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25 November 2026, Volume 58 Issue 11 Previous Issue   
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Academic Papers of the 28^th Annual Meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology

Reports of Empirical Studies


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Academic Papers of the 28^th Annual Meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology

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Feedback refines visual perception by reducing sensory noise and calibrating perception-action mapping SUN Qi 2026, 58 (11):  2167-2177.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2167 Abstract ( 6 )   Visual perception is often characterized by systematic biases, which have been successfully explained by a three-stage cascade model comprising efficient sensory encoding, Bayesian decoding, and perception-action mapping. However, this framework was developed primarily under no-feedback conditions, leaving it unclear how feedback—an essential component of perceptual learning—modulates these computational stages. The current study investigates how feedback influences visual estimation of self-motion direction (heading) from optic flow, and whether its effects can be explained by changes in sensory noise, prior integration, or perception-action scaling within a unified Bayesian framework. Forty participants performed a heading estimation task using optic flow stimuli simulating self-motion directions ranging from -33° to 33°. A between-subjects design was employed: one group (n = 20) completed the task without feedback, while the other group (n = 20) received trial-by-trial visual feedback indicating the discrepancy between their estimate and the true heading. Both groups performed the task under three response range conditions (80°, 160°, and 240°), with 720 trials per participant. To uncover the computational basis of feedback effects, we developed seven Bayesian observer models that varied in their assumptions about which components were modulated by feedback: sensory noise (κ), prior integration (weighted combination of natural and experimental priors, w), perception-action scaling (α), and the boundary of the experimental prior (b). Model parameters were jointly fitted to individual participant data using maximum likelihood estimation, and model performance was compared using Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Behaviorally, wider response ranges induced a systematic transition from underestimation (at 80°) to overestimation (at 160° and 240°). Feedback significantly reduced overestimation bias and estimation variability, particularly for the wider response ranges. Model comparison revealed that Model 4—which incorporated feedback-dependent sensory noise, weighted integration of natural and experimental priors, and range-specific perception-action scaling—provided the best account of the data, with the lowest AIC and BIC values across conditions. Parameter estimates from Model 4 showed that feedback significantly increased κ (indicating reduced sensory noise) and significantly decreased the scaling factors α2 and α3 for the two wider response ranges, while α1 (80° range) remained unchanged. Critically, the prior weighting parameter w did not differ between feedback conditions, suggesting that feedback did not alter how observers combined long-term natural priors with short-term experimental priors. Feedback refines visual heading estimation by reducing sensory encoding noise and attenuating the gain of perception-action mapping, rather than by modifying prior integration. These findings reveal dissociable computational roles for feedback across distinct stages of visual processing. By extending a validated cascade model to incorporate feedback, this study provides a unified computational account of how external error signals improve perceptual accuracy. The results bridge behavioral performance with mechanistic modeling, offering theoretical insights into feedback-driven perceptual learning and practical implications for paradigms involving perceptual training, sensorimotor adaptation, and clinical rehabilitation where feedback plays a central role. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Perspective taking shapes creative performance in human-AI collaboration ZHANG Man, PENG Yang, WANG Yajie, HU Huiqing, CHEN Shi, ZHAO Qingbai 2026, 58 (11):  2178-2199.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2178 Abstract ( 5 )   PDF (2129KB) ( 3 )   Group creativity is widely viewed as an emergent product of individual creativity and the interaction processes among group members. Throughout ongoing interactions, individuals continuously build on one another’s prior ideas, enabling the creative process to emerge dynamically at the group level. Within this process, perspective-taking has been recognized as a core cognitive mechanism. Perspective-taking refers to understanding problems, ideas, and situations from others’ viewpoints. With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI), AI is increasingly participating in creative tasks as a collaborative partner rather than merely as a tool. However, whether human-AI collaboration differs from human-human collaboration in terms of creative performance and perspective-taking behavior remains unclear. In addition, the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) posits that an individual’s creative performance can be influenced by both their own perspective-taking behavior (actor effects) and their partner’s perspective-taking behaviors (partner effects). Whether these actor and partner effects differ between human-human and human-AI collaboration has not yet been systematically investigated. This study employed a between-subjects experimental design with a sample of 169 university students, who were randomly assigned to either the human-human collaboration or human-AI collaboration groups. Participants completed two creative tasks, the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) and the Product Improvement Task (PIT), During the tasks, they interacted with their partners (human or AI) via a custom-built online chat platform and took turns to generate creative ideas within a fixed time limit. Creative performance was evaluated in terms of novelty, usefulness, fluency, and flexibility. Perspective-taking behavior was quantified based on idea-category overlap between partners. Immediate perspective-taking was coded when participant’s idea fell into the same category as the partner’s immediately preceding idea, whereas delayed perspective-taking was coded when it matched a category introduced by the partner earlier in the interaction. The results showed that: (1) In both AUT and PIT tasks, human-AI collaboration showed significantly higher idea novelty and more frequent perspective-taking than human-human collaboration. (2) The relationship between perspective-taking and creative performance varied across the two collaboration types, tasks, and creativity indicators. In human-human collaboration group, both the actor and partner effects of perspective-taking on idea fluency were significantly positive across both tasks. The partner effect of perspective taking on idea flexibility was significantly positive only in the PIT. In human-AI collaboration group, AI’s immediate perspective-taking exhibited significant positive actor and partner effects on idea fluency in the AUT task, whereas humans’ immediate perspective-taking exhibited significant negative actor and partner effects on idea flexibility. In the PIT task, humans’ delayed perspective-taking exhibited significant positive actor and partner effects on idea fluency and flexibility, whereas AI’s delayed perspective-taking exhibited significant negative actor and partner effects on idea novelty. These findings suggest that the effects of perspective-taking on creative performance differ between human-human and human-AI collaboration. Specifically, its effects vary across creativity tasks, creativity indicators, and collaborator roles. Our findings extend theoretical accounts of collaborative creativity and provide new insights into the creative dynamics of human-AI collaboration. