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From unconscious to conscious: Executive deactivation drives information replacement in insight problem-solving ZHAO Qingbai, CHEN Yan, ZHOU Zhijin, CHEN Shi 2026, 34 (5):  761-778.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0761 Abstract ( 12 )   PDF (1479KB) ( 14 )   Peer Review Comments Insight problem-solving, a cornerstone of human creativity, fundamentally relies on the interplay between unconscious information processing and executive function regulation. Despite extensive theoretical emphasis on unconscious contributions, prior research has largely failed to directly capture the dynamic transition of weakly associated information from unconscious to conscious states or elucidate the precise regulatory role of executive control. To address these critical gaps, this study proposes and empirically validates a novel cognitive model that redefines the information processing dynamics in insight. The model posits that the brain undergoes a systematic replacement of dominant strong associations with latent weak associations during unconscious processing, culminating in the conscious “aha” moment when executive function modulation permits this transition. Crucially, we demonstrate that executive function does not merely suppress unconscious processes but dynamically shifts from inhibitory to permissive states, enabling weak associations to surface into awareness. This work significantly advances the field by moving beyond descriptive accounts to provide mechanistic, testable insights into the subconscious underpinnings of creativity. The primary innovation of this study lies in formulating and empirically testing a comprehensive cognitive model that integrates unconscious dynamics with executive regulation. This model seeks to bridge the theoretical and methodological gaps between these two key aspects of insight problem-solving. Unlike previous models that treated unconscious processing as a black box, ours specifies discrete stages: initial suppression of weak associations by executive control, followed by a critical “release phase” where reduced executive activity allows unconscious weak associations to gain neural prominence. This model was not merely hypothetical; it was systematically operationalized through a multi-method experimental design that uniquely combined behavioral, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation techniques to isolate and quantify the proposed mechanisms. Specifically, we introduced subliminal word detection tasks to present weakly associated problem-relevant cues below conscious awareness, ensuring that any influence on insight could be attributed solely to unconscious processing. This approach overcame the methodological limitations of earlier studies that relied on post-hoc self-reports, which often conflate conscious and unconscious contributions. By embedding these cues within classic insight problems (e.g., compound remote associate tasks), we directly tracked how unconscious weak associations evolve toward conscious realization, providing evidence of this transition. Methodologically, this research pioneers an unprecedented integration of fMRI with advanced analytical techniques to capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of unconscious processing. We moved beyond standard activation mapping by implementing two innovative neuroimaging strategies: (1) dynamic region-of-interest (ROI) analysis focused on executive control networks (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex), which revealed time-locked deactivation in these regions precisely during the unconscious incubation phase preceding insight; and (2) representational similarity analysis (RSA) applied to fMRI data, which quantified neural pattern shifts from strong to weak association representations over milliseconds. This dual approach allowed us to demonstrate that weak associations initially activate in sensory and default-mode networks during unconscious processing, only becoming dominant in prefrontal regions upon conscious insight—a sequence unobservable with conventional methods. Critically, RSA confirmed that the neural similarity between weak association patterns and the solution state increased incrementally during unconscious processing, directly supporting our model’s replacement hypothesis. These techniques collectively provided the first high-resolution neural signature of unconscious-to-conscious transition, resolving long-standing ambiguities about where and when weak associations gain traction in the brain. Through targeted behavioral interventions and neuroregulatory methods, we plan to conduct causal tests. We designed implicit cueing paradigms to subtly prime weak associations without participants’ awareness, coupled with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to selectively inhibit prefrontal executive regions. Further innovation emerged through targeted behavioral and neuromodulation interventions that causally tested the role of executive function deactivation. We designed implicit cueing paradigms to subtly prime weak associations without participants’ awareness, coupled with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to selectively inhibit prefrontal executive regions. These interventions established a causal chain: executive deactivation enables unconscious weak associations to dominate processing, which then triggers conscious insight. This goes beyond correlational findings in prior work by providing mechanistic leverage for modulating creativity. Collectively, this study transforms our understanding of insight by reframing it as an executive-regulated information replacement process rather than a sudden, unexplained event. The model we proposed employs methods such as subconscious detection, dynamic functional magnetic resonance imaging, and transcranial direct current stimulation intervention, aiming to provide a unified framework for the processing, storage, and retrieval of weak unconscious associations under the regulation of executive functions. