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25 February 2025, Volume 57 Issue 2 Previous Issue   
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Reports of Empirical Studies


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Influence of sustained visual attention on the prioritization of visual working memory LIAN Haomin, ZHANG Qian, GU Xuemin, LI Shouxin 2025, 57 (2):  191-206.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0191 Abstract ( 4 )   Individuals prioritize certain important information based on task demands, which facilitates the processing of prioritized Visual Working Memory (VWM) items. However, the role of sustained visual attention in VWM prioritization remains unclear. Some evidence suggests that visual attention is involved in VWM prioritization, while other evidence indicates a dissociation between visual attention and VWM prioritization. Considering the variability in the number of items across VWM tasks in previous studies, this study examined whether the role of sustained visual attention in VWM prioritization was modulated by working memory resources. When working memory resources were insufficient, sustained visual attention was required to maintain the prioritized item, while it was not required when working memory resources were sufficient. Additionally, we investigated the neural basis of VWM prioritization using the simultaneous acquisition technique of event-related potentials and event-related optical signals (ERP-EROS). Our study included five experiments, with 24, 23, 24, 24, and 17 Chinese participants in Experiments 1a, 1b, 1c, 2, and 3, respectively. In Experiments 1 and 2, a recall report paradigm was used. Participants performed VWM tasks with one prioritized item in Experiment 1 and two prioritized items in Experiment 2. Additionally, across Experiments 1 and 2, participants performed a visual attention task during the VWM maintenance phase. In Experiment 3, we employed a change detection paradigm. Participants completed VWM tasks with no prioritized item and with one prioritized item, and their brain activity under these different prioritization conditions was recorded. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed to prioritize one VWM item. Visual attention was consumed by single visual attention task (Exp. 1a) and double visual attention task (Exp. 1b). Furthermore, visual attention was consumed by manipulating the durations of task presentation (early vs. late; Exp. 1c). The results consistently indicated that the memory accuracy of non-prioritized items was disrupted by the visual attention task, while the prioritized item remained unaffected. In Experiment 2, participants were required to prioritize two VWM items and performed a single visual attention task. We found that both prioritized and non-prioritized items were disrupted by the visual attention task. Results from Experiment 3 revealed that compared to neutral cues without VWM prioritization, informative cues indicating prioritization of one item elicited a larger late positive component (LPC) and negative slow wave (NSW), as well as higher activation in the prefrontal and occipital cortices during the maintenance phase. The results indicated that the role of visual attention in VWM prioritization was modulated by working memory resources. When working memory resources were insufficient, sustained visual attention was required to maintain the prioritized item, whereas it was not necessary when working memory resources were sufficient. The neural basis of VWM prioritization likely involves the activation of the frontal and occipital cortices during the maintenance phase, as well as the allocation of more working memory resources to enhance the stability of the representation of the prioritized item. Our study offers a reasonable explanation for the controversy surrounding the role of visual attention in VWM prioritization in previous research. Furthermore, it sheds further light on the neural mechanisms underlying VWM prioritization from a perspective of high temporal and spatial resolution. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The effects of task unpacking on time prediction: The role of future boundaries and thought focus SHI Zifu, XIA Biqi, LIU Xin, CHEN Huohong, JIN Ziyang, PENG Lingyi 2025, 57 (2):  207-217.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0207 Abstract ( 3 )   People often need to predict how long tasks will take to complete. However, due to cognitive stinginess when tackling problems, individuals frequently exhibit irrational decision-making bias in planning long-term goals, leading to underestimations of task completion time, such as planning fallacy. A comparison between the theory of planning fallacy and existing research suggests that this bias may be related to the time clue of the task—the future boundary. