Abstract Previous research on third‐party punishment has predominantly focused on single situational variables, often neglecting the interaction between individual dispositions and external contexts. Grounded in the Chinese cultural context, the present research investigates how self‐construal and social distance jointly shape third‐party punishment under different outcome‐framing contexts, specifically in situations in which unfair behaviour leads to either benefits for the transgressor or losses for the victim, within hypothetical resource allocation scenarios. Study 1 ( N = 80) showed that individuals with a chronic interdependent self‐construal imposed stronger punishment in loss than gain contexts. Study 2 ( N = 91) replicated this pattern using situationally induced self‐construal. Study 3 ( N = 68) further revealed that punishment was generally weaker towards socially close (vs. distant) transgressors, but for close others, punishment was significantly stronger in loss than gain contexts. These findings extend existing research on third‐party punishment by considering the interaction between individual dispositions and situational factors and by highlighting the critical moderating role of social relationships in the psychological mechanisms underlying norm enforcement.
Focusing on a resource scarcity situation, this research examines the interplay between resource scarcity and a positive emotion (i.e., gratitude, authentic or hubristic pride) on individuals' donation. Correlational (Study 1) and experimental methods (Studies 2-4) are adopted. In Study 1, higher gratitude correlates with higher affiliation motivation and higher hubristic pride correlates with higher status motivation. Individuals with higher authentic pride seem to have higher affiliation and status motivation. When hubristic pride is elicited (Study 2), affiliation motivation decreases in the resource scarcity condition (vs. non-scarcity), leading to a reduction in donation intention. Grateful and authentic proud participants (Study 3), compared to participants in a neutral emotion condition, are more likely to donate when perceiving resource scarcity (vs. non-scarcity). The increase in likelihood to donate is mediated by higher affiliation motivation, but not status motivation. Study 4 indicates the grateful participants maintain, whereas hubristic proud counterparts decrease in donation amount when perceiving resource scarcity (vs. non-scarcity). These findings offer innovative angles involving positive emotions to promote cause-related donation in a shrinking economic environment.
Case information focusing on a particular person does not provide representative evidence on the risks or benefits for a given population. However, research on judgement and decision-making has revealed that statistical information focusing on the population is much less influential on recipients than case information, as exemplified by the identifiable victim effect. On the other hand, studies on persuasion have reported that explanatory messages accompanied by statistical evidence change individuals' attitudes more than the narratives alone. Such findings suggest that statistical information can be influential when accompanied by explanations of what the numbers imply. However, few studies have attempted to test this hypothesis in risk perception research. The present study investigated how statistical information with explanations influenced the perceived effectiveness of a measure for reducing disaster risk, earthquake early warnings (EEWs). The results of two studies (N = 1423), using actual statistics and person-focused scenarios, showed that adding an explanation to negatively framed statistics indicating the ineffectiveness of EEWs reduced participants' perceived effectiveness. In contrast, positively framed statistics with an explanation did not change participants' perceptions. This study not only replicated previous findings on case information but also provided new insights into how statistical information could impact individuals' perceptions.
This study explores how Samin (Sedulur Sikep) youth in Kudus, Central Java, understand meaning in life and how culturally rooted values shape their worldview amidst modern industrial pressures. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis of semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected participants, we identified three overarching themes: harmony with nature, spiritual inheritance from ancestors and social responsibility within the community. Drawing on Schnell's (The psychology of meaning in life, 2021) existential dimensions, the findings reveal that meaning is constructed through horizontal and vertical self-transcendence rather than individualistic self-actualization. Values of simplicity, honesty and respect for nature underpin everyday conduct and provide a moral compass for ontological resilience. The study contributes to cross-cultural and indigenous psychology by demonstrating how holistic thinking organizes meaning-making processes and by refining accounts of psychological well-being in communities that preserve traditional lifeways. Implications include the need for culturally responsive interventions and participatory research models that acknowledge spiritual ecological ethics and communal reciprocity in youth development.
People do not only feel guilty for transgressions that they are causally responsible for (i.e., personal guilt); they also feel guilty for transgressions committed by those they identify as ingroup members (i.e., group-based guilt). It is not clear how group-based guilt influences people's intertemporal choices. To explore the effects of group-based guilt on individuals' intertemporal choices and the moderating role of making intertemporal choices for oneself and others, three studies were conducted. Study 1a first examined the effect of group-based guilt on individuals' intertemporal choices; Study 1b further examined this effect under compensated conditions. Study 2 examined the effect of group-based guilt on intertemporal choices for oneself and others. Results showed that group-based guilt increased delay discounting compared to control condition. When making choices for themselves, group-based guilt increased delay discounting; in contrast, when making choices for others, this effect was attenuated. In conclusion, group-based guilt leads to short-sighted choices especially when people making choices for themselves than others.