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Reward learning mechanisms in anhedonia and dynamic modulation of perceived control ZHANG Lin, ZHANG Yixuan, LONG Yiming, TIAN Xinyu, XIANG Yuhong, JIAN Liwen, WANG Ziqi 2026, 34 (5):  779-793.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0779 Abstract ( 11 )   PDF (1158KB) ( 9 )   Peer Review Comments Anhedonia, defined as a marked reduction in the capacity to experience pleasure, is a transdiagnostic feature and a core symptom across multiple psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Despite its clinical significance, existing pharmacological and psychological interventions have shown variable and often modest efficacy in alleviating anhedonic symptoms, particularly during subclinical or prodromal stages. One possible contributing factor is that anhedonia has predominantly been approached as a relatively stable deficit in hedonic capacity, whereas accumulating evidence suggests that it may reflect dynamic alterations across multiple components of reward processing, with reward learning playing a particularly central role. Clarifying how reward learning deficits emerge and how they may be modulated prior to the onset of diagnosable psychiatric disorders is therefore critical for early prevention and intervention efforts. Recent theoretical and empirical advances indicate that reward learning serves as a crucial bridge between reward anticipation and consummatory experience, and that effective reward learning depends not merely on objective reward contingencies but also on individuals’ subjective perceptions of control over outcomes. Learning signals may be substantially attenuated when perceived control is low, even under identical objective contingencies. These observations point to perceived control as a potentially important factor shaping reward learning processes in anhedonia. However, the dynamic characteristics of perceived control’s modulation of reward learning in anhedonia, the underlying neurocomputational mechanisms, and the feasibility of targeting perceived control as an intervention have not yet been systematically characterized. Grounded in meta-reinforcement learning theory and locus of control theory, the present study adopts a multimodal and multi-level research framework to investigate the dynamic modulation of reward learning by perceived control in individuals with anhedonia, with a particular focus on subclinical high-risk populations at elevated risk for mental disorders. The overarching aims are to characterize how reward learning deficits vary as a function of perceived control, to elucidate the mechanisms linking perceived control to alterations in reward learning, and to develop and empirically evaluate novel intervention paradigms targeting perceived control. Central to this research is the proposed Dual-Layer Reward Learning Hypothesis with Internal-External Loops. This hypothesis suggests that subjective perceptions of reward-behavior contingency strength, beyond objective contingencies alone, may dynamically influence immediate reward learning processes (Internal Loops) while also contributing to the updating of longer-term beliefs about reward-behavior associations (External Loops). Through iterative interactions between these two layers, perceived control may help attenuate maladaptive reward learning biases and, in turn, be associated with reductions in anhedonic experiences. This study comprises three interrelated components. First, Study 1 aims to examine reward learning deficits as a function of perceived control through two experiments: 1) in healthy individuals, manipulating prior perceived control via a sensorimotor synchrony paradigm to assess how the external loop affects the reward learning process; 2) comparing computational parameters and adapted models across different groups of individuals, with a particular focus on the reward learning characteristics of subclinical populations, to identify shared/unique mechanisms and to clarify the modulatory role of perceived control. Second, Study 2 investigates the neurocomputational mechanisms underlying control-related modulation of reward learning in anhedonia. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and probabilistic reward learning tasks, the study examines how perceived control affects neural representations, while also assessing modulation within and between core reward-related regions. Third, Study 3 aims to develop and evaluate intervention paradigms targeting perceived control through 1) laboratory-based task enhancing action-outcome contingencies and 2) psychological intervention based on positive autobiographical recall, and to assess the immediate and sustained effects on reward learning and anhedonia. By integrating experimental manipulation, computational modeling, neuroimaging, and randomized controlled interventions, this study aims to advance a mechanistic understanding of anhedonia and evaluate the potential of perceived control as a theoretically informed intervention target. The findings are expected to contribute to early prevention strategies for mental disorders and to support a shift toward intervention approaches that place greater emphasis on enhancing positive psychological functioning, alongside traditional symptom-focused frameworks. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The impact of autonomous sensory meridian response on cognitive control and its cognitive neural basis WANG Xieshun, ZHANG Yixiao, LI Xiang, SU Yanjie 2026, 34 (5):  794-800.