Relay Column: What does a psychologist see in analog stripes? "Kasuri" as a tool to measure the mind (By Ryunosuke Sudo)

What do you think when you see its pattern?

Please look at the following images. Then, try to guess which country each square image with a pattern comes from. Would you be able to tell which country's pattern it is? Next, please rate the preference for each pattern on a scale of 1 to 7. Which patterns did you find attractive? The correct answers will be introduced later, but I am conducting research on people's preferences for patterns from this perspective.

However, my area of expertise isn't in textiles or fibers, or even marketing. I usually work on psychological research related to ethics and the environment. When I was a graduate student, I happened to participate in a program about sustainable societies [1]. Throughout the curriculum, I visited various field sites. As part of this, I regularly visited Yame City in Fukuoka and Ino Town in Agawa County, Kochi. During my visits, I met and interacted with the people involved in traditional crafts like Kurume Kasuri and Tosa Washi. As a result of this journey, I began participating in activities to promote traditional crafts, which were falling on hard times, beyond my academic capacity [2]. While I continue to be involved in these practical efforts, as a researcher, I have been exploring ways to contribute using my specialization in psychology and hence, embarked on the research that I have been discussing.