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Effects of AI viewpoint divergence on group creative performance: Cognitive-neural mechanisms ZHOU Zhihao, QIAO Xinuo, ZHANG Wenyu, TONG Shuai, HAO Ning 2026, 58 (11):  2200-2217.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2200 Abstract ( 7 )   PDF (7598KB) ( 3 )   Generative AI is increasingly integrated into collaborative work, yet how characteristics of AI-generated viewpoints shape group creative performance remains insufficiently understood. AI viewpoint divergence refers to the extent to which AI-generated viewpoints are distributed across semantic space and differ in content. Drawing primarily on the Motivated Information Processing in Groups model, this study examined whether high versus low AI viewpoint divergence differentially affects the novelty and usefulness of group ideas in scientific and everyday creativity tasks. It also examined whether these effects are associated with cognitive processing variables and prefrontal neural indicators during human-AI co-creation. We designed a dyad-AI collaborative paradigm in which two participants worked with AI to complete one scientific and one everyday creativity task. We recruited 180 participants. After excluding one dyad because one participant did not follow the task instructions, the final sample comprised 89 dyads (44 in the high-divergence condition and 45 in the low-divergence condition). We used a 2 × 2 mixed design, with AI viewpoint divergence as a between-dyad factor and task type as a within-dyad factor. Group creative performance was assessed in terms of novelty and usefulness. We also measured AI utilization strategies, perspective-taking strategies, and semantic features of human-generated and group-generated ideas, and used fNIRS hyperscanning to measure prefrontal inter-brain synchronization and intra-brain functional connectivity. Manipulation checks showed that AI-generated viewpoints in the high-divergence condition were more semantically dispersed than those in the low-divergence condition. High AI viewpoint divergence increased the novelty of group ideas, but this benefit emerged primarily in the everyday creativity task. In contrast, high AI viewpoint divergence reduced the usefulness of group ideas across both task types. Mediation analyses showed that AI exclusion-based generation strategies and semantic features of human ideas mediated the association between AI viewpoint divergence and group creative performance. Brain-behavior integration analyses further indicated that prefrontal inter-brain synchronization and intra-brain functional connectivity were indirectly associated with novelty and usefulness through AI utilization strategies, perspective-taking strategies, and semantic features. These findings indicate that AI viewpoint divergence does not uniformly enhance group creativity. Instead, its effects depend on task constraints and on how groups search for, select, adopt, and semantically reorganize AI-generated information. The study extends the application of the Motivated Information Processing in Groups model to human-AI co-creation and provides empirical evidence for cognitive processing pathways and neural associations linking AI viewpoint divergence to the distinct outcomes of novelty and usefulness in group creative performance. Practically, AI support for creative collaboration should be calibrated to task openness, domain constraints, and the stage-specific demands of idea generation and evaluation. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Dynamic effects of multiround positive and negative feedback from robots and humans on trust and collaboration XUAN Hongzhou, ZHU Jiaying, LAI Qianen, HE Guibing 2026, 58 (11):  2218-2235.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2218 Abstract ( 7 )   PDF (1135KB) ( 2 )   Human-robot collaboration is increasingly common in intelligent organizations, making it important to understand how trust changes across repeated interactions. Evaluative feedback can trigger trust updating, yet prior research has largely relied on single-time-point measures or one-off feedback. This research examined the dynamic effects of multiround positive and negative feedback from robot and human teammates on behavioral trust and willingness to collaborate. A pilot study and two laboratory experiments were conducted. In the pilot study, 192 adults evaluated candidate feedback statements, from which four positive and four negative statements of comparable intensity were selected. In Experiment 1, 56 participants collaborated with either a Pepper robot or a human teammate and received four rounds of negative feedback. Experiment 2 used the same design with another 56 participants but presented positive feedback. In both experiments, participants completed five rounds of an investment decision task. Behavioral trust was indexed by the extent to which participants revised their judgments toward the teammate’s recommendation, whereas willingness to collaborate was measured after each round. Under multiround negative feedback, behavioral trust and willingness to collaborate declined over time, but their trajectories differed by feedback source. Feedback from the robot teammate produced a relatively gradual and delayed pattern: behavioral trust changed little initially but declined in later rounds, while willingness to collaborate decreased as feedback accumulated. Feedback from the human teammate produced a sharper early decline followed by relative stabilization. Segmented models fit the data better than linear or quadratic models, supporting a lagged-cumulative pattern for robot feedback and an immediate-responsive pattern for human feedback. These findings suggest that robots and humans may produce similar overall declines under negative feedback but different temporal processes of trust updating. Human feedback appears to have a stronger immediate interpersonal impact, whereas robot feedback may influence trust through accumulation. The results highlight the importance of examining when and how trust changes rather than relying only on end-point comparisons. The apparent asymmetry between positive and negative feedback should be interpreted cautiously because the higher-order interaction involving feedback valence was not consistently significant. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Reports of Empirical Studies