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of task unpacking on time prediction and its cognitive mechanism under different time clues by setting the future boundary. To investigate this, three experiments involving 458 college students were conducted, examining the impact of task unpacking and future boundary on time prediction and their cognitive mechanisms. Specifically, Experiment 1 employed a 2 (task unpacking: unpacking/packing) × 2 (future boundary: present/ absent) between-subjects design. The results showed that: (1) When no future boundary was present, the time predictions in the task unpacking condition were significantly shorter than those in the task packing condition. (2) When a future boundary was present, there was no significant difference in time predictions between the task unpacking and packing conditions. Based on Experiment 1, Experiment 2 further investigated the effect of the time span of the future boundary on time prediction by manipulating the temporal distance between the future boundary and the present. The time span of the future boundary was determined through a pre-experiment, and the formal experiment adopted a 2 (task unpacking: unpacking/packing) × 3 (future boundary time span: short/medium/long) between-subjects design. The results showed that: (1) The longer the time span of the future boundary, the significantly longer the time predictions. (2) Under the condition of short future boundary time span, the time predictions for task unpacking were significantly longer than those for task packing. Under the condition of long future boundary time span, the time predictions for task unpacking were significantly shorter than those for task packing. There was no significant difference between task unpacking and packing under a medium time span of the future boundary. On the basis of Experiment 2, Experiment 3 further explored the cognitive mechanism underlying the effects of future boundary time span on time prediction under task unpacking condition. A single factor two-level (future boundary time span: short/ long) between-subject design was used. The results revealed that: (1) In the short time span condition, participants focused more on the plan, while in the long time span condition, they considered obstacles more frequently. (2) Thought focus partially mediated the effect of the future boundary time span on time prediction. When the future boundary time span was shorter, participants paid more attention to the task execution plan, resulting in lower time predictions. Conversely, when the future boundary time span was longer, participants focused more on potential obstacles, leading to longer time predictions. The findings of this study indicate that: (1) Task unpacking influences time prediction. (2) When the future boundary time span is longer, task unpacking exhibits a contraction effect; when the future boundary time span is shorter, it shows an expansion effect. (3) Under the task unpacking condition, the longer the future boundary time span, the more people tend to focus on obstacles, resulting in longer time predictions; the shorter the future boundary time span, the more people tend to focus on the plan, leading to shorter time predictions. Thought focus partially mediates the effect of future boundary time span on time prediction. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Developmental differences in generalizable neural representations driven by multiple emotional and cognitive tasks HAO Lei, XU Tianwei, ZHOU Wenlong, YANG Jie, PENG Siya, LIU Minglan, XU Jiahua, WANG Yanpei, TAN Shuping, GAO Jiahong, HE Yong, TAO Sha, DONG Qi, QIN Shaozheng 2025, 57 (2):  218-231.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0218 Abstract ( 2 )   From the perspective of development, childhood is one of the most critical stage during brain development: neural system and cognitive behavior undergo a prolonged and intricate developmental process. A central question in developmental cognitive neuroscience pertains to how our brain develop highly specialized yet interacting neural modules to support a wide spectrum of cognitive and emotional functions. It is still inconclusive how these neural systems interplay and work together to promote cognitive and emotional maturation. The early maturational perspective believed that as the anatomical structure of a specific cortical area matures, each neural module will “perform their duties” to support the development of corresponding cognitive functions. Later, the interactive specialization theory argued that there is a special brain function module with the properties of a general developmental architecture to support the development of different cognitive abilities, which can co-activate in multiple neurobiological models. Recently, researchers proposed a multi-demand system model, where the frontal-parietal network system supports various cognitive functions through diverse neural activation modes, fostering cognitive flexibility, and playing a role in coordinating and integrating different levels of neural computing resources across cognitive domains during children’s brain development. Based on the interactive specialization and multi-demand system model, the present study put forward the scientific questions: whether the multi-demand frontal-parietal system have a general neural representation pattern under different cognitive subdomain tasks, and how this pattern supports the development of children’s multiple cognitive domains through a hierarchical distributed neural representation organization. Integrating traditional developmental psychology with non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging in cognitive neuroscience, we used multiple task paradigm (attention network test, numerical