Research overview

In this laboratory, we are analyzing user behavior and psychology in digital communication environments such as social media and social VR platforms. In particular, in social media, which is used by a wide variety of users, it is important to know how people express themselves, what kind of impression they get from others, and whether they can communicate in a mentally healthy manner. In this laboratory, we are studying self-presentation and impression formation, health and welfare, and social support in social media.

In addition, in the digital environment, various intelligent systems (systems that apply artificial intelligence technology) such as recommender systems and chatbots are in operation. However, even if we develop a system that uses advanced algorithms, it is meaningless if the user is not able to use it. Therefore, in this laboratory, we also design user eXperience (UX) for intelligent systems based on the results of psychological analysis of user behavior.

Understand people’s activities in Social Media
Self-presentation and Impression Formation

Social media has features not seen in conventional communication media, such as diversification of users, light-style communication and richness of media expression. Therefore, it is important to know how people express themselves and what kind of impression it gives to the users around them.

In this laboratory, we are studying how people express themselves through photos, videos, and text on social networking sites such as Instagram, and whether this leads to a positive impression from audience (engagement, number of followers, etc.). In particular, our research focuses on expressed personalities, the degree of self-disclosure, and exploitation of new posting styles such as archived posts.

Realize people’s happiness in social media
Health and Welfare, and Social Support

In social media, where a large number of users get together, users may become anxious that their actions or statements may cause a blame or slander. In addition, an environment that allows users to communicate at any time and place can sometimes lead them to become addicted. On the other hand, an open communication environment can also give people a way to solve problems in health and care. The merits and demerits of social media in health and welfare are not simple.

In this laboratory, we are studying whether people feel envy on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and what kind of people are likely to feel them. We are also analyzing the characteristics of people who have been playing location-based games like Pokémon GO for a long time, and analyzing and visualizing nursing records and care records for medical and care coordination.

Realize rich interaction in intelligent systems
UX Design

Many intelligent systems are in service in the online environment. They are usually implemented using big data and artificial intelligence technologies. Such systems include recommendation services (recommender systems) and chatbots (intelligent agents). These are implemented with advanced machine learning algorithms and natural language processing technologies, but there is no point in making them more powerful if users do not want to use them or do not trust them in the first place.

In this laboratory, we analyze the user behavior and psychology in recommender systems and intelligent agents, and design interfaces that can be used more safely and conveniently. For example, we are working on personalizing interactions with recommender systems according to the target user’s social connections with friends, acquaintances, and influencers. Another research estimates the user’s trust in the recommender system based on the user’s personality and item selection tendencies, and design interfaces that allow users to reflect their past item selections.