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The animacy effect in visuospatial memory: Facilitating item memory while impairing location integration CHENG Shi, YU Lu, LI Haojun, LIU Jichao, LI Xuanxuan, ZHAO Xiaomei 2026, 58 (11):  2236-2250.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2236 Abstract ( 6 )   PDF (191KB) ( 3 )   This study used real-life images as experimental stimuli within the Visual-Spatial Working Memory (VSWM) paradigm to investigate the animacy effect in three types of memory. Experiment 1 revealed the differential impact of animacy on various memory tasks. Specifically, in the item memory task, recall accuracy was significantly higher for animate images (e.g., animals) than for inanimate images (e.g., objects), demonstrating a positive role of the animacy effect. However, in the item-location binding memory task, the recall rate for inanimate images surpassed that for animate images, indicating a negative influence of animacy. In addition, no significant difference was observed between animate and inanimate images in the location memory task. Taken together, these results validated the stability of the animacy effect when using image-based stimuli and identified its instability in location memory and detrimental effect in item-location binding memory, hinting at a potential associative impairment associated with animacy in visuospatial memory tasks. To delve deeper into these findings, Experiment 2 integrated scene priming paradigms into the framework established in Experiment 1. This experiment examined the influence of the social and natural attributes inherent in animate and inanimate stimuli on memory, as well as how these attributes manifest under natural and social scene priming conditions. Based on the categorization of image attributes in Experiment 1, two sub-experiments were conducted to assess the animacy effect on VSWM performance under natural scene and social scene priming, respectively. The results of Experiments 2a and 2b affirmed the fundamental similarity in visuospatial working memory patterns across diverse scene contexts. Notably, associative strength had a significant influence on item memory recall. Across both scene priming conditions, objects strongly associated with the scene exhibited a pronounced advantage in item memory, whereas this advantage did not extend to location memory or item-location binding memory. Moreover, the recall patterns for animate and inanimate objects with varying degrees of associative strength were largely consistent across both scene contexts in terms of item memory, location memory, and item-location binding memory, with only subtle differences observed in item memory. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of the animacy effect, which fluctuates in response to changes in environmental contexts. Overall, the present study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay among animacy, memory processes, and environmental cues. It highlights the importance of considering contextual factors when investigating cognitive phenomena such as memory and underscores the potential for future research to unravel the physiological mechanisms underlying these observations. By providing empirical evidence for the conditional nature of animacy effects, this study paves the way for developing targeted interventions to enhance memory performance in various real-world applications. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The modulation mechanism of multisensory category learning on feature processing and category selection WU Jie, CHE Zixuan 2026, 58 (11):  2251-2269.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2251 Abstract ( 6 )   PDF (2680KB) ( 2 )   Although prior research has investigated how unisensory training modulates perceptual sensitivity and decision criteria, the computational mechanisms and neural underpinnings associated with category learning through coordinated auditory-visual experience remain insufficiently characterized. To address this gap, the present study systematically examines how multisensory category learning reconfigures the temporal dynamics of feature processing and category selection. We combined high-temporal-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) with trial-by-trial hierarchical Bayesian drift-diffusion modeling (HDDM) to jointly characterize neural response trajectories and latent cognitive processes. The participants first completed a multisensory category-learning phase. Four arbitrary categories were defined by orthogonal auditory (pure-tone frequency) and visual (vehicle shape) morph continua. Each category corresponded to a distinct quadrant in the resulting two-dimensional stimulus space. Participants received accuracy feedback after every response. In the subsequent test phase, participants performed a two-alternative odd-ball task; on each trial, they judged on whether a briefly presented multisensory stimulus belonged to a prespecified target category or to any of the three nontarget categories. Critically, the stimuli were varied parametrically along both the auditory and visual continua. Half of the trials featured prototypical exemplars (0% morph distance from the category centroid), whereas the other half featured high-variance exemplars (±49% morph distance). This finding fully crossed, orthogonal manipulation of perceptual typicality (prototype vs. deviant) and decision relevance (target vs. nontarget) enabled a functional dissociation between neural processes supporting early feature processing and those subserving category selection information. The behavioral results revealed that prototypical stimuli were classified with significantly higher accuracy and shorter response times than deviant stimuli were. In contrast, nontargeted decisions were both more accurate and faster than target decisions were, whereas nontarget trials comprised a heterogeneous set of within- and between-category deviants. To isolate the latent cognitive mechanisms underlying these behavioral dissociations, we applied hierarchical Bayesian drift?diffusion modeling (HDDM). With respect to stimulus typicality, prototypes were associated with higher drift rates (v), more conservative decision thresholds (a), and stronger starting-point biases (z) toward the correct response boundary. With respect to decision relevance, target decisions exhibited lower drift rates, more liberal thresholds, and attenuated starting-point biases than nontarget decisions did. Neurophysiological analyses extended these computational insights. Prototypical stimuli elicited larger N250 amplitudes over bilateral occipital-temporal electrodes, followed by enhanced frontal selection positivity (FSP) and a late positive component (LPC) over fronto-central and parietal electrodes. Time-frequency analyses further revealed concomitant increases in alpha and beta power over the parietal and occipital regions. In contrast, target decisions were associated with the larger FSP and dual-peaked LPC complexes over frontoparietal sites. They were also accompanied by widespread suppression of alpha and beta oscillations. Importantly, multivariate ridge regression indicated that trial-level FSP amplitudes and alpha/beta power positively predicted drift rates for deviant stimuli. With respect to target categorization, both FSP/LPC amplitudes and alpha/beta power positively predicted drift rates. Moreover, alpha power exerted a robust negative influence on decision thresholds for both the deviant and target conditions. Collectively, these findings support a dual-pathway architecture dynamically shaped by multisensory category learning. A rapid feed-forward pathway, indexed by the FSP and increased alpha/beta synchrony over parieto-occipital regions, supports the automatic extraction of diagnostic multisensory features, operating independently of current task demands. A slower, memory-dependent pathway—characterized by functional coupling between the FSP and the late positive complex (LPC), alongside desynchronization of alpha/beta oscillations—is engaged during active rule retrieval and conflict monitoring, particularly under conditions of decision uncertainty. