Project Leader
Sakiko Yoshikawa, Ph.D., Professor, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University

Collaborative Research Affiliates
Tomoko Kuwabara, Professor, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University
Motoki Watabe, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Waseda Institute for Advanced Study
Yasuhiro Oyama, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University
Masashi Komori, Associate Professor, Osaka Electro-Communication University

Collaborators from the Kokoro Research Center
Chika Nagaoka, JSPS Restart Postdoctoral Fellowship
Chihiro Hatanaka, Program-specific Researcher

This research project examines clinical counseling dialogues, comparing the characteristics of experienced and inexperienced clinicians and non-clinicians to identify the characteristics of outstanding skilled listeners. Specifically, the project investigates body movements, facial expressions, the synchrony of responsive statements (pauses and the timing of speaking), and the relationships with skilled listeners, to create quantitative models for passive listening methods. The project seeks to examine and empirically identify the significance to humans of engaging in dialogue, including the factors that motivate dialogue over the long term and the influence that dialogue has on self-awareness.

By identifying the skills of experienced counselors as listeners and the requirements for the development of deep dialogue, we seek to obtain information valuable in promoting human relationships such as communication in educational and business settings. Conversely, by clarifying the factors that cause incompetent communications, project results will also be useful in reducing stress and interpersonal problems that occur as a result of incompetent communications.