Japanese manufacturing techniques

Abstract

Japanese human resource management, particularly as manifested in Japanese manufacturing companies, has undoubtedly been seen as highly successful. This paper analyses how and why it has developed into such a commanding position. It looks at the cultural contexts of new means of production and analyses factors contributing to its success using examples and case studies drawn particularly from Japanese motor manufacturing. Japanese human resource management policies and techniques as well as production techniques have been emulated by many non-Japanese manufacturers, although there is great selectivity in the adaptation of techniques. It is also difficult for researchers to attribute direct causal influence.

Nevertheless, the influence continues and this paper goes on to examine the impact upon workers and the design of work these techniques are having. Empirical evidence is examined.

The paper ends with a plea for work and organizational psychology to complement its traditional natural science paradigm and neo-positivist approach with a multiperspective, ethnographic, and qualitative methodology.     

Comparison of social anxiety between Japanese adults who stutter and non-stuttering controls

PurposeAdults who stutter (AWS) often develop social anxiety disorder. This study was to provide comparative data on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale-Japanese version (LSAS-J) from AWS and non-stuttering adult controls.MethodsLSAS-J, a 24-item self-reported survey of social phobia and avoidance across various daily situations, was administered to 130 AWS (Mean Age = 41.5 years, SD = 15.8, 111 males) and 114 non-stuttering adults (Mean Age = 39.5, SD = 14.9, 53 males). The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the LSAS-J were assessed. A between-subject multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was also conducted to determine whether attitude toward social anxiety differed between AWS and AWNS, or by age (<40 and ≥ 40 years old), or sex (female and male).ResultsAWS reported higher scores on both fear subscales of the LSAS-J. Age had no significant influence on the social anxiety levels reported by either participant group. Sex differences were found in the fear subscales, with females scoring higher on both fear subscales, although these were only marginally significant (p = .06). LSAS-J showed good test-retest reliability and high Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, indicating that it is an internally consistent measure of attitudes about social anxiety.ConclusionGiven the similarly high incidence of social anxiety in adults in Japan who stutter compared with those in other countries, social anxiety should be identified and assessed during clinical decision making and before decisions are made about stuttering treatment. LSAS-J is an easy tool to administer, and showed reliable results of social phobia and avoidance for AWS.     

What if Wittgenstein could speak Japanese?

ABSTRACT

Wittgenstein’s criticism of the notion of ‘private language’ is related to the putative centrality of “being“ and the ‘subject-predicate’ distinction . However, his efforts would prove to be more fruitful if he could use data from Japanese language. There is a list of Japanese terms to translate ‘being’: sonzai, de-aru, ga-aru, and iru. Among all of their variants, the only subject-predicate-form-related expression is the combination of the ‘Y ga Z aru’-part of ‘X wa Y ga Z aru.’ Hence, Japanese subject-predicate-form-related expressions are not as fundamental as their western counterparts. Insofar as ‘pain’ is concerned, in Japanese, there are two series of expressions on pain: in the first one, the notion of pain is deobjectied and hence immune to subject-predicate logic, while in the second one, it is barely objectified in a limited sense. Hence, a Japanese speaker could avoid the fallacy of attributing subjective sensations to a particular person.     

Japanese normative data for the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs about Stuttering (UTBAS) Scales for adults who stutter

