The structure of yutori and its functions

A scale for measuring yutori was developed, and then used to examine the effectiveness of efforts made by companies to promote yutori among their employees. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the following eight factors in the structure of yutori : economic wealth, free time, environmental amenities, competence, contentment, enjoyment, challenge, and behavioral freedom. Covariance structure analysis suggested that yutori was not only related to objective, material measures, such as time and economic sufficiency, but also included very subjective psychological concepts. An examination of the systems and measures provided by Japanese companies to promote yutori found a low correlation between ratings of the effectiveness of such systems and measures, and employees' scores on the eight yutori factors, even between systems and measures for reducing working hours and the free time factor, for example. No effective systems and measures for the promotion of yutori were observed. There is a need for a psychological perspective in studies of the promotion of yutori .     

Comparability of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, the Taylor Complex Figure, and the Modified Taylor Complex Figure in a normal sample of Japanese speakers

The comparability of recall performance was examined on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, the Taylor Complex Figure, and the Modified Taylor Complex Figure as measures of visuospatial abilities and visual memory in 66 healthy Japanese university students. A between-subjects design was used in which each of the participants received the three figures. The interrater reliability of each was excellent. While the three figures yielded equivalent copy scores, the Taylor Complex Figure produced significantly higher scores than the other two on both short (3-min.) and delayed (30-min.) recall tests. There were no significant differences between recall scores of the Rey-Osterrieth and the Modified Taylor figures. These results are consistent with the findings of the 2002 study of English-speakers by Hubley and Tremblay, and support that the Modified Taylor Figure is superior to the original one for the companion figure to the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure.     

Are East Asians happy to work more or less? Associations between working hours,relative income and happiness in China,Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

As East Asians are, on average, less happy than those in economically developed Western nations, more insights regarding the associations between work, income and happiness are needed. This study analyzes data from the 2010 East Asian Social Survey to investigate these associations in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and is framed in a similar context as previous studies that utilize data from Western nations and through the lens of social comparison theory. Path analysis is used to model the associations between happiness and its predictors while taking correlations between the predictors into account. Results show that working hours are negatively associated with happiness in China, Japan and Taiwan, but such an association is not observed in South Korea. At the same time, relative income is significantly associated with happiness in all four East Asian nations, but it only mediates the association between working hours and happiness in China. These results suggest that careful consideration of economic and labour policies are critical to promote the happiness of East Asian workers. Findings from this study are useful for further inquiries with regard to specific explanatory factors of the associations between working hours, relative income and happiness in East Asia.