Masanori Kimura
Professor
Interpersonal Communication & Relationship Lab.
Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Kobe College
4-1 Okadayama, Nishinomiya, Hyogo
662-8505, Japan
e-mail: m-kimura (at) mail.kobe-c.ac.jp
Research Interests
Psychology / Social Psychology
/ Interpersonal Communication & Relationship / Emotion
Education
2007 Ph.D., Human Sciences, Osaka University
2004 M.A. Human Sciences, Osaka University
2002 B.A. Psychology, Doshisha University
Faculty Academic Appointments
2024-present. Professor
Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Kobe College
2022-present. Professor
Department of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, School of Human Sciences, Kobe College
2016-2022. Associate Professor
Department of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, School of Human Sciences, Kobe College
2012-2016. Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, School of Human Sciences, Kobe College
2009-2012. Lecturer
Department of Human Psychology
Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,
Kobe Gakuin University
2007-2009. Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Human Sciences,
Osaka University
Research Experiences
2006-2007. Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Awards and Honors
2013. Distinguished Presentation Award,
the Japanese Psychological Association.
2013. Presentation Award,
Japan Society for Research on Emotions.
2008. Distinguished Presentation Award,
Japanese Group Dynamics Association.
2004. Junior Researcher’s Award,
Japanese Society of Social Psychology.
Grants
2022-2026. as Main-Investigator, “Experimental social psychological study of emergency communication between citizens and dispatchers”
Research Project Number 22K03031,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2021-2025. as Co-Investigator, “Investigation the Functional Role of Emotional Expression in Interpersonal Emotion Regulation”
Research Project Number 21K02972,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2021-2025. as Co-Investigator, “Psychological Study on Cultural Adaptation of Japanese in China”
Research Project Number 21K02991,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2019-2023. as Co-Investigator, “Development of a Task-Oriented Test for Japanese to Measure Decoding Ability”
Research Project Number 19K03216,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2016-2023. as Main-Investigator, “An experimental social psychological study on cross-cultural communication between Japanese and Chinese”
Research Project Number 16K04276,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2016-2018. as Co-Investigator, “Development of a test of knowledge related to interpersonal communication”
Research Project Number 16K04273,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2013-2016. as Co-Investigator, “Effect of relational goals on downward and upward spiral process”
Research Project Number 25380843,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2012-2015. as Main-Investigator, “What are the differences of interpersonal communication between Japanese and Chinese people?”
Research Project Number 24730525,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2010-2011. as Main-Investigator, “Is it possible for third party to support interpersonal communication?”
Research Project Number 22730492,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2006-2007. as Main-Investigator, “Investigation into the mechanism of interpersonal communication-cognition as a social skill”
Research Project Number 06J08713,
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Memberships
Society for Personality and Social Psychology
Asian Association of Social Psychology
Japanese Psychological Association
Japanese Society for Social Psychology
Japanese Group Dynamics Assocation
Japan Society for Research on Emotions
Publications
Shimizu Yunoshin, Ogawa Kazumi, Masanori Kimura, Ken Fujiwara & Nobuyuki Watanabe (in press). Introducing the facial expressions of emotion decoding test with various intensity: Using the AIST facial expression database 2017. Japanese Psychological Research, doi: 10.1111/jpr.70009.
Kyoko Yamamoto & Masanori Kimura (2025). How do we regulate other’s emotions in the here and now? Interpersonal emotion regulation strategies and nonverbal behaviors in immediate social interactions. The Japanese Journal of Psychology, 96, 218-228. doi: 10.4992/jjpsy.96.2400. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Takamasa Shiotani & Yutaka Kitagoya (2025). Why do people hesitate to call emergency services? psychological determinants of emergency call suppression in Japan. Human Science, 28, 1-9. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura (2025). Social psychology of the 119 emergency call: communication between citizens and dispatchers in emergency. Behavioral Science Research, 63, 93-102. (in Japanese)
Shimizu Yunoshin, Ogawa Kazumi, Masanori Kimura, Ken Fujiwara & Nobuyuki Watanabe (2024). The Influence of emotional facial expression intensity on decoding accuracy: high intensity does not yield high accuracy. Japanese Psychological Research, 66, 521-540, doi: 10.1111/jpr.12529.
