Measuring how people perceive and feel to develop technologies that support everyday life

Kansei and Cognitive Science Laboratory
Associate Professor：ASAKAWA Kaori

E-mail：
［Research areas］
Perceptual and Cognitive Psychology, Kansei Informatics, Cognitive Science
［Keywords］
Audiovisual Information Processing, Kansei Evaluation, Behavioral Support

Skills and background we are looking for in prospective students

This laboratory welcomes students who are interested in human perception/cognition and behavior and are motivated to investigate the underlying mechanisms through experiments or to apply an understanding of human characteristics to create value. Knowledge of perceptual and cognitive psychology, data analysis, and programming is desirable, but you do not need to have mastered all of these before joining. Students from other disciplines are also welcome.

What you can expect to learn in this laboratory

Research on human perception and cognition requires making otherwise invisible mental processes measurable. You will develop the ability to design and conduct experiments by formulating hypotheses from everyday questions, manipulating sound and visual stimuli, and identifying appropriate measures. You will also learn to statistically analyze subjective evaluations, behavior, and physiological responses, and to explain how they relate to stimulus characteristics and individual differences.

【Job category of graduates】 Manufacturing; Information and Communications; Academic Research and Professional and Technical Services (Prospective Career Sectors)

Research outline

Sounds can convey a sense of power, while nearby conversations can make it difficult to concentrate on a task. Sounds and images do more than convey information: they also influence people’s feelings, judgments, and behavior. However, it remains unclear which features affect which people, and in what ways. This laboratory experimentally investigates human experience and cognition, with the aim of applying the findings to the design of products and everyday environments. Psychological measures are combined with behavioral measures, such as response time and task performance, and physiological measures, such as EEG and heart rate, to examine the relationship between people and their environments from multiple perspectives.

1. Designing Sounds and Environments Based on Human Experience and Cognition

Whether a sound feels powerful or pleasant, and how easily we can concentrate, depend on both the characteristics of the sound and the listener. We investigate how sounds and images influence human experience and cognition to inform the design of products and environments suited to their users and purposes. For example, we have examined changes in sound impressions and neural activity induced by virtual bass technology (Publication 1), as well as the effects of background speech and sounds added to mask it on memory task performance and mood (Publication 2). Our research also addresses individual preferences for engine sounds, background music and task immersion, and video viewing and recovery from fatigue. By examining subjective experience alongside behavioral and physiological responses, we aim to design environments that accommodate individual characteristics and states.

2. Supporting Behavior Through Audiovisual Information

In public spaces, simply displaying guidance does not always lead to the intended behavior. We have investigated ways to influence pedestrians’ route choices using pictograms of people turning left or right together with sounds (Publication 3). Through laboratory experiments, VR, and studies in real environments, we examine what kinds of information attract attention and how that attention translates into decisions and behavior. Taking into account how people perceive and process combined visual and auditory information, we explore ways to present information clearly and support smooth movement through public spaces.

Key publications

1. K. Asakawa et al., “Neural activity and sound impression induced by virtual bass for individuals who prefer bass-heavy audio,” Applied Acoustics, 219, 109927, 2024.
2. K. Asakawa et al., “Effects of Background Meeting Speech and Non-Directional Sound Masking on Word Recognition and Subjective Evaluation of the Acoustic Environment,” Acoustical Science and Technology (accepted)
3. K. Asakawa et al., “Effects of audio-visual interventions using left- and right-turning pictograms on the route selection of pedestrians without specific route preferences to alleviate congestion at a train station,” Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 18, 100670, 2025.

Equipment

Acoustic analysis equipment, VR headsets, behavioral analysis equipment, and physiological measurement equipment