PurposeThis study reports Japanese normative data for the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs about Stuttering (UTBAS) scales. We outline the translation process, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the UTBAS scales.MethodsThe translation of the UTBAS scales into Japanese (UTBAS-J) was completed using the standard forward-backward translation process, and was administered to 130 Japanese adults who stutter. To validate the UTBAS-J scales, scores for the Japanese and Australian cohorts were compared. Spearman correlations were conducted between the UTBAS-J and the Modified Erickson Communication Attitude scale (S-24), the self-assessment scale of speech (SA scale), and age. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the UTBAS-J were assessed. Independent t-tests were conducted to evaluate the differences in the UTBAS-J scales according to gender, speech treatment experience, and stuttering self-help group participation experience.ResultsThe UTBAS-J showed good test-retest reliability, high internal consistency, and moderate to high significant correlations with S-24 and SA scale. A weak correlation was found between the UTBAS-J scales with age. No significant relationships were found between UTBAS-J scores, gender and speech treatment experience. However, those who participated in the stuttering self-help group demonstrated lower UTBAS-J scores than those who did not.ConclusionGiven the current scarcity of clinical assessment tools for adults who stutter in Japan, the UTBAS-J holds promise as an assessment tool and outcome measure for use in clinical and research environments.     

Examining posttraumatic growth among Japanese university students

Abstract

To determine the underlying factor structure of the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-J), a principal components analysis was performed on data from 312 Japanese undergraduate students who reported growth due to their most traumatic event within the last 5 years. Results showed the PTGI-J has high internal consistency and, of the original five factors reported by Tedeschi and Calhoun (1996), three were replicated: Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and a fourth factor integrating Spiritual Change and Appreciation of Life emerged. There were neither gender differences nor relationships with time since trauma. PTGI-J scores were positively associated with posttraumatic symptoms and correlated with type of traumatic event experienced. These results and future directions are discussed from a cross-cultural viewpoint.     

Stress and coping in Japanese children and adolescents

Abstract

Japanese children and adolescents (n=580) provided self-reports of stressor intensity, coping efforts, and adjustment. A new measure of Japanese adolescent coping was created, and psychometric analyses confirmed a reliable four-factor structure. Mean group difference analyses showed that girls reported higher levels of self-image and peer relations stress, and reported using isolation and problem-solving coping more and externalising coping less than males. Younger adolescents (5th/8th grades) reported higher stress in the domains of school, peer relations, and family relations, whereas older adolescents (10th grade) reported higher self-image problems. Statistical moderation was used to examine how youth negotiated the stress process. Females were found to be more responsive to appearance, family, and peer difficulties. Affiliation coping by females operated as a buffer between appearance anxiety and dissatisfaction with appearance. Externalizing coping was not associated with peer relations satisfaction for males, but it was negatively associated for females.     

The Flow State Scale-2 and Dispositional Flow Scale-2: Examination of factorial validity and reliability for Japanese adults

ObjectiveThe primary purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity and reliability of the Japanese versions of the Flow State Scale-2 and Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (JFSS-2 and JDFS-2) for use with Japanese adults.MethodTo accomplish the aim, a multi-staged approach was employed. Following the guidelines for test adaptation [Tanzer, N. K., & Sim, C. Q. E. (1999). Adapting instruments for use in multiple languages and cultures: A review of the ITC guidelines for test adaptations. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 15, 258–269], the two flow scales were translated from English to Japanese and the best 36 items for each instrument was identified through two pilot studies. Employing a 9-factor 1st-order hypothesized model, the factorial validity of the JFSS-2 and JDFS-2 was tested and cross-validated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In addition to internal consistency reliability for the both scales, stability was assessed over a 4-week time period for the JDFS-2. Furthermore, measurement equivalence was examined across Japanese independent samples as well as two cultural samples.ResultsThe results of a series of CFAs revealed that the data for the JFSS-2 and JDFS-2 were represented appropriately by the hypothesized 1st-order model. For the both scales, internal consistency estimates for all factors were satisfactory, whereas the stability of single factors over time were medium to high. Measurement invariance was established across the Japanese samples as well as the cultural samples.ConclusionsThe findings from this study provided strong support for the validity and reliability of the JFSS-2 and JDFS-2 in assessing flow experiences in physical activity for Japanese adults. In addition, this study indicated that the Japanese versions of the flow scales are useful instruments for cross-cultural research.     