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The normalization mechanism of emotional modulation on rhythmic temporal attention CAI Jinfang, WANG Sibo, YUE Xiaoxi, LIN Youting, SUN Yanliang 2026, 58 (11):  2270-2288.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2270 Abstract ( 9 )   PDF (1250KB) ( 3 )   Emotion fundamentally reconfigures the allocation of attentional resources. While the normalization model successfully characterizes how emotional valence modulates spatial attention—predicting response or contrast gain based on the attentional field—its applicability to rhythmic temporal attention remains unexplored. Unlike spatial orienting, rhythmic attention relies on the dynamic entrainment of neural oscillations. Grounded in the normalization framework, the present study investigates whether emotional states regulate temporal attention through specific gain computations and how they alter the trajectory of expectation formation. We hypothesized that distinct emotional valences would recruit qualitatively different strategies (response gain versus contrast gain) to modulate steady-state processing, while simultaneously reshaping the temporal dynamics of attentional deployment to accommodate environmental uncertainty. Two experiments were conducted involving 26 healthy Han Chinese university students (13 in Experiment 1; 13 in Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, a 3 (Emotional valence: positive, neutral, negative) x 2 (Rhythmic validity: valid, invalid) x 5 (Stimulus contrast) within-subjects factorial design was employed. Emotional states were induced via validated audiovisual clips. Participants completed an orientation discrimination task using Gabor targets embedded within rhythmic streams. To mathematically characterize the attentional gain profiles, the Naka-Rushton equation was fitted to the discriminability (d') data for each participant. This allowed for the precise decomposition of modulation into response gain (amplification of asymptotic response, indexed by d'max) and contrast gain (enhancement of sensitivity, indexed by c50). Experiment 2 investigated the dynamic evolution of attentional allocation using a 3 (Emotional valence) x 5 (Rhythmic strength: 1 to 5 cues) x 2 (Rhythmic validity) design with target contrast fixed at a supra-threshold level. Crucially, we extended the dynamic normalization model by incorporating a parameterized rhythmic strength coefficient to quantify the accumulation of attentional gain over time. This extended model was optimized against behavioral data using Bayesian Adaptive Direct Search (BADS) to estimate the parameters governing the temporal distribution of attentional weights (wav). Experiment 1 revealed a robust valence-dependent dissociation in gain mechanisms. Under negative emotional states, the attentional gain (defined as the d' differential between valid and invalid conditions) exhibited a monotonic increase as a function of stimulus contrast. Computational modeling confirmed that negative emotion selectively elevated d'max in valid trials without modulating c50, a signature characteristic of a response gain mechanism. Conversely, positive and neutral emotions yielded a non-monotonic, inverted-U shaped gain function. Model parameters indicated a significant reduction in the semi-saturation constant (c50) for valid trials under positive emotion, with no significant alteration in d'max, indicative of a contrast gain mechanism. Experiment 2 demonstrated that while rhythmic cueing facilitated performance across all conditions, emotion significantly modulated the magnitude and temporal precision of this effect. The reaction time validity effect was markedly attenuated under both positive and negative emotions relative to the neutral condition. The extended dynamic normalization model achieved an exceptional goodness-of-fit (R-squared > 90%) across conditions. Parameter analysis revealed that in neutral states, attentional resources were sharply focused on the predicted time point; however, under emotional arousal (both positive and negative), the distribution of attentional resources became significantly more equipotent between valid and invalid intervals. This finding suggests that emotion flattens the temporal weighting function, effectively broadening the temporal window of attention. This study constitutes the first empirical and computational instantiation of the normalization model within the domain of emotional modulation of rhythmic temporal attention. The findings establish a dual regulatory framework: emotion selects distinct steady-state gain mechanisms based on valence—amplifying signal magnitude via response gain under negative emotion (supporting a "threat-vigilance" mode) and enhancing perceptual sensitivity via contrast gain under positive emotion (supporting an "opportunity-seeking" mode). Furthermore, emotion promotes dynamic flexibility by expanding the temporal attentional window. This broadening reflects a strategic trade-off wherein the cognitive system sacrifices peak temporal precision to maintain heightened sensitivity to unexpected events in volatile environments. Collectively, these results validate the normalization model as a canonical framework for deciphering emotion-cognition interactions and underscore the critical role of emotion in dynamically reconfiguring the computational architecture of temporal attention. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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When movement meets beauty: The embodied influence of horizontal movement on facial aesthetic judgment considering gender differences LI Linghe, REN Weicong, HAN Haibin, WANG Hanlin 2026, 58 (11):  2289-2307.