Clarifying the international diversity of kawaii feeling based on systematic analysis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00388
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Kansei informatics
• Research Institution: Chuo University (2019); Shibaura Institute of Technology (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Ohkura Michiko 中央大学, 理工学研究所, 客員研究員 (00317364)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: かわいい / 感性価値 / 国際的多様性 / 数学モデル / 心拍 / 脳波 / 視線

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to clarify the similarities and differences in the "kawaii"　feelings among countries. We have systematically analyzed “kawaii feelings generated from physical attributes of artificial products from multimodal, such as visual, tactile, and auditory, aspects, mainly among Japanese people. From the analysis results, we derived a quantitative construction method for “kawaii” products. Based on the method and results of those previous research, this study was concerning on the visual physical attributes such as color and visual texture, and focused on the international diversity of "kawaii" feelings. Targeting Japanese and foreigners, we constructed mathematical models of the "kawaii" feelings considering the classification of "excited" and "healing." To construct the model, we also used ECG and gaze information as biological signals

Free Research Field

感性工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「かわいい」という感性価値は、従来おもに女性のみの価値として軽視されがちであったが、昨今は若者を中心に性別によらない価値へ、さらに国際的な価値へと変貌しつつあることから、その世界的市場価値としてのポテンシャルは極めて高く、今後益々高くなることが予想される。
そこで本研究は、学術的な独創性のみならず、その成果が感性価値の高い人工物の設計・製造に直接役立つことから、日本のものつくり産業の活性化に大いに貢献するものと考える。