Beliefs About Overcoming Psychological Problems Among British and Japanese Students

Abstract

This study was part of a series investigating lay attributions for the cure of psychological problems. Three groups of students–Japanese students in Japan, Japanese students studying in England, and British students–completed a questionnaire and rated the perceived efficacy of 24 different strategies for overcoming each of 5 psychological problems: agoraphobia, depression, smoking cessation, lack of confidence, and obesity. Factor analysis of the curative strategies revealed 5 interpretable factors, the first 3 of which were Professional Help, Inner Control, and Understanding. There were numerous cultural differences between the British group and both Japanese groups in their written ratings of strategies, particularly professional help, for each psychological problem.     

Symptoms of Depression and Psychological Distress in United States and Japanese College Students

Abstract

We compared United States and Japanese university students on self-report measures of depression (Beck Depression Inventory; BDI) and psychological distress (General Weil-Being Scale; GWB). In addition, we reassessed sex differences on these measures for students in the United States and examined sex differences for Japanese students. We found that (a) Japanese students had significantly higher scores than their U.S. counterparts on the BDI but not on the GWB scale and that (b) male and female college students in the U.S. and Japan did not differ in scores on the BDI or the GWB scale.     

The Relationships Between Japanese Interpersonal Conflict Styles and Their Language Expressions

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated the influence of interpersonal conflict management styles on language expressions and the differences in expressions in same-sex relational categories based on specific in-group-out-group classifications. Questionnaires were administered to 367 university students in Japan. After reading a scenario, participants reported on actual language use and gave ratings on an interpersonal conflict management scale. The results revealed that Japanese change their expressions, along with psychological styles, depending on the relational target. They also indicated psychological constructs were related to their equivalent expressions. The results suggested that future research should take into consideration the potential differences in behavior and interaction posture inherent in various relational and situational categories.     

Effectiveness of Child-Directed Interaction Training for Young Japanese Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

This study examined the efficacy of Child-Directed Interaction Training (CDIT), the first phase of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), for Japanese children with autism spectrum disorders. The participants were 21 mother-child dyads with children aged 4–7 years; participants were assigned to an Immediate Treatment (IT) group or to a Waitlist (WL) control group. Across eight training sessions, mothers learned positive attention skills that were adapted from traditional PCIT training. Results showed CDIT not only improved social cognition skills and decreased disruptive behavior in Japanese children, but also reduced stress/distress among their mothers, particularly in relation to their own parenting skills and their child’s problem behaviors.     

Patterns of use,knowledge, and perceived effects of sedating medication on driving: A questionnaire survey of Japanese drivers who use sedating medication

ObjectiveThis study was designed to investigate patterns of medication use among drivers using pharmaceutical drugs, the subjective impact of medication use on driving, and knowledge about the effects of medication use on driving.MethodsAn online survey was administered to a sample of Japanese drivers (n = 1424, age range 21–79 years) to investigate the use pattern of major sedating medications such as cold/sinus drugs, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antidepressants. The strength of association between variables pertaining to the use of sedating medications and self-reported at-fault crash involvement was explored using a series of multivariate logistic regression models.ResultsOn average, respondents reported using 2.7 sedating medications over the past two years (standard deviation = 1.8; range = 0–11). The pattern of psychotropic medication use was diverse, and the use of multiple psychotropic medications was common. Respondents could be grouped into four subgroups in terms of multiple medication use. Irrespective of the type of medication taken, respondents noticed few adverse side effects of medication on driving and generally did not adhere to driving-related product warnings; some respondents were unaware of important facts such as the exacerbation of the effects of medication effects when combining medications. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the presence of a higher number of sedating agents in the medication taken was positively associated with reporting an at-fault crash in the last two years, having longer driving distance, being a commercial driver, receiving more traffic tickets, and having a higher tendency for rules violations.ConclusionsThe present study showed that medication use by drivers is diverse and complex, that most drivers are not sufficiently informed of the potentially impairing effects of medication, and that poly-medication use appeared prevalent among those who use psychotropic medications. In line with previous studies, the current study reveals a need for better communication between health experts and patients and for education of all stakeholders. The results also highlighted the need for systematic investigation into cause of crash in light of potential contribution of sedating medication used by the driver, given the low autopsy rate for fatally injured drivers in Japan.     