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2289 Abstract ( 8 )   PDF (2368KB) ( 3 )   Recent research in embodied cognition suggests that bodily movements influence abstract cognitive processes, including aesthetic evaluation, through metaphorical associations. The focus of this study is on how horizontal hand movements affect facial aesthetic judgments and whether these embodied effects vary by gender. Building on the idea that directional movements are metaphorically associated with evaluative concepts, we hypothesized that enacting leftward movement would enhance aesthetic perception and decision efficiency compared with rightward movement. We also hypothesized that this effect would be more pronounced in female participants and that manipulating spatial reference points would modulate the approach-avoidance tendencies underlying the metaphorical mappings. facial attractiveness, horizontal hand movement, embodied metaphor, gender differences, drift diffusion model. Three experiments were conducted with a study group of 143 right-handed Chinese university students, all with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no history of neurological or psychological disorders. In each experiment, participants performed aesthetic judgments on facial images associated with varying levels of attractiveness while executing horizontal hand movements or key presses. All facial stimuli were selected from standardized databases and were uniformly processed. Electroencephalography data were recorded in all experiments using 64-channel electrode caps based on the international 10-20 system, and behavioral responses were collected using E-Prime software. The variables of the experimental design included the joint classification response condition and spatial reference position, while gender was treated as a between-participants variable. Data were analyzed using mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA), hierarchical drift diffusion modeling, and event-related potentials (ERPs) techniques to examine behavioral differences and their underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms. The results supported our hypotheses. In the metaphor-congruent trials, participants responded more quickly and accurately in facial aesthetic judgments than in metaphor-incongruent trials, suggesting that directional motor actions facilitated aesthetic processing when aligned with metaphorical associations. Hierarchical drift diffusion model (HDDM)analyses further revealed that performing leftward movement increased drift rate, decreased the decision threshold, and shortened non-decision time, indicating more efficient evidence accumulation and less cautious decision-making. These effects were particularly pronounced among female participants, reflecting gender differences in embodied sensitivity. ERP data provided converging neural evidence: the N170 component showed greater amplitudes under leftward movement, indicating enhanced early-stage face processing; both EPN and P300 amplitudes were also elevated in metaphor-congruent conditions, reflecting stronger emotional engagement and evaluative motivation. Notably, gender differences were significant in some experiments, with female participants showing faster responses and stronger approach-oriented tendencies; however, in experiment 3, when spatial reference frames were manipulated to modulate approach-avoidance tendencies, this gender effect was strongly reduced, suggesting that contextual reference plays a regulatory role in embodied aesthetic processing. In this study, we demonstrated that horizontal motor experience exerts an embodied influence on facial aesthetic processing, and that this effect varies by gender. Behavioral, computational, and neurophysiological evidence revealed that aesthetic judgments are shaped not only by visual input, but also by motor actions and their metaphorical associations. This study expands the understanding of embodied aesthetics and highlights gender differences in sensitivity to embodied cues. These findings have practical implications for product design, user interfaces, and marketing, especially when motion-based interaction influences evaluation. Optimizing embodied interaction design requires attention to individual differences, particularly gender. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The joint modulation of language distance and task demands on the neural mechanisms underlying bilingual lexical processing QI Yun, CAI Wenqi, LI Zhilin, YANG Jianfeng, WANG Xiaojuan 2026, 58 (11):  2308-2321.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2308 Abstract ( 6 )   PDF (574KB) ( 2 )   Whether bilinguals share the same neural mechanisms for processing their native language (L1) and second language (L2) is a long-standing question of debate. Extensive neuroimaging evidence has accumulated, yet substantial inconsistencies remain. These largely stem from linguistic distance between bilinguals’ L1 and L2, as well as differences in experimental task demands. The present study used an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to examine how linguistic distance and task demands affect brain activation during bilingual lexical processing. Seventy-four studies met the inclusion criteria and were classified into six groups according to task type (phonological, semantic, language switching) and language distance (Chinese-English bilinguals vs. alphabetic bilinguals): 18 on phonological processing in Chinese-English bilinguals, 12 on phonological processing in alphabetic bilinguals, 12 on semantic processing in Chinese-English bilinguals, 13 on semantic processing in alphabetic bilinguals, 9 on language switching in Chinese-English bilinguals, and 14 on language switching in alphabetic bilinguals. We carried out ALE meta-analyses using GingerALE 3.0.2. All coordinates were converted to Talairach space. To visualize the activation patterns, we projected the coordinates onto a standard brain template using BrainNet Viewer and xjview. Results showed that during phonological tasks, Chinese-English bilinguals with a large language distance recruited greater L2-related activation in the left inferior parietal lobule, extending into the supramarginal gyrus, which is responsible for grapho-phonological conversion; whereas bilinguals of alphabetic languages with a small language distance shared the same neural mechanisms for their L1 and L2. During semantic tasks, Chinese-English bilinguals showed greater activation in the left middle frontal gyrus and left precuneus for L1 processing to support grapho-to-meaning conversion; whereas alphabetic bilinguals recruited the middle part of the left superior temporal gyrus more for their L1 to achieve phonology-to-meaning conversion, and for their L2 they activated language control brain regions including the left middle frontal gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus, insula, and inferior parietal lobule. Further comparison of brain activation between the two types of bilinguals during language switching tasks also revealed that alphabetic bilinguals with a small language distance required greater involvement of executive control brain regions, including the left inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule. In sum, the current meta-analysis demonstrated that differences in brain activation between bilinguals' L1 and L2 processing reflect underlying cognitive processes jointly driven by linguistic distance and task demands. These findings not only support the specific computational demands hypothesis but also provide bilingual perspectives for understanding the universality and specificity of language processing. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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P300-based CIT can reveal fake identity information CHENG Jiayu, WANG Haoran, FENG Wang, FU Genyue, SAI Liyang 2026, 58 (11):  2322-2336.