Investigation on empathic attitude effective for beahvioral change of client

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K03465
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: Gunma University (2021-2023); Tokyo Metropolitan University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Kawamichi Hiroaki 群馬大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 研究員 (30596391)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 濱野 友希 早稲田大学, 理工学術院総合研究所(理工学研究所), 客員次席研究員 (00823254) ; 菅原 翔 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 認知症・高次脳機能研究分野, 主任研究員 (80723428)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: カウンセリング / 行動変容 / fMRI / 自己開示

Outline of Final Research Achievements

At counseling session, counselor gently urge client’s behavioral change by finding different viewpoint regarding client’s problems. In this study, we developed mutual opinion disclosure paradigm, in which stranger pair disclose their opinion alternately. By using this paradigm, we measured brain activity using dual fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). As a result, participants changed their opinion after viewing opinion of the other pair. Furthermore, we found that familiarity of the pair participants was enhanced. In terms of dual fMRI results, functional connectivity between the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right temporoparietal junction was enhanced with being significantly correlated with familiarity enhancement. With these results, we shed light on mechanisms underlying motivation regarding client’s behavioral change during counseling session.

Free Research Field

社会神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、クライエントの行動変容につながるファクターとして、聞き手側であるカウンセラーの自己開示に着目し、自己開示と行動変容の連関に影響を与える二者の脳活動の機能的連関を明らかにした。これにより、カウンセリングにおける共感的態度の習得を促進する手法の開発への寄与、ひいては、医療面接など幅広い分野で適用できる可能性がある。