Activities of the member societies

Abstract

The impact and legacy of Karen Horney 1885-1952

The William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis and Psychology White Institute Elects New Editor

News from the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, New York, USA

News from Brazil:

Conferences

The Karen Horney Psychoanalytic Institute and Center

The William Alanson White Institute

The VII Scientific Conference of IFPS was held in Munich, August 26-29th 1992. Theme: Psychoanalysis between conformity and opposition.

The V Nordic Conference for members from IFPS Societies in Finland, Norway and Sweden will be held near Stockholm, January 23-24, 1993.     

Attributions of Deviance to Self and Peers by Japanese and U.S. Students

Abstract

The author examined self-enhancement bias among 5th and 11th graders in the United States and Japan. After listening to stories describing aggressive, depressive, oppositional, and school-phobic behaviors of hypothetical peers, the participants rated the likelihood that they themselves and other students their age would act like the story protagonists. The U.S. students generally showed no greater self-enhancement tendencies than did the Japanese students; in addition, the relationships between positive and negative self-concepts and ratings of self-similarity to deviant exemplars were similar in both samples. In the depressed and oppositional stories, the 11th graders rated themselves less like the deviant characters and more different from their peers than did the 5th graders.     

A 2-categorial Generalization of the Concept of Institution

After defining, for each many-sorted signature Σ = (S, Σ), the category Ter(Σ), of generalized terms for Σ (which is the dual of the Kleisli category for \mathbb T_S{\mathbb {T}_{\bf \Sigma}}, the monad in Set ^S determined by the adjunction T_S \dashv G_S{{\bf T}_{\bf \Sigma} \dashv {\rm G}_{\bf \Sigma}} from Set ^S to Alg(Σ), the category of Σ-algebras), we assign, to a signature morphism d from Σ to Λ, the functor d_à{{\bf d}_\diamond} from Ter(Σ) to Ter(Λ). Once defined the mappings that assign, respectively, to a many-sorted signature the corresponding category of generalized terms and to a signature morphism the functor between the associated categories of generalized terms, we state that both mappings are actually the components of a pseudo-functor Ter from Sig to the 2-category Cat. Next we prove that there is a functor Tr^Σ, of realization of generalized terms as term operations, from Alg(Σ) × Ter(Σ) to Set, that simultaneously formalizes the procedure of realization of generalized terms and its naturalness (by taking into account the variation of the algebras through the homomorphisms between them). We remark that from this fact we will get the invariance of the relation of satisfaction under signature change. Moreover, we prove that, for each signature morphism d from Σ to Λ, there exists a natural isomorphism θ ^d from the functor Tr^L °(Id ×d_à){{{\rm Tr}^{\bf {\bf \Lambda}} \circ ({\rm Id} \times {\bf d}_\diamond)}} to the functor Tr^S °(d^* ×Id){{\rm Tr}^{\bf \Sigma} \circ ({\bf d}^* \times {\rm Id})}, both from the category Alg(Λ) × Ter(Σ) to the category Set, where d* is the value at d of the arrow mapping of a contravariant functor Alg from Sig to Cat, that shows the invariant character of the procedure of realization of generalized terms under signature change. Finally, we construct the many-sorted term institution by combining adequately the above components (and, in a derived way, the many-sorted specification institution), but for a strict generalization of the standard notion of institution.     

