Cognitive Psychology for Care

Research Topic
Cognitive Psychology for Care

Lead Researcher
Sakiko Yoshikawa, Program-Specific Professor, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University

Collaborating Researchers
Masato Nunoi, Lecturer, Faculty of Human Studies, Seisen University

Atsushi Nakazawa, Associate Professor, Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University

Miwako Honda, Director, Department of General Medicine, Tokyo Medical Center

Center Co-Researcher
Yoshiyuki Ueda, Senior Lecturer, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University

In interpersonal situations, various types of non-verbal information, such as facial expressions and gaze, are exchanged. They have great influence on the formation of interpersonal relationships through supposing the mental state of others or forming an impression of the other person.

In care situations like caregiving and nursing, a large amount of non-verbal information is exchanged between the supporter and the person being supported. It is considered that these factors contribute greatly to the formation of interpersonal relationships between the two. However, the interactions between them in such care situations often take a different form from the normal bilateral interactions. For example, the position of the supported person varies from lying in a bed to sitting in a wheelchair. And yet, the conventional research on non-verbal communication has not examined the effects of differences in posture on the processing of non-verbal information.

This study examines how the processing of non-verbal information changes due to posture. Furthermore, the influence of the distance between the supporter and the person being supported, which is considered very important in the care situation, is also investigated. This will clarify what a supporter should keep in mind when building a good relationship in care situations.

2019/05/22