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2322 Abstract ( 6 )   PDF (309KB) ( 2 )   Accurate deception detection is a central concern in psychology, forensic science, and national security. Although most existing studies have focused on detecting denied true information, research on fabricated information, such as false identities frequently used in criminal activities, remains scarce. To address this gap, the present study conducted three ERP experiments to examine whether the P300-based Concealed Information Test (CIT) can effectively distinguish true from fake identity information. We hypothesized that true identity names would elicit larger P300 amplitudes than fake identity names because of their greater self-relevance and stronger memory encoding. Experiment 1 tested the feasibility of detecting false identity information using a P300-based CIT. Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned three days before testing to either a fake-ID group or a real-ID group. Participants in the fake-ID group memorized a fake identity and used it as their own during the test, whereas those in the real-ID group responded using their true identity. Experiment 2 extended this design with 43 participants by adopting a Complex Trial Protocol (CTP) to separate recognition from response classification and enhance attention to probe stimuli. Experiment 3 further used a within-subject CTP design with 23 participants, enabling direct comparison between real and fake identities while minimizing individual differences in P300 responses. Experiment 1 showed that the probe-irrelevant P300 difference was significantly larger in the real-ID group than in the fake-ID group, with ROC analysis yielding 83% classification accuracy. Experiment 2 replicated this effect and improved accuracy to 86%. In Experiment 3, participants consistently showed larger P300 amplitudes to their real names than to their fake names, producing an individual-level detection rate of 90% (18/20). Across the three experiments, both real and fake names elicited larger P300 amplitudes than irrelevant names, but fake names evoked significantly weaker responses than real names. Across the three experiments, both real and fake names elicited larger P300 amplitudes than irrelevant names, but fake names evoked significantly weaker responses than real names. These findings demonstrate that the P300-based CIT/CTP paradigm can reliably distinguish true from fabricated identity information. The P300 provides a robust neural marker for false identity detection and may offer a useful tool for forensic and security applications. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Enhanced reactive inhibition but impaired intentional inhibition in individuals with heroin use disorder XU Mengsi, WU Shiyan, XU Yanxi, WANG Zhenhong 2026, 58 (11):  2337-2354.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2337 Abstract ( 9 )   PDF (218KB) ( 4 )   Impaired self-control is one of the most prominent features of heroin use disorder (HUD). Even when individuals fully understand the long-term risks of drug use, they may be unable to resist the urge to use heroin. Clarifying the mechanisms underlying this loss of self-control is crucial for understanding the development and maintenance of addictive behavior and the risk of relapse, as well as for designing targeted interventions. Contemporary theories of addiction identify deficient behavioral inhibition as a key contributor to impaired self-control in individuals with HUD, a view supported by empirical evidence. However, previous studies have focused primarily on reactive inhibition, with relatively little attention to intentional inhibition. Reactive inhibition refers to the suppression of impulsive actions in response to external cues, whereas intentional inhibition refers to the suppression of impulsive actions initiated by an internal decision. The present study addressed this gap by systematically examining reactive and intentional inhibition in individuals with HUD. Two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 examined reactive and intentional inhibition at the behavioral level. Thirty-four abstinent individuals with HUD and 32 matched healthy controls (HCs) completed the recently developed Free Two-Choice Oddball Task while behavioral data were recorded. This task adds free-choice trials to a conventional two-choice oddball task comprising standard and deviant trials. Standard, deviant, and free-choice trials were presented at a ratio of 4:1:2, thereby yielding behavioral indices of both reactive and intentional inhibition. Experiment 2 sought to replicate the behavioral findings in an independent sample and characterize the temporal dynamics of these two forms of inhibition using event-related potentials (ERPs). Twenty-six abstinent individuals with HUD and 30 matched HCs completed the same task during EEG recording. In Experiment 1, compared with the HC group, the HUD group showed impaired intentional inhibition, as reflected by a significantly greater response-time delay on free-choice trials. Experiment 2 provided converging evidence: the HUD group had a lower inhibition rate on free-choice trials. The ERP results further suggested weaker outcome-evaluation processing during intentional inhibition in the HUD group, as reflected by the absence of a significant late slow wave (LSW) difference between prepotent and non-prepotent responses. Contrary to our hypothesis and many previous findings, Experiment 2 also suggested enhanced reactive inhibition in the HUD group, as reflected by a smaller accuracy cost on forced-choice trials. The ERP findings were interpreted as indicating relatively stronger inhibitory-execution processing during reactive inhibition, indexed by a smaller P3 difference-wave amplitude. Overall, the findings suggest a dissociable pattern of inhibition in individuals with HUD, characterized by relatively enhanced reactive inhibition but impaired intentional inhibition. These findings complement existing theories of addiction and may inform targeted rehabilitation interventions. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Asymmetry of diagnostic information integration in audiovisual category learning LIN Yunyi, HUANG Danyang, HUANG Hui, TANG Wenqin, LIU Zhiya 2026, 58 (11):  2355-2370.