About

My name is Kanako Taku. I am a professor in the Department of Psychology at Oakland University.

I run a research lab, FF-TIP (Free Form Tipping Point), that studies human experiences of the moment of change, tipping point, in social attitudes, cognition, perception, and emotion. Since 2008, we have also conducted a series of surveys, experiments, and interviews on individual differences and cross-cultural differences in how people experience various life events psychologically, cognitively, socially, and spiritually.

Over the past few years, our research interest has shifted and we now focus more on perceived judgment of changes. We know some people “changed” but we don’t necessarily know when exactly they changed. Similarly, we know some people “know” they changed, but we don’t know how much information they would need to determine how they changed. For instance, coaches, teachers, and doctors may have to decide if their clients, students, and patients get better without relying on numeric assessments. Clients, students, and patients also judge if they are getting worse or better. Some people may feel burnout and yet, only some of them quit their job and others stay but we don’t know what may trigger these changes. These “change perceptions” as well as “change actions” are our research focus and we study the moment of changes by using the keyword, “tipping point”.

Here, you will find:

This is a non-profit, link-free personal website owned and maintained by Kanako Taku, Professor at Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Michigan.