■Conference Presentation■
The 3rd Thailand International Conference of Psychology
July 15–16, 2025 (Mandarin Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand)
Professor Tsuneyuki Abe and Professor Takashi Arai, along with ten Tohoku University students, participated, gave presentations, and engaged in active discussions. This provided a valuable opportunity to exchange views on the differences in body consciousness between Japan and Southeast Asia with local researchers and students.
▼ Tsuneyuki, A. (2025). Psychophysiological influence of Cosmetic behavior.
In a panel discussion titled “Engaging the Senses to Improve Mood, Mind, and Performance,” Professor Abe presented alongside speakers from the University of Queensland (Australia) and the University of Hong Kong (China), participating in a discussion moderated by a representative from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand). We discussed how cosmetic practices are closely linked to body image and yield various psychological effects.
▼ Qiao, S. (2025). Effects of facial expressions on first impressions.
This study examined the effects of happy, angry, disgusted, sad, and neutral facial expressions on first impressions (attractiveness, trustworthiness, and dominance). Attractiveness and trustworthiness increased with happy expressions, while anger, disgust, and sadness decreased them. Dominance increased with anger and decreased with sadness. Gender differences were also observed, particularly showing that happy expressions lowered dominance only in male faces. Participants expressed interest in the study's validity and the findings regarding gender differences.
▼ Yoda, K. (2025). An ensemble representation of faces is the average face, isn’t it?
Ensemble perception, which enables instantaneous reading of statistical summaries such as the average and variance of multiple objects, had been confirmed for various objects but was unclear for faces. This study revealed that ensemble representations of faces are indeed average faces by manipulating the number of faces used in the average face. Participants raised questions about cultural differences, such as “Would the same results be obtained if a similar experiment were conducted in Thailand?” This provided a valuable perspective for future research.
■Conference Presentation■
The 2nd Asian International Conference on Psychology
July 17, 2025 (Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand)
Following the 3rd Thailand International Conference of Psychology, the same members participated in this conference. Through academic presentations and direct experience of Thai architecture, traditions, and customs, we further deepened our understanding of cultural differences in body consciousness.
▼ Qiao, S. (2025). Facial viewpoint modulates emotional influence on risk-taking in a balloon analog risk task.
This presentation reported an experimental design examining the influence of facial expressions on risk assessment and coping. We presented a plan investigating how facial expressions (happiness, anger, fear, neutral) affect risk behavior in a modified Balloon Analogue Risk task. Great interest was shown in the novelty of the stimulus presentation method and task design, and we received valuable advice regarding future analysis plans.
▼ Yoda, K. (2025). Does the average face of a group affect the cheerleader effect?
The cheerleader effect is a phenomenon where individual faces are rated as more attractive due to the influence of a group's average face. However, no studies have empirically demonstrated the influence of the average face, and this research empirically examines that point.
■Conference Presentation■
The 89th Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association
September 5–7, 2025 (Tohoku Gakuin University, Sendai, Japan)
The conference, attended by approximately 3,000 participants, is the largest academic gathering in psychology in Japan, with Professor Tsuneyuki Abe serving as conference chair.
▼ Arai, T. & Iwama, S. (2025). The dark side brought out by “cute”: Regulating positive emotions through negative behavior.
Cute Aggression refers to the occurrence of aggressive reactions toward “cute” subjects such as babies or characters. It is hypothesized that this negative emotion arises to regulate the positive feelings evoked by cute subjects. This study investigated whether such reactions occur toward adults as well, and whether they arise not only toward cute subjects but also toward beautiful subjects, using facial expression stimuli. At the academic conference, it received numerous questions from researchers and was a resounding success.