Perceived partner phubbing has emerged as a significant factor associated with reduced marital satisfaction, yet the longitudinal associations between perceived partner phubbing, need fulfilment and marital satisfaction remain understudied. To address this gap, the present study examined the reciprocal prospective associations between these variables. A sample of 310 Chinese heterosexual newlywed couples (Mage = 28.92, SD = 2.92 for husbands; Mage = 27.96, SD = 2.57 for wives) completed questionnaires assessing perceived partner phubbing, need fulfilment and marital satisfaction at three time points with 6-month intervals. Our findings revealed bidirectional associations between need fulfilment and perceived partner phubbing/marital satisfaction, but only among husbands. Among wives, unidirectional associations were observed from need fulfilment to perceived partner phubbing/marital satisfaction, as well as from marital satisfaction to perceived partner phubbing. These findings shed light on gender differences in the dynamic associations between perceived partner phubbing, need fulfilment and marital satisfaction and extend existing research within the framework of self-determination theory.
Individuals who have done good deeds sometimes try to conceal them. However, it has been understudied what factors shape individuals' concealment of prosociality. We address this question by adopting a socio-ecological perspective to investigate what societal factors may facilitate or hinder concealment of prosociality. We hypothesize that lower relational mobility, or less freedom of relational choice in society, will be associated with less positive and more negative expected reputations when one's prosociality is publicized, which, in turn, will predict a higher tendency among individuals to conceal prosociality. Across a cross-sectional survey (Study 1) and an experiment (Study 2) (N = 531), although the total effect of relational mobility was not significant, mediation analyses consistently showed that lower relational mobility was associated with a more negative expected reputation and, in turn, a higher likelihood of concealing prosociality. These findings underscore the significant role of social ecology in shaping individuals' decisions to actively hide their prosocial acts via the expected cost of its publicity, offering insights into the complexities of reputation management and human behaviour.
Entrepreneurship has been conceptualized as a dichotomous choice for a long time, which blends two types of entrepreneurship (i.e., part-time and full-time) and consequently hinders our understanding of entrepreneurial activities. Drawing on real options perspective, we theorize that the certainty related to paid employment (i.e., perceived job security) may increase personal further investment in wage employment, indicated by the affective organizational commitment. The high affective commitment would, in turn, influence an individual's intention to enter part-time versus full-time entrepreneurship. In addition, we further suggest that core self-evaluation moderates the relationship between affective organizational commitment and entrepreneurial intentions. Drawing on one cross-sectional and one time-lagged self-report survey (N 1 = 360; N 2 = 376), we find consistent evidence supporting our hypotheses. The study offers a more nuanced understanding of the career choices employees may consider across different employment certainties and identifies the conditions under which employees are inclined to pursue entrepreneurial ideas on a part-time or full-time basis.
With the widespread use of mobile social media, individuals are increasingly embedded in a state of being 'constantly online and always reachable'. In the Chinese cultural context, technological tools, social expectations and interpersonal ethics converge to give rise to a distinctive digital phenomenon-compulsory connectivity. This refers to the psychological state in which individuals maintain persistent social connections under non-voluntary, externally driven pressures. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, Social Surveillance Theory, the Need to Belong Theory and Sheldon's Dual-Process Model, this study systematically analyses the psychological mechanisms and behavioural outcomes of compulsory connectivity. It proposes the Compulsory Connectivity Psychological Adaptation Model (CCPAM), which illustrates how basic psychological needs are frustrated under such conditions, leading individuals-via motivational, emotional and cognitive mediators-towards either an exhausting withdrawal path or an adaptive reconstruction path. Grounded in China's workplace culture, family ethics and social norms, the model also highlights the moderating role of cultural values in shaping connection experiences. Finally, the paper outlines future research directions, including scale development, empirical validation, cross-cultural comparison and intervention design. This review contributes to understanding the psychological foundations of digital-era connection stress and offers theoretical guidance for enhancing social autonomy and mental well-being.
This study, based on data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N = 9894), employed ordered logistic regression and random forest models to examine the impact of social quality on the subjective well-being of older adults in China and its generational differences. The findings revealed that social cohesion, social inclusion and social empowerment had significant and positive effects on the subjective well-being of older adults. In contrast, the quantity of social security benefits within the dimension of socioeconomic security negatively influenced well-being, possibly due to conflicts among different types of social security, leading to a mismatch between older adults' expectations and actual benefits. The study further identified that living environment, self-efficacy, external and internal integration perceptions, and interpersonal trust are critical social quality factors influencing the subjective well-being of older adults across all cohorts. Additionally, the impact of socioeconomic security was found to be weaker for earlier cohorts (1920s/1930s). This study expands the application of social quality theory, highlighting the central role of non-economic factors in shaping the well-being of older adults. It also provides important insights for optimizing social security policies and improving the quality of life for older adults.