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2355 Abstract ( 7 )   PDF (859KB) ( 3 )   Examining multidimensional visual and auditory category learning, as well as the interactions involved in this process, is important for understanding how individuals integrate information in complex environments and for revealing the cognitive mechanisms underlying natural category learning. Feature diagnosticity, defined as the probability that a feature predicts category membership, is a core construct in category structure and plays a unique role in categorical representation. The present study investigated how diagnostic information from one modality affects multidimensional category learning in another modality and explored the representational strategies underlying this process. We hypothesized that, due to inherent processing differences between the visual and auditory modalities, cross-modal audiovisual integration was asymmetric. Specifically, visual tasks were more likely to show cross-modal integration, whereas auditory tasks were less likely to exhibit such effects. Two experiments employed a family-resemblance category learning paradigm. In Experiment 1, participants completed a visual classification task with fixed visual feature diagnosticity (0.75), while auditory feature diagnosticity was manipulated across three levels (high: 0.9; congruent: 0.75; low: 0.6) to examine its influence on visual category learning. Experiment 2 adopted the reverse task structure to investigate the influence of visual feature diagnosticity on auditory category learning. A total of 87 and 66 participants were randomly assigned to Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Dependent measures included accuracy and reaction time during the learning phase, accuracy and the number of acquired dimensions in the dimension test phase, and accuracy in the final test phase. Computational modeling was also conducted to identify participants’ categorization strategies. In Experiment 1, diagnosticity conditions significantly influenced learners’ processing of cross-modal features. When auditory and visual diagnosticity were congruent, participants showed the highest accuracy on both visual and auditory dimensions, acquired more diagnostic dimensions, and generalized their learning to low-similarity exemplars. These findings demonstrated a “co-frequency enhancement” effect, namely, an audiovisual integration gain under congruent diagnosticity. In contrast, Experiment 2 showed that visual diagnosticity had no significant effect on auditory category learning. Auditory feature acquisition did not differ across diagnosticity conditions, whereas visual feature accuracy increased with diagnosticity. This pattern suggested an “auditory boundary barrier” effect, namely, the relative independence of audiovisual information processing. Cross-experimental comparisons confirmed that auditory category learning was less accurate overall than visual category learning. However, no significant differences were found between the two modalities in attention span or learning outcomes. Both tasks were primarily characterized by prototype-based strategies, although visual tasks included more users of hybrid strategies, while auditory tasks included more random responders. The present study reveals an asymmetric mechanism of audiovisual interaction in category learning. Visual tasks can integrate auditory information relatively thoroughly, whereas auditory tasks, despite being able to effectively attend to visual information, show limited cross-modal integration. This study provides the first evidence regarding the learning efficiency and representation strategies of multidimensional auditory category learning and discusses differences in representational mechanisms between visual and auditory category learning. Future research could use larger sample sizes and optimized experimental designs to further examine the robustness of these effects. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Associations between working memory and mathematical ability in elementary school children: A cross-grade network analysis ZHU Xiaoliang, QIU Hongxiao, LIN Liang, WANG Xinliang, YANG Xiujie, ZHAO Xin 2026, 58 (11):  2371-2389.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2371 Abstract ( 8 )   PDF (1806KB) ( 5 )   Mathematical ability is a crucial component of human cognitive function, which is defined as the ability to acquire, process, and store mathematical information. Although many studies have established a close relationship between working memory and mathematical ability, current empirical evidence lacks a comprehensive understanding of the specificity of associations between different types of working memory and various domains of mathematical ability, as well as their developmental trajectories. Further, traditional methodologies in previous research, such as structural equation modeling, frequently fail to adequately uncover complex interactions among the subcomponents of these two cognitive constructs. To address these gaps, this network analysis study is the first to systematically examine the relationship between different types of working memory and domains of mathematical ability in elementary school children, and explore whether the patterns of these connections vary across developmental stages in elementary school children. The study sample comprised 875 elementary school children. Verbal working memory capacity was assessed using digit span forward and backward tasks, and visuospatial working memory capacity was measured with forward and backward Corsi span tasks. The verbal 1-back task and spatial 1-back task were employed to assess the children’s verbal working memory updating and visuospatial working memory updating, respectively. For mathematical ability, five tests measured mathematical operations, logical reasoning, and spatial imagination abilities. Family socioeconomic status, non-verbal intelligence, attention, gender, and age were included as covariates in all of the analyses. For network analysis, separate network models were estimated for every grade cohort. Developmental differences in network structures were examined using the network comparison test. The results demonstrated that upper-grade children exhibited significantly higher scores across all of the working memory components and three mathematical domains compared to lower-grade children. Network estimation revealed distinct developmental patterns: (1) In the lower grades, verbal working memory capacity and verbal working memory updating exhibit the strongest positive associations with mathematical operations. (2) Visuospatial working memory capacity shows the largest positive association with mathematical operations among children in the middle and upper grades. (3) Verbal working memory capacity is most strongly associated with logical reasoning in the middle grades, and with spatial imagination in the upper grades. (4) Network comparison tests determined that the strength of the connection between verbal working memory updating and mathematical operations in the middle grades is significantly weaker than in the lower and upper grades. Further, the connection between verbal working memory updating and spatial imagination in the lower grades is significantly weaker than in the upper grades. These findings support the domain-specific models of working memory, thus demonstrating that working memory-mathematics relationships show systematic variation based on the specific working memory subcomponents assessed and mathematical domain involved. These results advance the theoretical understanding of cognitive structure through novel empirical evidence and also provide a framework for evidence-based interventions to improve mathematical abilities in elementary school children. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Warmth or competence? Exploring the impact of donation recognition on subsequent donations and information sharing ZHU Yue, ZHANG Anran, XU Zhengliang 2026, 58 (11):  2390-2404.