N-Back working memory and emotion matching tasks) across cognitive domains and innovative hierarchical distributed neural representation modeling to explore a general neural representation framework and its developmental rules for multiple cognitive domains. By building hierarchical distributed neural representation modeling method across multiple cognitive domains, we systematically investigate the developmental patterns of neural information representation in children and adults. The results indicated that both children and adults exhibited the phenomenon of the multiple-demand frontoparietal system (including the intraparietal sulcus and frontal eye area) jointly participating in a variety of emotional and cognitive tasks, that is, co-activation across tasks; it is worth emphasizing that the multiple-demand frontoparietal system in children showed lower levels of generalizability of neural representations across tasks, whereas the anterior cingulate gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and anterior insula, which were used as control analyses, did not show differences in generalizability between the groups. We speculate that the multi-demand frontoparietal system may serve as a potential universal “hub” during development. Through compositional information coding organization, it can enable hierarchical neural representation and computation driven by different task goals, thereby supports the development of emotional and cognitive functions with age. This study breaks through the current research framework of developmental cognitive neuroscience from the perspective of a single-task paradigm and is expected to provide new insights into the working principles of brain development across emotional and cognitive domains, as well as to inspire the new artificial intelligence algorithms. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A brain network study on the influence of a depressive tendency on self-focused reappraisal and situation-focused reappraisal SUN Yan, WANG Yijin, HOU Peiyu, FENG Xue, LAN Fan 2025, 57 (2):  232-246.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0232 Abstract ( 6 )   Depression inclination is the state between normal depressed mood and depression that meets clinical diagnostic criteria. If a depressed mood is continuously induced and cannot be transferred, it increases the likelihood of the development of clinical depression. Cognitive reappraisal, which includes self-focused reappraisal and situation-focused reappraisal, is the most widely used and effective emotion regulation strategy. The regulatory effects of these two strategies and the changes in brain network characteristics in individuals with an inclination towards depression are still unclear. In this study, complex networks were used to investigate the moderating effects and brain network characteristics of individuals inclined toward depression during self-focused reappraisal and situation-focused reappraisal tasks. The results of the cognitive reappraisal task indicated that undergraduate students inclined toward depression had lower emotional valence scores overall compared to the control group, although there was no significant difference in arousal scores. The results of the brain network analysis for the cognitive reappraisal task revealed that clustering coefficients, local efficiency, and maximum mediated centrality were significantly different between the depression inclination group and the control group; local brain area differences between the two groups of subjects were mainly located in the limbic lobe, frontal lobe and parietal lobe. These findings suggest that abnormal topological neural mechanisms may impair negative emotion regulation in individuals with an inclination towards depression and provide new insights into the prevention and improvement of depression symptoms. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Reciprocal associations between identity confusion and adolescent NSSI: The longitudinal mediation effect of alienation GU Honglei, YU Weiming, CHENG Yufang 2025, 57 (2):  247-259.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0247 Abstract ( 2 )   Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the deliberate, direct, and socially unacceptable destruction of one’s own body tissue without a conscious suicidal intent. This behavior has become a major public health problem among adolescents. The initial occurrence of NSSI and its subsequent peak periods often coincide with the identity crisis stage of adolescents. Identity confusion represents a sense of feeling “mixed up, ” that is, being unable to enact and maintain lasting commitments to life alternatives and lacking a clear sense of purpose and direction. Considerable evidence has linked identity confusion to NSSI. According to the identity-NSSI interplay model, NSSI may serve as a means of developing a sense of identity (i.e., “I am a self-injurer”), which goes against the common values and attitudes in society. The destabilization of a self-injurer may lead individuals to a further increased sense of identity diffusion. Based on this theory, the present study tested the bidirectional association between identity confusion and adolescents’ NSSI as well as the mediating role of alienation and the moderating role of gender in