In this research area, Chikazoe (Araya Inc., National Institute for Physiological Sciences), an expert in fMRI research using machine learning, aims to reconstruct academic disciplines in the humanities through an approach centered upon affect. He is assisted by Mochihashi (The Institute of Statistical Mathematics), who specializes in natural language processing; Watanabe (The University of Tokyo), an expert in microeconomics; and Ishizu (Kansai University), a specialist in neuro aesthetics.

Through research in psychology, linguistics, economics, and aesthetics, combined with fMRI technology, the area members aim to visualize affective information that was previously considered invisible and identify the impacts of affect on cognitive processes, linguistic representations, economic activities, and art. Starting from research activities in this area, the members' ultimate objective is to create a new academic discipline, “affective informatics”, which both combines and exceeds the fields of psychology, linguistics, economics, and aesthetics.