Product Description

Introducing Kokology -- the fascinating,
addictive pop-psych quiz game that
reveals the surprising real you

Created by a famous Japanese psychologist, kokology is the study of kokoro ("mind" or "spirit" in Japanese). Based on sound psychological principles, Kokology asks you to answer questions about seemingly innocent topics -- such as the color of an imaginary bird that has flown in your window -- and then reveals what your answers say about you. Kokology offers a unique approach to self-discovery and, when played with others, can provide hilarious insight into the you that they never knew.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67412 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 174 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780684871486
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Bored with the old board games that are gathering dust in your closet? Grab a copy of Kokology (koh-KOL-oh-jee; from the Japanese kokoro, meaning "mind" or "spirit"), a book that contains 55 psychological questions that aim to delve into your subconscious, revealing how you truly feel about work, love, family, sex, and much more. Created by Japanese psychologist Isamu Saito, Kokology puts a spin on traditional psychological tests by transforming them into a series of entertaining and approachable quizzes.

Innocuous questions make Kokology a perfect conversation starter. Find out how magazine reading corresponds with the way a check book is managed; learn what bringing an address book, hairspray, lucky charm, or gum to work may say about a personality trait; or discover your true feelings about sex by answering a few simple questions about an ideal amusement park ride. Kokology's creators have produced questions that will help you gain insight into yourself, but they add that Kokology is just a game and it's OK if you disagree with the results. However, the minds behind this game also believe that you'll find "more often than not you're surprised at how accurately the answers reflect people's true personalities, including your own."

Play Kokology at a dinner party, bring it on a road trip, or tote it along on your next date to begin unveiling new and exciting things about yourself and others. --Jenny Burritt

About the Author
Isamu Saito, a renowned professor at Rissho University in Japan, is the author of a number of bestselling books on psychology and relationships. He created kokology.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A Word from Professor Saito

The eyes of the mind peer in two directions. One faces the outside world, gathering information about the environment and the people around us. The other is turned inward and looks at the hidden world of the inner self. This is the eye you use to survey the workings of your own mind, to ponder what others might be thinking, and to gaze into the future and foresee the kind of person you may one day become.

Many forms of media, such as books, newspapers, and television, have been developed to help people learn about and understand the outside world. It could be said that the media explosion of recent years has created a state of sensory and information overload, where every day we are faced with more data than we can possibly assimilate. But there are far fewer media to help us explore and understand the world within. Psychological games are one such medium, designed to help open the inner eye and sharpen its sight. The science of psychology itself allows people to study and comprehend the mind, but like any science, it demands time, hard work, and dedication to learn and uses a specialized vocabulary that keeps many nonspecialists at a distance. Kokology is a game based on the science of psychology, but with a fun and easy approach that makes it possible for everyone to experience and enjoy the world of the mind.

Kokology also works as a communications tool. For many people, the words psychological test evoke a dark or frightening image. I'm a psychologist myself, and even I don't like to take them. But psychological games make the same process of discovery interesting and fun, and people feel less threatened when they view the experience as just a form of play. In Kokology it's okay to disagree with the interpretation of a quiz answer if it sounds crazy or unbelievable -- that's part of the fun. But I think you'll find more often than not that you're surprised at how accurately the answers reflect people's true personalities, including your own. This makes the game a great way to bridge communication gaps between friends and lovers, to bring you closer together and help you understand each other better, to open up conversations on what might otherwise be difficult, sensitive, or forbidden subjects.

I have tried to make Kokology as entertaining as possible, while keeping true to the principles of psychological science. I hope you enjoy the time you spend playing and that you feel you've learned something about yourself and others in your life when you're done.

Isamu Saito

Professor, Rissho University

Compilation and English translation copyright © 2000 by I.V.S. Television Co., Ltd., and Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

Playing the Game

When we set out to develop Kokology, our first and foremost goal was to make it fun. After all, who in their right mind would want to play a game that isn't? The basic concept was already there -- our plan was to create a game where people would imagine themselves in everyday situations and unusual scenarios and respond to simple questions. The answers are interpreted from a psychological perspective and tell us something about the way that person's mind works. It's kind of like a Rorschach test that uses words instead of inkblots.

