Ryozo Yoshino – författare

This book first presents an overview of the history of a national character survey by the Institute of Statistical Mathematics that has been conducted for more than 65 years. The Japanese National Character Survey, launched in 1953, is a rare longitudinal survey in the world of survey research based on rigorous statistical sampling theory, motivating other countries to launch similar longitudinal surveys, including the General Social Survey (GSS), the Allgemeine Bevölkerungsumfrage der Sozialwissenschaften (ALLBUS, German General Social Survey (GGSS)), Eurobarometer, and others. Since the early 1970s, the Japanese survey has been extended as a cross-national survey for more advanced research of the Japanese national character in a comparative context. Second, the book explains the paradigm of cross-national studies called the Cultural Manifold Analysis (CULMAN), developed in the longitudinal and cross-national surveys, with practical examples of analysis. This explanation will helphelps a wide range of readers to better understand the cross-national comparative surveys of attitudes, opinion, and social values as basic information for evidence-based policymaking and research.

This edited book is the first one written in English that deals comprehensively with behavior metrics. The term “behaviormetrics” comprehends the research including all sorts of quantitative approaches to disclose human behavior. Researchers in behavior metrics have developed, extended, and improved methods such as multivariate statistical analysis, survey methods, cluster analysis, machine learning, multidimensional scaling, corresponding analysis or quantification theory, network analysis, clustering, factor analysis, test theory, and related factors. In the spirit of behavior metrics, researchers applied these methods to data obtained by surveys, experiments, or websites from a diverse range of fields. 

The purpose of this book is twofold. One is to represent studies that display how the basic elements of behavior metrics have developed into present-day behavior metrics. The other is to represent studies performed mainly by those who would like to pioneer new fieldsof behavior metrics and studies that display elements of future behavior metrics. These studies consist of various characteristics such as those dealing with theoretical or conceptual subjects, the algorithm, the model, the method, and the application to a wide variety of fields. This book helps readers to understand the present and future of behavior metrics.