#faculty
Noriko Yamagishi山岸 典子
Professor by Special Appointment
Ph.D., Purdue University
Email : yamagisi [at] fc.ritsumei.ac.jp (Replace "[at]" with “@")
Office Location : AC5415
Education History /
Work Experience
Ph.D. awarded from Purdue University (Department of Psychological Sciences)
Master of Science awarded from Purdue University (Department of Psychological Sciences)
MBA awarded from McGill University (DESAUTELS Faculty of Management), Dean’s Honor List
I received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Purdue University (U.S.) in 1995 and later earned an MBA from McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management in 2016, graduating on the Dean’s Honor List. Following her doctorate, I conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Diego (School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology), where I investigated medical applications of cognitive psychology. I then joined Royal Holloway, University of London, where I began integrating psychophysical methods with neuroimaging techniques such as MEG. From 1997 to 2013, I served as a senior researcher at the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), advancing the neuroscience of vision using fMRI and MEG. In 2013, I joined the Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), where I led the Visual Dynamics Group. Since 2019, I have served as a professor at Ritsumeikan University’s College of Global Liberal Arts, where I mainly teach neuroscience and cognitive psychology.
Specialization /
Research Interests
Research keywords
Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, Vision, Attention, Positive Psychology, Well-being
Specialization / Research Interests
I specialize in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, with a focus on vision, attention, and their roles in human cognition and motivation. My early research examined the neural mechanisms of visual attention and consciousness, using psychophysical methods in combination with fMRI and MEG to reveal how attentional states modulate activity in the visual cortex and predict behavioral performance. Building on this foundation, my current work explores positive psychological states, particularly gratitude, as attentional reorientation mechanisms that enhance motivation, work engagement, and well-being across educational and organizational contexts.
See more on Yamagishi Vision Dynamics Laboratory
Message to Students
In times of rapid social and technological change, understanding human behavior and making sense of complex information are increasingly important. Navigating such uncertainty requires not only knowledge, but also the ability to communicate with others, formulate hypotheses, and evaluate ideas based on evidence. My expertise in cognitive psychology and neuroscience emphasizes data-driven reasoning as a foundation for sound judgment and decision-making. These scientific ways of thinking help us move beyond assumptions, engage constructively with diverse perspectives, and respond thoughtfully to change. At the College of Global Liberal Arts, students are encouraged to cultivate these intellectual and interpersonal capacities in a global context. I hope that GLA graduates will develop the analytical rigor, communicative sensitivity, and resilience needed not only to live meaningfully, but also to take leadership roles and contribute responsibly to society.