On the Closure Properties of the Class of Full G-models of a Deductive System

In this paper we consider the structure of the class FGModS of full generalized models of a deductive system S from a universal-algebraic point of view, and the structure of the set of all the full generalized models of S on a fixed algebra A from the lattice-theoretical point of view; this set is represented by the lattice FACS_s A of all algebraic closed-set systems C on A such that (A, C) ε FGModS. We relate some properties of these structures with tipically logical properties of the sentential logic S. The main algebraic properties we consider are the closure of FGModS under substructures and under reduced products, and the property that for any A the lattice FACS_s A is a complete sublattice of the lattice of all algebraic closed-set systems over A. The logical properties are the existence of a fully adequate Gentzen system for S, the Local Deduction Theorem and the Deduction Theorem for S. Some of the results are established for arbitrary deductive systems, while some are found to hold only for deductive systems in more restricted classes like the protoalgebraic or the weakly algebraizable ones. The paper ends with a section on examples and counterexamples. Dedicated to the memory of Willem Johannes Blok     

Stereotyping in American,British, and Japanese Corporations in Hong Kong and Singapore

Abstract

The auto- and heterostereotypes of 806 local and expatriate managers in 89 American, British, and Japanese companies in Hong Kong and Singapore were compared. Disparities were computed as Euclidean distances to identify similar and dissimilar perceptions of groups, and dissimilarities were further examined by comparison of the stereotype perception profiles. The disparities were also used as dissimilarity data for a multidimensional scaling of the auto- and heterostereotypes, yielding a two-dimensional map of the stereotype profiles that is helpful for summarizing and comparing the profiles. The results and the methodology may be useful to multinational corporations in identifying sources of potential conflict and misunderstanding between different cultural groups working together.     

A Rule-Extension of the Non-Associative Lambek Calculus

An extension L ⁺ of the non-associative Lambek calculus Lis defined. In L ⁺ the restriction to formula-conclusion sequents is given up, and additional left introduction rules for the directional implications are introduced. The system L ⁺ is sound and complete with respect to a modification of the ternary frame semantics for L.     

On the Representation of N4-Lattices

N4-lattices provide algebraic semantics for the logic N4, the paraconsistent variant of Nelson's logic with strong negation. We obtain the representation of N4-lattices showing that the structure of an arbitrary N4-lattice is completely determined by a suitable implicative lattice with distinguished filter and ideal. We introduce also special filters on N4-lattices and prove that special filters are exactly kernels of homomorphisms. Criteria of embeddability and to be a homomorphic image are obtained for N4-lattices in terms of the above mentioned representation. Finally, subdirectly irreducible N4-lattices are described.     

An Analysis of the Effect of the Test Situation upon the Rorschach Record: Formal Scoring Characteristics

Abstract

Andrew, Gwen; Hartwell, Samuel W.; Hutt, Max L.; and Walton, Ralph E. The Michigan Picture Test. Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1953. Reviewed by Edwin S. Shneidman, Ph.D.

Beck, Samuel J. The Six Schizophrenias: Reaction Patterns in Children and Adults. New York: The American Orthopsychiatric Association, Inc. 1954. Pp. x + 238. Reviewed by Mortimer M. Meyer.

Bellak, Leopold. The Thematic Apperception Test and the Children's Apperception Test in Clinical Use. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1954. pp. 282. $6.75. Reviewed by Edwin S. Shneidman, Ph.D.

Meehl, Paul E. Clinical versus statistical prediction. A theoretical analysis and a review of the evidence. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1954. Pp. x + 149. Reviewed by Kenneth B. Little

Rubinstein, Eli A., and Lorr, Maurice (Eds.). A Survey of Clinical Practice in Psychology. New York: International Universities Press, 1954, pp. 363. Reviewed by Ruth S. Tolman

Sarason, S. B. The Clinical Interaction: with special reference to the Rorschach. New York: Harper Brothers, 1954. Pp. X + 425. Reviewed by Mortimer M. Meyer

Ulett, George. Rorschach Introductory Manual: A Primer for the Clinical Psychiatric Worker; With Interpretative Diagram to Permit Clinical Use While Learning the Ink-blot Technique; Beverly Hills: Western Psychological Services, 1955; Price: $3.50. Reviewed by Walter G. Klopfer, Ph.D.