this association. A sample of 1258 Chinese middle school students (50.1% girls; Mage at Wave 1 = 13.81 years) completed self-report questionnaires regarding identity confusion, alienation, and NSSI at three time points (called T1, T2, and T3), with 6-month intervals. The random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was employed to separate between- and within-person effects, and to test the mediation role of alienation in the reciprocal relations between identity confusion and adolescent NSSI. Moreover, the multi-group RI-CLPM was used to test the gender differences in the associations among identity confusion, alienation, and NSSI. Results showed that identity confusion and NSSI were mutually reinforcing at the within-person level when controlling for between-person effects. Specifically, initial NSSI significantly and positively predicted T2 identity confusion, which in turn significantly positively predicted T3 NSSI. T2 NSSI also positively predicted T3 identity confusion. More importantly, T2 alienation longitudinally mediated the association between T1 NSSI and T3 identity confusion. These associations among identity confusion, alienation, and NSSI did not differ between genders. This study found that alienation played a unidirectional mediating role in the association between NSSI and identity confusion, and this pattern is consistent across genders. This finding indicates that identity in Chinese culture has a “relational” quality, and identity confusion among Chinese adolescents does not necessarily lead to maladaptive behaviors (e.g., NSSI). Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of developing a healthy identity in the prevention and intervention of NSSI. Specifically, schools are encouraged to organize more activities or courses related to personal development, which provide adolescents with ample time and opportunities for self-exploration. This approach, thereby, may help them achieve a greater sense of continuity and integrity in their identities. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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What is the mother of success? The effect of the number of failures and successes on perseverance under absolute or relative feedback contexts FENG Mengmeng, DU Xu, SUN Shinan, GUO Xiuli, LIN Shuang, BAI Xuejun 2025, 57 (2):  260-274.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0260 Abstract ( 6 )   Remarkable achievements are often achieved by overcoming setbacks and failures. Realizing achievements without encountering some form of challenge or difficulty is uncommon. Previous studies have independently examined the effects of failure and success on subsequent perseverance, showing that repeated failures tend to lead to poorer performance, while consecutive successes generally improve performance. However, few studies have investigated how the combination of failures and successes influences an individual’s perseverance in the future. The present study aims to explore the impact of prior failures and successes on subsequent perseverance performance. This study employed a 2 (number of failures: 5 vs. 10) × 2 (number of successes: 1 vs. 5) between-subjects design, comprising a total of four experiments. A total of 528 undergraduate students participated in this study. The experiments employed a figure reasoning task to create two feedback scenarios: an absolute feedback scenario (Studies 1a and 1b: n = 132) and a relative feedback scenario (Studies 2a and 2b: n = 132). The task was divided into two sections. In the initial section, participants experienced either five or ten failures, followed by one or five subsequent successes, depending on their assigned experimental conditions. Afterward, participants were asked to report on various aspects of their perseverance, including positive emotions, belief in success, persistent intentions, and challenge-seeking behavior (Studies 1b and 2b). In the second section, participants received continuous feedback indicating failure and could continue attempting the task as many times as they desired. The number of persistent attempts made by participants was used as an index of persistent behavior. The findings indicate that, regardless of whether the difficulty level of the task is varied or kept consistent, absolute feedback frustration plays a key role in perseverance (Studies 1a and 1b). Specifically, five successes following five consecutive failures lead to greater improvements in perseverance indicators compared to only one success. Moreover, consistent manipulation of the difficulty level enhances the experience of success, which subsequently boosts perseverance performance under high-failure conditions (ten consecutive failures), particularly when participants achieve five successes. In the context of relative feedback frustration (Studies 2a and 2b), five successes following ten consecutive failures are more effective than a single success in enhancing perseverance indicators. However, when the difficulty level is consistently manipulated, no remarkable difference in perseverance performance is observed between the condition with five successes and that with one success following five consecutive failures. This finding suggests that, under low failure conditions (five consecutive failures), increasing the number of successes is not a prerequisite for improving perseverance. Overall, the variability in individual perseverance performance can be attributed to a combination of past experiences with failures and successes, with the number of successful experiences playing a particularly crucial role in overcoming setbacks of varying degrees. The effect of the number of successes on perseverance following consecutive failures is consistent across different situations. Furthermore, compared to absolute feedback contexts, successful experiences have a more pronounced and positive effect on perseverance in relative feedback situations. These results support the view that success breeds further success. