Application of the symbolic regression program AI-Feynman to psychology.

The discovery of hidden laws in data is the core challenge in many fields, from the natural sciences to the social sciences. However, this task has historically relied on human intuition and experience in many areas, including psychology. Therefore, discovering laws using artificial intelligence (AI) has two significant advantages. First, it makes it possible to detect laws that humans cannot discover. Second, it will help construct more accurate theories. An AI called AI-Feynman was released in a very different field, and it performed impressively. Although AI-Feynman was initially designed to discover laws in physics, it can also work well in psychology. This research aims to examine whether AI-Feynman can be a new data analysis method for inter-temporal choice experiments by testing whether it can discover the hyperbolic discount model as a discount function. An inter-temporal choice experiment was conducted to accomplish these objectives, and the data were input into AI-Feynman. As a result, seven discount function candidates were proposed by AI-Feynman. One candidate was the hyperbolic discount model, which is currently considered the most accurate. The three functions of the root-mean-squared errors were superior to the hyperbolic discount model. Moreover, one of the three candidates was more "hyperbolic" than the standard hyperbolic discount function. These results indicate two things. One is that AI-Feynman can be a new data analysis method for inter-temporal choice experiments. The other is that AI-Feynman can discover discount functions that humans cannot find.

Does shift-and-persist strategy buffer career choice anxiety and affect career exploration?

OBJECTIVE: The transition from school to the workforce is important for concrete future planning. During this period, people are more likely to experience psychological health problems, such as anxiety and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. In particular, job hunting in individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) leads to various impulsive behaviors and physical and psychological problems due to a scarcity of economic and time resources. There is a lack of research examining career education and intervention approaches that consider the backgrounds of those experiencing adversities and difficulties due to low SES. Considering these situations, we examined whether shift-and-persist coping strategies (S-P) could buffer the career choice anxiety of individuals with low SES and improve career exploration. RESULTS: The results from 311 students who preparing/doing for job hunting showed a negative association between S-P and career choice anxiety and a positive association with career exploration. There are no significant effects of the direct link between SES to career exploration and the indirect link between SES and career exploration via career choice anxiety. There was also no buffering effect of S-P use on the above mediating process.

Exhausted parents in Japan: Preliminary validation of the Japanese version of the Parental Burnout Assessment.

We examined the factorial structure and validity of a Japanese version of the Parental Burnout Assessment, the PBA-J, with 1,500 Japanese parents. The Parental Burnout Assessment measures burnout using four dimensions: exhaustion in one's parental role, contrast in parental self, feelings of being fed up, and emotional distancing. Confirmatory factor analysis on the PBA-J supported a four-factor model. Multiple-group structural equation modeling with parent participants was supported for the factor-loading invariance model. Mothers had higher parental burnout scores than fathers. We found moderate-to-strong correlation coefficients between the PBA-J and the Parental Burnout Inventory (PBI-J; the comparative burnout measure), and weak-to-moderate correlation coefficients between the PBA-J and job burnout, neuroticism, co-parenting disagreement, and family disorganization. The PBA-J was correlated with parental perfectionism, particularly with concern over mistakes rather than sociodemographic variables. Overall, our findings provide initial evidence for the validity of the PBA-J.

Gender, Attitudes Toward War, and Masculinities in Japan.

Previous studies have argued that masculinity is linked to war. We conducted a web-based survey to examine relationships between gender, attitudes toward war, and masculinities within a sample of Japanese adults of both sexes ( N = 366). Our results indicated that while men were more likely than women to accept war, the relationship between attitudes toward war and masculinities was inconclusive. Moreover, the results suggested that favorable attitudes toward war among men could be attenuated by interpersonal orientations. Based on our findings, we recommend a reexamination of attitudes toward war within the Japanese population.

[Asymmetric effect of in-group social values on identity with common-identity and common-bond in-groups].

Moderating effects of group type on the relationship between in-group social values and group identity were investigated. Previous research has indicated that values attached to the in-group, such as its status, privileges, and power, lead to increased group identity. However, these studies have not investigated the role of the type of in-groups on this effect. We conducted an experiment that manipulated the in-group type. In the common-identity type of in-group condition, formation of in- and out-groups on the basis of social categorization was established. In the common-bond type of in-group condition, interactions between the group members were conducted. Results indicated that in the former condition, the degree of in-group social values affected group identity; however, this effect was not found in the latter condition. These results suggest that social values of the in-group have an asymmetric effect on group identity, depending upon the in-group type as a common-identity or common-bond group.