Takamasa Shiotani, Masanori Kimura, Yutaka Kitagoya & Kazunori Komatani (2024). The effect of prior knowledge of the 119 emergency call procedure on the speed and accuracy: Experimental study by simulated emergency call. Journal of Societal Safety Sciences, 14, 47-62. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Risa Morisue & Naho Fujii (2023). Effects of clothing and makeup similarities on interpersonal attraction. Appearance and Adornment Psychological Studies, 2, 32-43. (in Japanese)
Xinhua Mao & Masanori Kimura (2022). Effectiveness of Japanese cultural social skills training for Chinese international students. Kobe Gakuin University Journal of Psychology, 5, 39-52.
Masanori Kimura (2015). Inferential evaluation of intimacy based on observation of interpersonal communication. The Japanese Journal of Psychology, 86, 91-101. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Yukiko Iso, & Ikuo Daibo (2012). The effects of relational development prospect on interpersonal communication: Focusing on the expectation and will to continue a relationship. The Japanese Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 51, 69-78. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Ikuo Daibo, & Masao Yogo (2010). Investigation into the mechanism of interpersonal communication-cognition as a social skill. Japanese Journal of Social Psychology, 26, 13-24. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Ikuo Daibo, & Masao Yogo (2008). The study of emotional contagion from the perspective of interpersonal relationships. Social Behavior and Personality, 36, 27-42.
Masanori Kimura (2008). External or internal conditions of interpersonal communication: Actor and observer of interpersonal communication. Journal of the Japan Research Association for Textile End-uses, 49, 388-394. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura (2008). Introduction of frontier of interpersonal psychology studies. Journal of the Japan Research Association for Textile End-uses, 49, 172. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Masao Yogo & Ikuo Daibo (2007). Development of Japanese version of the Emtional Contagion Scale. Japanese Journal of Interpersonal and Social Psychology, 7, 31-19. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura & Ikuo Daibo (2006). Interactional synchrony in conversations about emotional episodes: A measurement by ” the between-participants pseudosynchrony experimental paradigm” Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 30, 115-126.
Ayumu Arakawa, Masanori Kimura, & Naoto Suzuki (2006). Relationship between individual difference on gesture frequency and subjective norm in overmuch gesture, care for their looks from others, difficulty inhibiting gesture. Doshisha Psychological Review, 53, 10-18. (in Japanese)
Ayumu Arakawa & Masanori Kimura (2005). The relationship between gesturing frequency and cognitive style (verbalizervisualizer) The Japanese Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 3,95-101. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Yukiko Iso, Akiko Sakuragi, & Ikuo Daibo (2005). The role of visual media in triadic communication : The expressions of smile and nodding, and their behavior matching. Japanese Journal of Interpersonal and Social Psychology, 5, 39-47. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Masao Yogo & Ikuo Daibo (2005). Expressivity halo effect in the conversations about emotional episodes. The Japanese Journal of Research on Emotions, 12, 12-23. (in Japanese)
Yukiko Iso, Masanori Kimura, Akiko Sakuragi, & Ikuo Daibo (2004). The effects of gaze on impression formation : The role of nonverbal behaviors in a triadic communication. Japanese Journal of Interpersonal and Social Psychology, 4, 87-95. (in Japanese)
Masanori Kimura, Masao Yogo & Ikuo Daibo (2004). Synchrony tendency in the conversation about emotional episodes : A measurement by “the pseudosynchrony experimental paradigm” Journal of Interpersonal and Social Psychology, 4, 97-104. (in Japanese)
Presentations
Xinhua Mao & Masanori Kimura (2016). The Conscious and Behavioral Influences of Chinese Cultural Social Skills Training Programs on Japanese People: The Comparison Between Experimental and Control Group. The 17th annual convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA. (1/29/2016)
Masanori Kimura & Xinhua Mao (2015). What are the differences of discussion between Japanese and Chinese people? The 11th Biennial Conference of Asian Association of Social Psychology, Cebu City, Philippines. (8/20/2015)
Masanori Kimura & Xinhua Mao (2015). What are the differences of interpersonal communication between Japanese and Chinese people?: Experimental study with strangers and friends. The 16th annual convention of society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA, USA. (2/28/2015)
Ken Fujiwara, Xinhua Mao, Masanori Kimura , Yukiko Iso, Ikuo Daibo (2015). Improving group performance: Equality in utterances. The 16th annual convention of society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA, USA. (2/28/2015)
Xinhua Mao & Masanori Kimura (2015). The holding effects of Chinese cultural social skills trainning programs to Japanese undergraduates participants. The 16th annual convention of society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA, USA. (2/27/2015)
Xinhua Mao & Masanori Kimura (2013). Do A Chinese-Culture Social Skills Training Programs Have Effects on The Change in Behavior?: A study Using Japanese Participants. The 10th Biennial Conference of Asian Association of Social Psychology, Indonesia. (8/24/2013).