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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How to break out of time dilemma: The subjective time boundaries for the effects of algorithmic control on gig workers WANG Hongli, CHEN Zhengren, LI Zhen, LIU Zhiqiang, LIANG Cuiqi, ZHAO Binjie 2025, 57 (2):  275-297.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0275 Abstract ( 4 )   Compared with the abstract judgment of the algorithmic autonomy paradox, the impact of time oppression on gig workers may be more intuitive and stronger, but previous studies have failed to incorporate it into the research framework explicitly. Based on life history theory, we innovatively proposed the nature of the time dilemma of algorithmic control and further explored the question of “How does algorithmic control become a time dilemma, and how can gig workers escape from the time dilemma?” In Study 1, we developed a two-stage time lag survey of 522 gig workers. The participants were randomly sampled from a large-scale gig worker HRM service platform enterprise in South China, which employed gig workers for major express delivery and takeaway enterprises. At Time 1, gig workers reported their perceived algorithmic control, occupational future time perspective, gig industry type, and other control variable data. At Time 2, gig workers reported their proactive customer service performance and role breadth. In Study 2, we divided the experiment into three parts. In the first part, participants from express delivery enterprises and takeaway or instant delivery enterprises completed the measure of occupational future time perspective. In the second part, participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: the perceived algorithmic control condition, where they read an article discussing algorithmic control, and the control condition, where they read a work culture article unrelated to algorithmic control. In the third part, participants answered questions about role breadth and other control variable data. Firstly, we found that perceived algorithmic control, as a temporal dilemma, could limit the role breadth of gig workers in the immediate space. Second, occupational future time perspective, as an abstract cognitive process of unconsciously constructing the future in occupational contexts, was associated with specific social goals. Occupational future time perspective strongly motivated gig workers to transcend the immediate temporal space and break free from the temporal dilemma, which constituted the subjective temporal boundary of the effect of perceived algorithmic control on role breadth. Specifically, occupational future time perspective mitigated the negative relationship between perceived algorithmic control and role breadth. Third, perceived algorithmic control negatively and indirectly affected proactive customer service performance through role breadth. This negative indirect effect was moderated by occupational future time perspective. Finally, we found a moderating effect of gig industry type on occupational future time perspective. This study has the following theoretical contributions. Firstly, by innovatively incorporating life history theory from temporal psychology, we have unveiled the nature of the temporal dilemma posed by algorithmic control and its constraints on role breadth and proactive customer service performance. This analysis sheds light on the antecedents of the autonomy paradox. Secondly, by examining the influence of gig workers' occupational future time perspective on the temporal dilemma, we contribute to our understanding of whether and how subjective temporal frames can assist gig workers in escaping the constraints of algorithmic control. Thirdly, this study broadens the application and context of life history theory, extending it into the technological environment. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A comparative study on human or AI delivering negative performance feedback influencing employees’ motivation to improve performance WANG Guoxuan, LONG Lirong, LI Shaolong, SUN Fang, WANG Jiaqing, HUANG Shiyingzi 2025, 57 (2):  298-314.