The concept was the easy part. The hard part was keeping the balance between science and fun. Professor Saito can vouch for the science; only you can be the judge of whether we've succeeded on the fun side. I'm not a psychologist myself, but I do understand enough about human nature to know that people don't like long introductions -- especially not to a book of games. So I'm going to end by leaving you with a list of eight tips for making your experience with Kokology satisfying, enlightening, and fun.

Enjoy!

-- Tadahiko Nagao

Compilation and English translation copyright © 2000 by I.V.S. Television Co., Ltd., and Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

Eight Tips for Playing Kokology

1. Say the first thing that pops into your head.

The games work best when you don't hesitate or agonize over your choice of words. There are no right or wrong answers, so just relax and say whatever springs to mind.

2. Play with other people if you can.

Kokology can be read alone like any other book, but it's most enjoyable, exciting, and entertaining when you play with a partner or in a group. It's a chance to have a few laughs and get to know each other better. You may find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. On the other hand, you may find you're so incompatible that it's as though you're from different planets. There's only one way to find out for sure.

3. Don't try to predict the answers.

It's natural to want to try to outsmart the quizzes or guess what their hidden meanings may be. But what are you going to learn from that?

4. Be honest with yourself.

Kokology may be only a game, but like any good game, it can teach you something about yourself if you let it. Don't be afraid to accept the truth when a minor fault or shortcoming of yours is exposed. I can sense that you're basically a good, intelligent, and likable person. You bought this book, didn't you?

5. Be prepared.

Some of the quizzes will ask you to write something down or draw a picture, so it's a good idea to have a pen or pencil and some paper handy before you start. Advanced-level Kokologists might want to try videotaping a round of games at the next office party. The expressions on people's faces when their true characters are revealed can be priceless. And the secrets they unwittingly blurt out might be worth good money, too.

6. Don't read ahead.

This goes along with the advice of not trying to guess the answers, but it's directed at the group that likes to read the last page of a mystery novel first. Why not open yourself up to a few surprises? Is it really so satisfying to be able to say, "Oh, I knew it all along"?

7. Watch people's reactions (including your own).

The interpretations to the scenarios given in this book are only a starting point for learning more about yourself and others. Sometimes it's more instructive (and entertaining) to see how someone reacts to an answer that's a bit off target than it is to read an interpretation that's right on the money.

8. Keep an open mind.

In Kokology, as in life, it's important to keep things in perspective. There are no correct answers and more than one way of reading any situation. If you're playing with friends, take the opportunity to learn from and about them. What fun would the world be if we all thought alike? Variety is the spice of life.

Compilation and English translation copyright © 2000 by I.V.S. Television Co., Ltd., and Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

The Blue Bird

One day a blue bird suddenly flies through a window into your room and is trapped. Something about this lost bird attracts you, and you decide to keep it. But to your surprise, the next day the bird has changed color from blue to yellow! This very special bird changes color again overnight -- on the morning of the third day it is bright red, and on the fourth it turns completely black. What color is the bird when you wake up on the fifth day?

1. The bird doesn't change color; it stays black.

2. The bird turns back to its original blue.

3. The bird turns white.

4. The bird turns golden colored.

Key to The Blue Bird

The bird that flew into your room seemed like a symbol of good fortune, but suddenly it changed color, making you worry that happiness would not last. Your reaction to this situation shows how you respond to difficulties and uncertainty in real life.

1. Those who said the bird stays black have a pessimistic outlook.

Do you tend to believe that once a situation goes bad, it never really returns to normal? Maybe you need to try thinking, If this is as bad as it gets, it can't get any worse. Remember, there's no rain that doesn't end and no night so dark that there's no dawn the next day.

2. Those who said the bird turns blue again are practical optimists.

You believe that life is a mix of good and bad and that it doesn't pay to fight against that reality. You accept adversity calmly and let things run their course without undue stress or worry. This outlook lets you ride out the waves of adversity without being swept away.

