between direct and indirect ways of communicating.
Learning Intercultural Social Skills with VR
In collaboration with researchers inside and outside the university, the lab is developing VR-based intercultural social skills training for Japanese students going to study in the United States and American students coming to Japan. Preparatory surveys found that Japanese people clearly switch between direct and indirect ways of communicating depending on the other person and the situation, whereas Americans are less selective about the person or setting.
Direct and Indirect Communication in Japan and the U.S.
The lab conducted research comparing the communication styles of Japanese and Americans, taking into account the relationship with the other person and the situation (FY2018–2023). Through individual characteristics such as relational mobility and cultural self-construal, it explained how culture influences communication behavior.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorJir Takai
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