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0298 Abstract ( 4 )   Given that negative performance feedback can evoke negative reactions from employees, delivering such feedback effectively has become a challenge for organizations. Driven by rapid innovations in science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually being applied in organizational management. For instance, AI can monitor employees’ work behaviors in real time, diagnose and analyze the reasons for their poor performance, and provide them with suggestions for performance improvement. Based on attribution theory, this study examined the benefits that employees may gain when receiving negative performance feedback from AI than from human managers. This study also explored the moderating effect of task type (subjective vs. objective) as a boundary factor for the influence of feedback source on employees’ motivation to improve their performance. Previous research has shown that individuals often experience internal or external attribution after receiving negative performance feedback. Therefore, this study also proposed internal and external attributions as underlying mediating mechanisms. To test the hypotheses, four experiments were conducted (N = 598) involving various kinds of performance feedback contexts in the workplace, including performance feedback for employees in call centers, training of new employees, employees in vocational ability competitions, and middle managers’ capacity of management. Two strategies were adopted to provide performance feedback for the participants. Specifically, experiments 1-3 used fake feedback to control the feedback content among the participants, while experiment 4 delivered relatively real negative feedback based on the participants’ actual performance to further test the results of experiments 1-3. Experiment 1 involved 128 full-time employees and used a single-factor, two-level between-subjects design, and results showed that compared with those coming from human managers, negative performance feedback coming from AI led to a higher employee motivation to improve performance.Experiment 2 involved 160 employees and used a two-factor between-subjects design, and results highlighted the interactive effect of negative feedback source (human manager vs. AI) and task types on employees’ motivation to improve their performance. Specifically, in subjective tasks, negative performance feedback from human managers (relative to AI) resulted in a higher motivation to improve performance. However, the opposite case was observed in objective tasks.Experiment 3 involved 150 employees who received negative performance feedback through email, and results highlighted the mediating role of internal attributions in the relationship between negative feedback source and motivation to improve performance.Experiment 4 involved 160 employees and utilized relatively real negative performance feedback, and results were the same as those obtained in experiment 3. This study offers four theoretical contributions. First, with the emergence of AI as a feedback source for organizations, results show that compared with feedback from human managers, negative performance feedback from AI led to a higher motivation among employees to improve their performance, thereby enriching traditional research on negative performance feedback. Second, task type can moderate the relationship between negative performance feedback source and employees’ motivation to improve performance, and this finding contributes to the expansion of the boundary effects of feedback source (AI or human managers). Third, this study generates insights into agile performance management in the digital intelligence era by demonstrating the advantages of AI in replacing human managers in delivering negative performance feedback. Fourth, this study underscores internal attribution as a potential mechanism, thus expanding the application of attribution theory in explaining individual motivation and behavior within the context of AI versus human managers in delivering negative performance feedback. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The initiator effect in reciprocal altruism: The impact of brand’s role on consumers’ prosocial behavior in reciprocal relations SUN Jin, YANG Jingshu 2025, 57 (2):  315-330.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0315 Abstract ( 4 )   Disclosure of brand’s social relation has been a vital antecedent in promoting social welfare. Prior studies have examined the impact of family, friends, partners, and companies’ social interaction on observers’ prosocial response, ignoring the role of brand. The existing research suggests that brand’s role of initiator and reciprocator in a reciprocal relationship can affect observers’ prosocial response. We extend the literature by examining consumers’ prosocial behavior to an observed reciprocal relation in view of mutual exchange. As a “good is repaid by good” relation, reciprocity implies the motivation to search for self-benefits. However, the role of reciprocation (initiator vs. reciprocator) can influence consumers’ behavioral responses through their attribution of the brand’s goodness. Individuals will associate the benefits of an initial act and the actors’ characteristics in a new scenario. With the role positioning of an initiator, focal brands demonstrate added benefits and genuine goodwill to social welfare, thereby encouraging consumers’ social engagement through prosociality. In contrast, reciprocal acts may be perceived as less encouraging because of ambiguous characteristics and liquidation of liabilities. Consumers may attribute goodness to reducing indebtedness and satisfying social constraints. However, there is one boundary condition for the