3. Those who said the bird turns white are cool and decisive under pressure.

You don't waste time on fretting and indecision, even when a crisis develops. If a situation gets too bad, you feel it's better to cut your losses and look for another route to your goal rather than getting bogged down in needless grief. This proactive approach means that things seem to just naturally go your way.

4. Those who said the bird turns golden can be described as fearless.

You don't know the meaning of pressure. To you, every crisis is an opportunity. You might be compared with Napoleon, who said, "...impossible: the word is not French." But be careful not to let your boundless confidence get the best of you. It's a very fine line between fearless and foolhardy.

Compilation and English translation copyright © 2000 by I.V.S. Television Co., Ltd., and Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

A Night at the Symphony

There's something magical about a night at the symphony -- a sense of expectation and pure pleasure. Imagine being able to take a place on that stage among the other musicians, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform at your very best.

If you could join the orchestra, what instrument do you see yourself playing?

1. Violin

2. String bass

3. Trumpet

4. Flute

Key to A Night at the Symphony

Musical instruments are symbolic of members of the opposite sex. The pairing of you and your instrument shows how you perceive yourself in making the music of love. The instrument you chose gives insight into what you think of as you...

Customer Reviews

Missed the mark for us
I bought this book as something fun and interactive to do with my husband. I give it two stars because it is something to get you talking and discussing feelings and opinions even if you disagree with the book. That beats just sitting on the couch watching tv. Otherwise though we both felt this book wasn't very revealing and often missed the mark for us entirely. For example, in one question it asks you to describe how you would feel standing in the open door of a flying airplane getting ready to parachute for the first time. In the answer section it says your response indicates how you feel when you are about to have sex with someone for the first time. Okay, how many people wouldn't answer that question with words like nervous anticipation or exhilaration? Both of us did at any rate. Not very revealing. My friend said terrified because she is afraid of heights but she completely rejected the idea that she experiences terror at the prospect of sex. I would imagine alot of people might describe themselves as being fearful of parchuting out of an airplane but not necessarily be quaking with fear in bed.
There were also a lot of questions that seemed to be geared to tapping into your subconcious feelings but for us concrete life experience seemed to skew the results. For instance, in one scenerio you are suppose to be searching for gems and it asks you to describe the size and type of gem you searched for. The answer key says the gem you described is a symbol of your sense of self worth. My husband had described a small not very valuable type of mineral but only because the question brought back happy memories of looking for this on hikes with his father as a child. We both felt that this sort of thing came up rather often for us.

Too simplistic (2 stars for people under 15... 1 star for adults)
I ordered this book for something fun to do with friends. When I received it I previewed a few of the tests, and was disappointed. The "results" of the tests are simplistic, inaccurate, and seem geared toward the mentality and humour of a junior high or maybe high school student. I continued to read the entire book for any tests that my adult friends might have fun with, and found 95% of them to be ridiculous. It is not the themes or questions asked, but the conclusions drawn that are lacking. I won't give any away here, but the test results bring the same reaction(wince and groan)as a bland, corny joke - when the punch line is coming and is so obvious, but you hope to be surprised with something original...and it does not happen.
This is one of the rare books that I have thrown in the garbage rather than keep or pass on. If you are looking for a similar book for group fun or personal enjoyment there are so many others that would be more enjoyable. A few I could recommend are "Who Are You?: 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself" and "The Cube."

Kokology: the game for the 21st century.
Did you ever wonder who are you and why you do the things you do? Well, this book is the microscope into your soul you've been looking for. Although this book is supposed to be a game, there is a serious element to it that cannot be ignored. This is a portible version of a psychologists,psychoanalyist, and counselor all in one. The only difference is that you would not need repeated costly visits that will leave you hating yourself or your parents. The advice given at the end of each game is gentle and suggestive that would not leave anyone feeling inferior or uncomfortable. I even recommend young adults reading this book to discover themselves without the pain of playing with drugs or other avenues of experimentation. After having read and done the self-discovering excerises, one could put down the book and re-read it after a season to note the changes in lifestyle made. It is alot of fun to use at a party but also by yourself. I hope a second book is in the works, I am one of many Kokology addicts and fans. GET THIS BOOK, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!