This study examines the mechanisms of intergenerational support in large Kazakhstani families, including those that cannot adapt to new conditions. A mixed methods approach combines hierarchical regression modelling (quantitative assessment of financial transfers, psychological resilience and reciprocity of care), clustering algorithms (identification of household interaction typologies) and qualitative thematic analysis (narrative study of roles and interdependence of generations). The study involved 36 intergenerational dyads, totalling 72 participants, of whom 55% resided in urban areas and 45% in rural settings. Preliminary findings revealed associations that require verification through longitudinal research on larger samples: daily intergenerational communication enhances psychological well-being (beta = 0.41, p < 0.01), while financial support from older relatives contributes to economic stability, reaching 80% in closely interacting families and only 5% in those with weak intergenerational ties. The findings highlight the need for structured yet flexible intergenerational interaction-political initiatives promoting 'formal caregiving for grandparents' could reduce parental stress by 32% while supporting economic adaptability (+21% in perceived household stability); future research should include biometric stress indicators and longitudinal data to reflect the dynamic evolution of intergenerational networks in the context of accelerating urbanization.
Under the 'dual-carbon' strategic framework, the development of shared express packaging recycling has become an important pathway to promote the logistics sector's green transformation. Community residents act as key participants in the reverse recycling of express packaging, and their recycling behaviours directly influence the effectiveness of related initiatives. Although community-based express packaging recycling is increasingly common, the potential role of residents' sense of community psychological ownership in motivating such behaviours remains underexplored. This article presents a serial mediation model to examine how community psychological ownership is activated through strategies that reduce psychological distance. Across four studies (n = 820), we find that community psychological ownership significantly and positively affects consumers' willingness to recycle express packaging, both directly and indirectly through the serial mediation of community attachment and perceived responsibility. These results offer theoretical insights and practical guidance for implementing green logistics initiatives in community settings.
Research on social categorization has largely emphasized intrinsic cues such as gender, while the role of structural cues remains underexplored. Drawing on structuralist perspectives, this research directly compared the dominance of social setting cues, a concrete form of structural cues, and gender cues in social categorization and category-based induction. Across three studies with five experiments, participants completed triad tasks using both minimal 'ID card' and ecological photo paradigms. Results consistently showed that when both cues co-occurred, participants prioritized social setting cues over gender, and this dominance generalized across categorization and induction. Study 3 further revealed that the advantage of social setting cues was stronger in categorization than in induction. These findings extend structural accounts by grounding them in concrete social settings, offer new insight into how structural cues shape core social cognitive processes and suggest practical strategies for reducing reliance on gender stereotypes in daily interactions.
Although research on the mental health of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) in Japan remains limited, existing studies suggest that many experience psychological distress due to societal stigma. However, little work has examined these experiences within a cultural framework that considers intragroup dynamics and social identity processes. This study addressed this gap by testing the cross-cultural applicability of the Intragroup Status and Health (ISAH) model among Japanese SGM (n = 222). The model posits that perceived status within one's minority group can have both direct benefits and indirect costs for mental health through identity-related mechanisms. Results indicated that the original ISAH model treating identity importance and identity-salience as a unified construct (identity-centrality) best fit the Japanese data, suggesting that these identity dimensions may be psychologically indistinct in collectivist contexts. Intragroup status was positively associated with mental health, both directly and indirectly, though indirect pathways through perceived discrimination partially offset these benefits. Subgroup analyses further revealed that model relationships were consistent across gender identities but varied by disclosure status and sexual orientation. Overall, findings support the ISAH model's relevance to Japanese SGM while underscoring cultural variation in how minority identities are structured and linked to mental health.
Adolescence marks an important stage in attachment development, during which parental parenting plays a significant role in shaping adolescent outcomes. This study explored the bidirectional relationship between parental overparenting and adolescents' attachment style. To this end, we used a two-wave cross-lagged model over a 6-month interval with a sample of primary and middle school students (N = 1897) from Sichuan Province, China. Results showed that maternal and paternal overparenting positively predicted both attachment anxiety and avoidance. Adolescents' attachment anxiety and avoidance also predicted parental overparenting. In addition, paternal overparenting did not predict maternal attachment style, and maternal overparenting did not predict paternal attachment style. These findings indicated that overparenting may link to the reinforcement of adolescents' attachment styles, which may in turn encourage further overparenting. The results of this study not only deepened our understanding of attachment theory but also provideed guidance for optimising family educational practices.