applicability of the main effects. Brands’ group identity moderates the relationship between the role of reciprocity and consumers’ prosocial behavior. Specifically, brands’ role of reciprocator (vs. initiator) produces a greater effect on consumers’ prosociality when the brand owns a dissociative out-group identity (vs. membership identity). One secondary data analysis and four experiments were used to test the framework. A dataset of Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, first proved the main effect and the interaction effect. In experiments 1 and 2, two designed between-subjects experiments respectively representing brand-brand/-other consumer relations were conducted. Results replicated the asymmetry of reciprocity on prosocial behaviors, and established the underlying mechanism of intrinsic motivation, namely, the brand engages in reciprocity due to dispositional factors. Experiment 3 excluded the alternative explanation of the framing effect. The last study, including one experiment representing brand-brand relations, demonstrated that when a brand has a dissociative out-group identity, the relationship between the role of reciprocation and consumers’ prosocial behavior would be reversed. In the study, we find that the initiator effect remains effective in reciprocal exchange, in terms of consumers’ prosocial responses. Our finding expands the theoretical perspective of asymmetric effect and transmission effect of reciprocity, and explores antecedents of prosociality. The finding promotes the smooth flow of resources and offers suggestions for brand sustainable marketing. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Correcting missteps or embracing humor? The impact of homophony on consumer Ad evaluation ZHOU Shoujiang, ZHAO Yichen, ZHANG Jinyu, Khloe Qi KANG 2025, 57 (2):  331-348.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0331 Abstract ( 5 )   Homophony has long been a widely utilized linguistic tool in advertising, yet its effects on ad evaluation remain under-explored. This study, grounded in incongruity theory, aims to address this gap through a series of seven experiments involving 2, 456 participants. The findings reveal that homophonic elements in advertisements can lead to more positive consumer evaluations, primarily mediated through perceptions of novelty and interest. However, the positive impact of homophony is moderated by factors such as consumers' novelty-seeking tendencies, perceived consumption risk, and the nature of the ad appeal. Firstly, homophony induces a mild state of incongruity in consumers, prompting them to engage more deeply with the ad to resolve this incongruity. This engagement is facilitated by contextual cues within the advertisement, which help consumers understand the intended meaning of the homophonic elements. As a result, consumers perceive the ad as more novel and entertaining, leading to more favorable evaluations. The study also proposes boundary conditions for the effectiveness of homophony. When consumers exhibit low levels of novelty-seeking, or when the advertised product carries high consumption risk, the positive effects of homophony diminish. Additionally, ads emphasizing authority and expertise are less likely to benefit from homophonic elements, as these may undermine the perceived seriousness and credibility of the ad. This paper conducted seven studies to provide support for these propositions. The Pilot Study, with 256 college students, provided initial evidence that relevant homophones generate moderate incongruity. Study 1, involving 210 college students, demonstrated that homophonic ads resulted in more positive evaluations when controlling for age, gender, income, and education level. Study 2, with 330 Chinese adults, confirmed the positive effects of homophony and identified novelty and interest as mediators. Study 3 used eye-tracking with 65 students to show that homophones attract longer fixation durations, supporting the need for cognitive resources to resolve incongruity. Study 4, with 596 participants, revealed that novelty-seeking moderated the homophone effect. Studies 5 and 6, with 599 and 400 participants respectively, explored the moderating roles of consumption risk and ad appeal. Homophonic ads were rated more positively for low-risk products and non-authoritative appeals, but these effects disappeared for high-risk products and authoritative appeals. These insights extend the application of incongruity theory to the realm of homophonic advertising, enriching our understanding of how linguistic creativity can enhance ad effectiveness. The findings also have practical implications for marketers, suggesting that homophony should be strategically employed, taking into account the target audience's novelty-seeking behavior, the risk associated with the product, and the nature of the ad appeal. In conclusion, while homophony can enhance ad evaluations by increasing perceptions of novelty and humor, its effectiveness is contingent upon specific consumer traits and product characteristics. This study not only fills a theoretical gap in the literature on homophony and advertising but also offers actionable insights for practitioners aiming to leverage linguistic creativity in their marketing strategies. References | Related Articles | Metrics