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0794 Abstract ( 10 )   PDF (558KB) ( 6 )   Peer Review Comments Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), characterized by a pleasurable tingling sensation triggered by specific audiovisual stimuli, offers a unique window into the brain’s processing of emotional stimuli. Existing research indicates that the induction of ASMR temporarily suppresses an individual’s cognitive control functions. However, it remains unclear whether this effect is state- or trait-dependent, at which specific stage of cognitive control it operates, and what its underlying cognitive neural bases are. To address these gaps, the present research systematically investigates the development and mechanisms of ASMR by integrating developmental psychology and dynamic neurocognitive approaches, with a focus on adolescence—a critical period for the maturation of cognitive control networks. The core innovation of this work lies in its multi-method, multi-group design that moves beyond the simple dichotomy of ASMR responders versus non-responders. First, acknowledging substantial heterogeneity, we propose a tripartite classification: Typical Responders (strong tingling with positive affect), Atypical Responders (moderate tingling with negative affect), and Non-responders. This classification enables a nuanced examination of how perceptual and emotional dimensions of ASMR relate differentially to cognitive control. Second, we concurrently assess two distinct types of cognitive control—perceptual control and emotional control—to disentangle their specific roles in ASMR phenomenology. Third, we employ a developmental lens, tracking these processes from early adolescence (age 10) to young adulthood (age 24), to determine whether ASMR-related differences in cognitive control reflect transient states or enduring traits. The research program consists of three integrated studies. Study 1 uses a cross-sectional behavioral design to map the developmental trajectories of perceptual control (Study 1a) and emotional control (Study 1b) across the three types of responders. Participants complete cognitive control tasks before and after exposure to a standardized ASMR audio trigger. By comparing baseline (pre-trigger) and post-trigger performance across ages, we examine whether group differences are evident only following trigger exposure (suggesting a state effect) or are also present at baseline (suggesting a trait effect). Study 2 employs event-related potentials (ERPs) to elucidate the temporal dynamics of cognitive control processing in ASMR responders. Focusing on the developmental stage where ASMR’s impact is most pronounced (identified in Study 1) and a mature young adult group (21-24 years), Study 2a (perceptual control) and 2b (emotional control) record neural activity during cognitive tasks administered pre- and post-ASMR trigger. This approach aims to identify the specific processing stages (e.g., early selection, conflict monitoring, response inhibition) modulated by ASMR at different developmental points. Study 3 investigates the electrophysiological foundations of ASMR’s impact on cognitive control. Using EEG, we capture oscillatory power changes across frequency bands (e.g., alpha, theta) during ASMR tingling episodes in typical and atypical responders. Crucially, we then employ canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to model the multivariate relationships between these neural oscillatory patterns and the observed behavioral changes in perceptual and emotional control (from Study 1). This modeling technique can delineate unique and shared neural correlates of the two cognitive control types and their interaction. Synthesizing these approaches, we propose a novel model mapping changes in brain oscillatory patterns to alterations in perceptual and emotional control following ASMR induction. This model aims to specify the EEG components and cortical rhythms associated with each control type and their interactions, informed by temporal and spatial profiles. The anticipated findings promise significant theoretical advances. By clarifying the state/trait nature of ASMR’s cognitive effects and pinpointing its impact on specific control processes and neural signatures, this research will provide new evidence on how the brain regulates perceptual and emotional responses to external affective stimuli. It challenges homogeneous views of ASMR by formally incorporating affective valence, offering a refined framework for understanding individual differences in sensory-emotional processing. This work also carries substantial applied implications. Approximately 39.4% of the population reports ASMR susceptibility, yet misunderstanding and stigmatization persist. A scientific explanation of its mechanisms will help eliminate the public’s misunderstandings and stigmatization about the ASMR phenomenon and provide support for the mental health of adolescents with such emotional responses. Furthermore, clarifying ASMR’s neurocognitive pathways can inform and optimize its growing clinical application in managing anxiety, insomnia, and stress, promoting evidence-based, non-pharmacological interventions. In summary, this research innovatively combines developmental comparison, refined phenotyping, dual cognitive control foci, and multimodal neuro-behavioral modeling to systematically unravel the emergence, development, and neural basis of ASMR. It advances fundamental knowledge of cognitive-affective brain function while addressing societal and clinical needs related to atypical sensory-emotional experiences. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Growth mindset promotes academic engagement: Psychological mechanisms, neural foundations and synergistic intervention CHANG Baorui, HUANG Zhen, DONG Zhiwen, FANG Zuozhi 2026, 34 (5):  801-816.