Culture fusion, defined as the blending of two cultural representations, can promote negative reactions based on perceived contamination of and symbolic threat to the heritage culture. In three experiments, we examined the possibility that such negative reactions to culture fusion may be responsible for exclusionary attitudes toward immigrants. We predicted that culture fusion would occur when an immigrant occupies a position that is representative of the host culture. We also tested whether the immigrant's cultural attitudes would moderate the effect of host cultural representativeness. Across three studies, Japanese participants (N = 1421) read a scenario depicting an American immigrant who had either a culturally representative (e.g. Shinto priest) or a non-representative occupation (e.g. bank worker). In addition, he was described as either willing to assimilate into Japanese culture or maintain American attitudes. The results revealed that the priest immigrant elicited stronger opposition to immigration, especially when he maintained foreign attitudes. In addition, disgust consistently mediated the effect of host cultural representativeness, with a lower impact from symbolic threat. More notably, the immigrant's (non-)assimilative attitudes were consistently a key determinant of the opposition. However, when the sacred element of cultural representativeness was removed, the aversive response toward the scenario character was diminished. Implications and mitigating factors are discussed concerning when immigrants are seen as a case of culture fusion.
Alongside collectivism-individualism, autonomy-embeddedness, and monumentalism-flexibility, emancipative values (EV) constitute one of the most powerful cultural markers of societal differences in economic development, demographic change, and levels of liberal democracy. However, the evolutionary emancipation theory's validity relies on the assumption that values crystallize in early adolescence and persist across the lifespan-a premise lacking robust empirical scrutiny. Given EV's significance, this study examines their dynamics in Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic, using three waves (June 2020-December 2021) of the international longitudinal survey 'Values in Crisis'. Aggregate-level analysis supports the 'baseline stability theorem', revealing no substantial decline in EV. However, divergent trends emerge for EV components: choice values undergo a marginal increase, while equality values show a slight decline. At the individual level, pandemic-related experiences, that is, COVID-19 infection, job loss, or health anxiety, exhibit no significant effect on choice values; however, equality values demonstrate a weak positive association with the increase in economic concerns. Latent growth mixture modelling further indicates that considerable EV shifts occurred in only similar to 2% of the panel sample. These findings provide novel evidence that core values remain stable even amid unprecedented exogenous shocks, reinforcing the 'baseline stability theorem' despite severe threats to health and economic security.
Guilt is recognized as a social and moral emotion that drives prosocial behavior, typically through actions to repair relationships with victims, often at a personal cost. Prior research has yielded mixed results regarding compensatory behavior: In some instances, guilt prompted individuals to redirect resources away from unrelated others (observed in the Netherlands) or from themselves (observed in Romania and Japan) to compensate the victim. This study aimed to address these inconsistencies through two preregistered replication experiments, examining the role of relational mobility as a potential moderating factor across different cultural contexts. Contrary to initial findings, our results from Experiment 1 in Japan (n = 254), Experiment 2 in Japan and the Netherlands (n = 263 and 300, respectively), and an exploratory statistical modeling revealed a consistent pattern where guilt led to compensation directed at the victim, sacrificing own resources, irrespective of the country or levels of perceived relational mobility.
Cross‐cultural psychology (C‐CP) and Indigenous psychology (IP) represent two distinct yet complementary approaches for bringing cultural issues into psychology. These methodological orientations diverge primarily in their focus: C‐CP emphasises measurement equivalence of concepts, identifying universal truths across cultures as these truths are revealed in different cultural contexts. In its search for generalisability, however, C‐CP may overlook key details that can more fully capture the psychological realities operating in the specific cultures being examined. In contrast, IP emphasises the importance of cultural and social contexts in understanding psychological phenomena operative in a given society. However, the concepts and theories developed in IP are often viewed as over‐particularistic by outsiders. While C‐CP often adopts a dis‐embedded and externally imposed framework, IP may struggle with maintaining objectivity and faces challenges in conducting meaningful cross‐cultural comparisons. By introducing culturally grounded and contextually embedded concepts and methods, this paper seeks to highlight how future research can address key shortcomings found in both C‐CP and IP approaches. In our search for developing a more equitable global psychology, this paper describes the ‘ reflexive etic approach ’ of combining the concepts from both established and emerging indigenous psychologies to promote and develop more contextually sensitive research and theories about how an individual's culture matters in shaping that individual's behaviour.