Masanori Kimura & Xinhua Mao (2013). What are the differences of interpersonal communication with strangers between Japanese and Chinese people? The 10th Biennial Conference of Asian Association of Social Psychology, Indonesia. (8/23/2013).
Xinhua Mao & Masanori Kimura (2013). The cultural effects of Chinese-culture social skills training programs: when the participants are Japanese. The 13th European Congress of Psychology, Sweden. (7/12/2013).
Masanori Kimura & Xinhua Mao (2013). What are the differences of interpersonal communication with friends between Japanese and Chinese people? The 13th European Congress of Psychology, Sweden. (7/10/2013).
Masanori Kimura & Xinhua Mao (2011). How do Chinese people communicate with each other ?: An experimental study focused on dyadic interaction by female friends . Asian Association of Social Psychology 9th Biennial Conference, Kunming, China. (7/30/2011).
Masanori Kimura (2011). Intimacy inference based on observation of interpersonal communication. The 12th European Congress of Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey. (7/5/2011).
Masanori Kimura & Xinhua Mao (2011). Interpersonal communication of Chinese people across situations: The study focused on dyadic interaction by female strangers. The 12th Conference of Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Texas, USA. (1/27/2011).
Masanori Kimura, Yukiko Iso & Ikuo Daibo (2008). Treasure every meeting, for it will never recur: The effects of an ongoing relationship on interpersonal communication. ⅩⅩⅠⅩ International Congress of Psychology, Berlin, Germany. (7/23/2008).
Masanori Kimura (2008). Actor – observer asymmetry of intimacy: Judgment of intimacy based on observation of interpersonal communication between friends. The 9th Conference of Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Mexico, USA. (2/8/2008).
Masanori Kimura & Ikuo Daibo (2007). Investigation into mechanism of interpersonal communication-cognition as one of social skills. Asian Association of Social Psychology 7th Biennial Conference, Kota Kinabalu. (7/27/2007).
Masanori Kimura & Ikuo Daibo (2006). The study of emotional contagion from the perspective of interpersonal relationships. The 7th Conference of Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Palm Springs, USA. (1/27/2006).
Masanori Kimura, Yukiko Iso & Ikuo Daibo (2005). The effects of expectancy of an ongoing relationship on interpersonal communication. Asian Association of Social Psychology 6th Biennial Conference, Wellington, New Zealand. (4/3/2005).
Masanori Kimura & Ikuo Daibo (2005). Interpersonal synchrony in the conversation about emotional episodes: A measurement by “the between-design pseudosynchrony experimental paradigm” International Symposium: New Perspectives in Affective Science, Kyoto, Japan. (1/28/2005).
Masanori Kimura & Ikuo Daibo (2004). Synchrony tendency in the conversation about emotional episodes. ⅩⅩⅤⅢ International Congress of Psychology, Beijing, China. (8/9/2004).
Yukiko Iso, Masanori Kimura & Ikuo Daibo (2005). The effects of nonverbal behaviors on impression formation and rapport in a triadic communication. ⅩⅩⅤⅢ International Congress of Psychology, Beijing, China. (8/9/2004).