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0801 Abstract ( 10 )   PDF (917KB) ( 3 )   Peer Review Comments This research program aims to systematically investigate how a growth mindset fosters academic engagement by exploring its psychological mechanisms and neural foundations, and by developing and testing a novel synergistic intervention. Comprising 11 sub-studies organized into three major phases, the project seeks to bridge theoretical gaps and offer evidence-based strategies for enhancing students' sustained investment in learning. Study 1 (5 sub-studies) employs multiple methodologies—including large-scale surveys, behavioral experiments, big-data analytics, and longitudinal tracking—to elucidate the psychological pathway through which a growth mindset influences academic engagement. We hypothesize that the positive effect of a growth mindset on engagement is significantly mediated by the sense of meaning in life. Specifically, individuals who endorse the malleability of intelligence (growth mindset) are more likely to perceive life—and their academic pursuits—as meaningful, which in turn drives deeper and more persistent engagement in learning activities. Cross-cultural analyses will further examine how cultural norms moderate this mediation pathway. To enhance causal inference, experimental manipulations of mindset will be utilized alongside rigorous controls for prior knowledge and learning motivation. Study 2 (2 sub-studies) leverages cognitive neuroscience techniques to uncover the neural correlates underlying the relationship between growth mindset and academic engagement. Using Event-Related Potentials (ERP), Sub-study 2a investigates neurophysiological responses to performance feedback. We predict that individuals primed with a growth mindset will exhibit heightened neural sensitivity to errors (reflected in larger Pe amplitudes) and demonstrate greater behavioral adjustment (e.g., increased re-study time for incorrect items). Sub-study 2b employs functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to map the shared neural circuitry. We focus on key regions implicated in error monitoring, cognitive control, reward processing, and meaning-making—such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and striatum. The study tests whether growth mindset, meaning in life, and academic engagement converge within an integrated fronto-striatal network, providing a neural basis for the "belief-motivation-behavior" pathway. Study 3 (4 sub-studies) introduces and evaluates an innovative, pre-registered synergistic intervention designed to enhance both growth mindset of intelligence (GMI) and growth mindset of meaning in life (GMML). Moving beyond traditional interventions that target intelligence beliefs alone, this approach concurrently cultivates the belief that one’s sense of meaning can also be developed. Utilizing a randomized controlled design with active and placebo control groups, the intervention will be administered to diverse adolescent populations, including students from under-resourced rural and migrant backgrounds, as well as those navigating critical educational transitions. We hypothesize that the synergistic intervention will yield stronger and more durable improvements in both meaning in life and academic engagement compared to the traditional GMI-only intervention. Longitudinal follow-ups will assess the stability of effects over time. Theoretical integration is achieved through a proposed framework wherein a growth mindset enhances the sense of meaning in life, which then serves as a robust intrinsic motivator, driving sustained academic engagement. This psychological pathway is supported by overlapping neural systems involved in cognitive control, error processing, and value-based decision-making. Innovations of this research include: (1) introducing meaning in life as a core mediator in the growth mindset-engagement link; (2) employing a multi-method neuroscience approach (ERP/fMRI) to delineate the shared neurocognitive foundations; and (3) designing and testing a first-of-its-kind synergistic mindset intervention targeting both intelligence and meaning beliefs. Implications: Findings are expected to advance theory in educational psychology and social-cognitive neuroscience, while also providing a scalable, evidence-based intervention model. This model holds particular promise for supporting vulnerable student populations and promoting equitable educational outcomes by fostering resilient, meaning-driven engagement in learning. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The impact of resource scarcity on filial consumption behavior of adult children YAN Yan, LIU Wumei, MA Zengguang 2026, 34 (5):  817-835.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0817 Abstract ( 10 )   PDF (794KB) ( 2 )   Peer Review Comments Against the backdrop of China's social transformation, filial consumption by adult children driven by filial piety has emerged as a social phenomenon possessing both economic value and cultural significance. Clarifying the impact of resource scarcity among adult children on their filial consumption behaviour, while revealing the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of this phenomenon, constitutes a crucial research topic for understanding intergenerational family interactions within the dual context of evolving traditional filial piety and accelerated social mobility. Although filial consumption by adult children is now widespread, systematic research on this behaviour within the Chinese context remains scarce in marketing studies. This research adopts a resource scarcity perspective, employing three studies to systematically investigate how time scarcity and monetary scarcity influence adult children's filial consumption. Study 1 examines the differing filial orientations and their formation processes under conditions of time scarcity and monetary scarcity. Building upon Study 1, Study 2 examines the process and boundary conditions through which time-extended filial orientation influences filial consumption decisions when adult children experience