Is dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation in response to social exclusion due to expectancy violation? An fMRI study.

People are typically quite sensitive about being accepted or excluded by others. Previous studies have suggested that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is a key brain region involved in the detection of social exclusion. However, this region has also been shown to be sensitive to non-social expectancy violations. We often expect other people to follow an unwritten rule in which they include us as they would expect to be included, such that social exclusion likely involves some degree of expectancy violation. The present event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study sought to separate the effects of expectancy violation from those of social exclusion, such that we employed an "overinclusion" condition in which a player was unexpectedly overincluded in the game by the other players. With this modification, we found that the dACC and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) were activated by exclusion, relative to overinclusion. In addition, we identified a negative correlation between exclusion-evoked brain activity and self-rated social pain in the rVLPFC, but not in the dACC. These findings suggest that the rVLPFC is critical for regulating social pain, whereas the dACC plays an important role in the detection of exclusion. The neurobiological basis of social exclusion is different from that of mere expectancy violation.

Does low self-esteem enhance social pain? The relationship between trait self-esteem and anterior cingulate cortex activation induced by ostracism.

According to sociometer theory, self-esteem serves as a barometer of the extent to which individuals are socially included or excluded by others. We hypothesized that trait self-esteem would be related to social pain responsiveness, and we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to experimentally investigate this potential relationship. Participants (n = 26) performed a cyberball task, a computerized game of catch during which the participants were excluded from the game. Participants then rated the degree of social pain experienced during both inclusion in and exclusion from the game. Individuals with lower trait self-esteem reported increased social pain relative to individuals with higher trait self-esteem, and such individuals also demonstrated a greater degree of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation. A psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed a positive connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices for the lower trait self-esteem group, and a corresponding negative connectivity for the higher trait self-esteem group. Heightened dorsal anterior cortex activity and a corresponding connection with the prefrontal cortex might be one possible explanation for the greater levels of social pain observed experienced by individuals with low trait self-esteem.

Decreased ventral anterior cingulate cortex activity is associated with reduced social pain during emotional support.

People feel psychological pain when they are excluded, and this pain is often attenuated when emotional support is received. It is therefore likely that a specific neural mechanism underlies the detection of social exclusion. Similarly, specific neural mechanisms may underlie the beneficial effects of emotional support. Although neuroimaging researchers have recently examined the neural basis of social pain, there is presently no agreement as to which part of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in the perception and modulation of social pain. We hypothesized that activity in those brain regions that are associated with social pain would be correlated with decrements in social pain induced by emotional support. To examine the effects of emotional support on social pain caused by exclusion, we conducted an fMRI study in which participants played a virtual ball-tossing game. Participants were initially included and later excluded from the game. In the latter half of the session from which participants were excluded, participants received emotionally supportive text messages. We found that emotional support led to increased activity in the left lateral/medial prefrontal cortices and some temporal regions. Those individuals who experienced greater attenuation of social pain exhibited lower ventral ACC and higher left lateral prefrontal cortex activation. These results suggest that the ventral ACC underlies social pain, and that emotional support enhances prefrontal cortex activity, which in turn may lead to a weakened affective response.

Availability of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as a screening tool for atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: A novel index, the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which reflects the stiffness of the aorta, femoral artery, and tibial artery, was recently developed by measuring brachial - ankle pulse wave velocity and blood pressure. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study 1,014 Japanese adults from the general population were screened to clarify the correlation between CAVI and other existing markers related to atherosclerosis, including carotid intima - media thickness (CIMT) and homocysteine (HCY). CAVI was strongly associated with age in both men and women. After adjustment for age and sex, CAVI was correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures. In addition, CAVI was significantly correlated with total cholesterol hemoglobin A(1c) and total HCY, as well as CIMT. CONCLUSION: CAVI is an appropriate screening tool for atherosclerosis, but further studies are needed to establish a convenient and effective screening system using it.