Human Communication

22 August 2017 Last updated

Overview of the course

Human Communication Program presents a wide range of opportunities for research about communication based on human sciences and cognitive sciences. Students can learn advanced knowledge of communication by studying phonetics, semantics, interface studies, psycholinguistics,psychology, and neurology.

A PhD candidate must learn basic skills of statistics and will be advised to master an advanced level of statistics. Research should be performed through evidence-based studies. You have to gather enough data in both quality and quantity before you come to a conclusion.

Our M.A. program is divided into two tracks; the career enhancement track and the researcher track.Carrier enhancement track is aimed at students who want to develop skills for a career outside of academic societies. Students will acquire up-to-date knowledge and research skills. Students, with guidance from professors and senior students will submit an MA report.

The researcher track is more aimed at students who want to go on to do a Ph.D. with more focus on research skills than the Career enhancement track. The other main difference is that students submit a M.A. thesis to complete the course.

Students’ research themes	The influence of working memory contents on visual search. Cueing effects of target location probability and repetition. A Japanese-Chinese comparison on syntax and sentence delivery The traits of tandem learning, seen from scenes of language output difficulties Changes in prosody caused by shadowing training of Japanese Recognition and acoustic features of attitudes realized in Chinese
Teaching staff	Toshiyuki SADANOBU, Professor Subjects: Special lecture on Communicative Grammar Theory. Research fields: My main interest is through examination of the views on languages, communication and speech by considering human communicative grammar collectively, from the standpoints of both processing information, and social interpersonal interaction. Ryoko HAYASHI, Professor Subjects: Special lecture on linguistic behavioral science. Research fields: Speech science, psycholinguistics. I am researching phonetics in Japanese and other languages as well as experimental solutions to the difficulties in pronunciation for foreign languages. Also, I am interested in speech disabilities, linguistic development and the difference in teaching speech communication between countries. Kiyoshi MAIYA, Professor Subjects: Special lecture on interpersonal behavioral science. Research fields: Interpersonal communication, experimental psychology. Interpersonal interaction is a treasure trove of dilemmas and paradoxes. Misunderstandings, misinformation, mistrust and confusion are the key words. Interpersonal communication is important, but difficult to handle. I research it further through behavioral science. I currently research training for interpersonal skills and cultural differences in facial expression and emotion. Eriko MATSUMOTO, Professor Subjects: Special lecture on Neuropsychology and Communication. Research fields: Cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience. I am interested in how human brain represents the higher-cognitive functions such as the visual perception, attention, and social interactions. I would like to make it clearer through brain imaging techniques and experimental psychological methods. I am also interested in the effects of emotional stimuli on cognitive process. Shinobu MIZUGUCHI, Professor Subjects: Special lecture on Linguistic Interface Theory. Research fields: Semantics, and semantics/prosody interface. Semantics, especially, the numeral systems of classifier languages in Asia, is my field. Semantics/prosody interface and L2 prosody learning are also of my interest. Interface study is one of the most effective methods to investigate the complex system of human cognition. Shinya YAMAMOTO, Associate Professor Subjects: Special lecture on the evolution and culture of social intelligence. Research fields: Comparative cognitive science, and evolutionary social psychology. My ultimate goal is to understand what humans are. For this purpose, I am investigating the evolution and culture of human social intelligence. Empathy, understanding of others, cooperation, and social norm are the keywords. Through sychological experiments and fieldwork, I compare humans, chimpanzees,bonobos, and other animals.

Students’ research themes

The influence of working memory contents on visual search.
Cueing effects of target location probability and repetition.
A Japanese-Chinese comparison on syntax and sentence delivery
The traits of tandem learning, seen from scenes of language output difficulties
Changes in prosody caused by shadowing training of Japanese
Recognition and acoustic features of attitudes realized in Chinese

Teaching staff

Toshiyuki SADANOBU, Professor
Subjects: Special lecture on Communicative Grammar Theory.
Research fields: My main interest is through examination of the views on languages, communication and speech by considering human communicative grammar collectively, from the standpoints of both processing information, and social interpersonal interaction.

Ryoko HAYASHI, Professor
Subjects: Special lecture on linguistic behavioral science.
Research fields: Speech science, psycholinguistics. I am researching phonetics in Japanese and other languages as well as experimental solutions to the difficulties in pronunciation for foreign languages. Also, I am interested in speech disabilities, linguistic development and the difference in teaching speech communication between countries.

Kiyoshi MAIYA, Professor
Subjects: Special lecture on interpersonal behavioral science.
Research fields: Interpersonal communication, experimental psychology. Interpersonal interaction is a treasure trove of dilemmas and paradoxes. Misunderstandings, misinformation, mistrust and confusion are the key words. Interpersonal communication is important, but difficult to handle. I research it further through behavioral science. I currently research training for interpersonal skills and cultural differences in facial expression and emotion.

Eriko MATSUMOTO, Professor
Subjects: Special lecture on Neuropsychology and Communication.
Research fields: Cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience. I am interested in how human brain represents the higher-cognitive functions such as the visual perception, attention, and social interactions. I would like to make it clearer through brain imaging techniques and experimental psychological methods. I am also interested in the effects of emotional stimuli on cognitive process.

Shinobu MIZUGUCHI, Professor
Subjects: Special lecture on Linguistic Interface Theory.
Research fields: Semantics, and semantics/prosody interface. Semantics, especially, the numeral systems of classifier languages in Asia, is my field. Semantics/prosody interface and L2 prosody learning are also of my interest. Interface study is one of the most effective methods to investigate the complex system of human cognition.

Shinya YAMAMOTO, Associate Professor
Subjects: Special lecture on the evolution and culture of social intelligence.
Research fields: Comparative cognitive science, and evolutionary social psychology. My ultimate goal is to understand what humans are. For this purpose, I am investigating the evolution and culture of human social intelligence. Empathy, understanding of others, cooperation, and social norm are the keywords. Through sychological experiments and fieldwork, I compare humans, chimpanzees,bonobos, and other animals.