Frontier Research for Transhumanistic Studies: Scale Development by Prof. Benjamin Sheehan
The IUJ Research Institute (IRI) hosts a monthly Lunch Seminar, offering Professors from IUJ and affiliated institutions a platform to share their research with the IUJ community in a relaxed and collegial setting.
For students, faculty, and staff, these seminars provide a valuable opportunity to explore ongoing projects and gain interdisciplinary insights.
This month, we were honored to welcome Prof. Benjamin Sheehan as our guest speaker. Professor Sheehan presented his pioneering work on the Transhumanist Readiness Scale (TRS). Transhumanism—a philosophy, value system, and societal movement—advocates using technology to transcend biological limits and enhance human performance. Drawing on qualitative data, expert opinions, and factor analysis, Professor Sheehan identified three core dimensions of transhumanism: body modification, mental enhancement, and life extension. From this foundation, he developed a concise, 9-item instrument to measure an individual’s willingness to embrace transhumanist modifications.
During the seminar, Professor Sheehan provided an in-depth explanation of the scale development process, including how he established its reliability, validity, and predictive power. He also showcased research from two of his supervisees, demonstrating the practical applications of the scale. Concluding his presentation, he outlined a comprehensive future research agenda aimed at exploring the implications of transhumanism as it becomes increasingly relevant to brands, consumers, and society. Following the presentation, heated discussions ensued on both the scale development for rigorous research and the exciting implications for transhumanistic research.
We look forward to hosting more engaging seminars on a wide range of topics in the future and encourage everyone to participate!
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Office of Research Institute
ori@iuj.ac.jp
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