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2390 Abstract ( 8 )   PDF (5176KB) ( 4 )   Donation recognition refers to the certificates or badges provided by charities to acknowledge donors’ contributions to charitable causes. It aims not only to maintain relationships with donors and encourage subsequent donations but also to promote information sharing. Donation recognition can be classified according to two dimensions: source and type. Recognition sources include beneficiaries and charitable organizations, while recognition types are categorized as warmth-based recognition and competence-based recognition. Drawing on objective self-awareness theory, self-consistency theory and impression-management theory, this paper examines the interaction effect between recognition source and type, as well as the underlying mechanism of this interaction effect. One field study and three experimental studies were conducted to examine our hypotheses. Study 1 employed a 2 (source: beneficiaries vs. charitable organizations) × 2 (type: warmth vs. competence) between-subjects field experiment to examine the interaction effect between recognition source and type on subsequent donations and information sharing. Study 2 adopted a 2 (source: beneficiaries vs. charitable organizations) × 2 (type: warmth vs. competence) between-subjects design and replicated the interaction effect on subsequent donations and information sharing in a laboratory experiment, thereby enhancing the internal validity and the robustness of the conclusions. Study 3 employed a 2 (source: beneficiaries vs. charitable organizations) × 2 (type: warmth vs. competence) between-subjects design to examine the serial mediating roles of self-awareness and motives in explaining the interaction effect. Study 4 further examined the mediating role of different self-awareness states using a moderation model. Participants were randomly assigned to one condition of 2 (source: beneficiaries vs. charitable organizations) × 2 (type: warmth vs. competence) × 2 (self-awareness: objective vs. subjective) between-subjects design. Study 4 replicated the findings of previous studies, increasing the robustness of our conclusions. The findings suggest that donation recognition exhibits a significant source-type matching effect, such that optimal behavioral responses are achieved only when recognition source and recognition type are congruently matched, rather than producing universal positive effects. Specifically, when beneficiaries provide warmth-based recognition, donors enter an objective self-awareness state, becoming more concerned with maintaining consistency between their past and future behaviors, thereby increasing their intention to donate again. Conversely, when charitable organizations provide competence-based recognition, donors maintain a subjective self-awareness state, focusing more on presenting a positive image to others, thereby increasing their information-sharing intention. These effects are mediated by self-consistency motives in the former case and impression-management motives in the latter. These findings contribute novel insights to the donation recognition literature, suggesting that charities should consider the match between recognition source and type when designing donation recognition. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Effects of harmony on cooperation in the context of conflicts of benefits SHU Jingyi, BAO Yaxin, MO Zhan, FAN Weiqiao, ZHANG Mingming 2026, 58 (11):  2405-2420.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.2405 Abstract ( 10 )   PDF (1180KB) ( 2 )   Cooperation is crucial for navigating conflicts of benefits, yet individuals vary greatly in their cooperative tendencies. Personality traits offer a key lens for understanding these differences; however, research on personality traits has predominantly focused on Western-based “Big Five” constructs and often overlooked culturally-specific, relationship-oriented traits. Harmony, a culturally relevant personality trait rooted in Eastern cultures that reflects a propensity to maintain interpersonal peace and avoid direct conflict, is a prime candidate for predicting cooperative behavior. This study systematically investigated whether and how harmony influences cooperation in conflict-of-interest scenarios. The study addressed two questions. First, does harmony consistently predict cooperative choices, and is the effect of harmony moderated by situational incentives? Second, what is the underlying interbrain synchronization (IBS) of this effect from a dyadic interaction perspective? Two studies were conducted to address these questions. Study 1 was a questionnaire-based experiment involving 213 university participants (Mage = 21.69 years, 37.85% male). The participants completed the Harmony subscale of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory 2 and a hypothetical Prisoner’s Dilemma Game (PDG) task under two conditions (low vs. high cooperation incentive). Study 2 employed a two-person iterated PDG task combined with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning. The participants were prescreened on the basis of their harmony score and assigned to either high-harmony dyads (33 pairs) or low-harmony dyads (30 pairs). All participants in Study 2 were female to control for gender effects in social interaction. The task involved 120 rounds of real-time interaction, enabling the measurement of behavioral patterns and IBS. The results of Study 1 showed that harmony positively predicted cooperative choices under both low-incentive (R2 = 0.03, p = 0.014) and high-incentive (R2 = 0.01, p = 0.001) conditions. The interaction between harmony and cooperation incentive was nonsignificant (F(1, 211) = 0.02, p = 0.89), which indicated that the predictive power of harmony was stable across different situational incentives. In Study 2, the behavioral results revealed a significantly higher rate of mutual cooperation in the high-harmony dyads than in the low-harmony dyads (Mhigh = 0.72 vs. Mlow = 0.47, t (124) = 3.55, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the high-harmony individuals were more likely to adopt a “tit-for-tat” reciprocal strategy and less likely to engage in retaliation following a partner’s defection (interaction effect: F(3, 369) = 3.67, p = 0.009). The fNIRS hyperscanning results revealed a crucial moderating role of harmony: IBS was significantly increased during mutual cooperation but only within the high-harmony dyads. This enhanced synchronization occurred specifically in the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right medial temporal lobe. Critically, the level of IBS in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-dlPFC) and left frontopolar area (L-FPC) during mutual cooperation was positively correlated with the dyad’s overall mutual cooperation rate, and this relationship was only significant for the high-harmony dyads (e.g., L-dlPFC: r = 0.71, p = 0.001, FDR corrected). This study provides preliminarily evidence that the relationship-oriented personality trait (harmony) modulates IBS during cooperation, linking culturally relevant personality to the neural basis of social interaction. These findings may identify neural markers for cooperation, offering insights for enhancing team effectiveness and conflict resolution. References | Related Articles | Metrics