time scarcity. Study 3 explores the process and boundary conditions through which money-saving filial orientation influences filial consumption decisions when adult children experience money scarcity. The findings advance research on filial consumption behaviour among adult children within China's filial piety culture and offer significant practical implications for formulating corporate marketing strategies in the silver economy. This study's innovations are manifested in four aspects: Firstly, it represents a significant theoretical advancement in filial consumption research within the field of marketing. Existing literature on adult children's consumption for parents primarily appears in marketing and tourism studies, with fragmented themes largely due to the absence of an overarching conceptual framework. In fact, these studies all revolve around consumption activities undertaken by adult children to express filial piety towards their parents. This paper collectively terms these studies as ‘filial piety consumption research’. Second, this paper offers a clear theoretical advancement to the consumer resource scarcity literature within the marketing field. Existing literature has concentrated on how resource scarcity influences consumers' decisions and preferences regarding themselves. To date, no research has explored how consumers make consumption decisions for others when facing time and money constraints. This paper is the first to examine how time scarcity and money scarcity affect the decision preferences and underlying mechanisms of filial consumption among adult child consumers. Thirdly, this paper makes a significant theoretical advancement in the field of marketing by conducting research on consumer decision-making and preferences within the Chinese cultural context. Building upon the New Filial Piety Theory and introducing time and money scarcity as key variables, this study aims to delve into the filial consumption behaviour of Chinese adult children. This perspective not only deepens our understanding of intergenerational support behaviour within the Chinese cultural context but also provides culturally adaptive theoretical supplements and practical insights for marketing research in the field of consumer decision-making and preferences. Fourth, this paper offers significant theoretical advancement to filial piety research within the fields of psychology and sociology. By examining filial consumption decision preferences among adult children, this study supplements and advances psychological research on filial conduct at the behavioural outcome level. Furthermore, its exploration of specific outcomes in the process of honouring parents through consumption when adult children experience time and money scarcity, viewed through a resource scarcity lens, contributes to sociological discussions on the quality of elderly care in China's ageing society at the household micro-level. This provides new empirical perspectives and theoretical extensions to the existing literature in this field. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The influence of optimal distinctiveness of multi-modal sponsored content on influencer marketing effectiveness based on generative AI HONG Aoran, FENG Ziyu, WANG Yonggui 2026, 34 (5):  836-855.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0836 Abstract ( 12 )   PDF (5638KB) ( 4 )   Peer Review Comments The rapid development of generative AI has markedly enhanced marketing professionals’ capacity for content creation. Yet influencer marketing—widely regarded as a key engine for expanding domestic demand and stimulating consumption—has encountered a practical bottleneck: sales conversion rates have remained sluggish as brand and influencer content becomes increasingly homogenized. A review of prior research shows that, although scholars have examined how to improve the effectiveness of influencer marketing from multiple angles, existing work has not sufficiently extended its scope to the problem of optimal distinctiveness in environments where multi-source information coexists simultaneously—namely, where multiple brands, multiple influencers, and multiple pieces of content compete for consumers’ attention within the same social media ecosystem. Put differently, the literature has yet to offer a systematic answer to a central managerial question: when consumers are exposed to a crowded and repetitive stream of social media posts, how similar should a piece of sponsored content be? Our research reasons that a pathway to overcoming the conversion dilemma is to (1) identify the optimal distinctiveness threshold for multimodal sponsored content and (2) leverage generative AI to produce content that meets this optimal level of distinctiveness. Optimal distinctiveness refers to the point at which content is sufficiently distinct to capture attention and improve consumer decision quality, but not so dissimilar that it undermines comprehension, credibility, or persuasion. Because contemporary influencer marketing content is intrinsically multimodal—often integrating text, audio, images and video—the proposed threshold must be defined and measured at the multimodal level. To accomplish this, our research first builds on social media affordance theory and uses a focus group interview approach to extract the feature dimensions of sponsored content across key modalities, including textual, audio, and visual elements. These qualitative insights serve as a foundation for constructing a structured, theory-informed representation of what constitutes sponsored content in influencer seeding contexts. The study then applies multimodal deep learning techniques to decompose and model sponsored content, enabling the measurement and characterization of content similarity from multiple perspectives: (a) similarity across modalities (e.g., whether the visual storyline aligns with or repeats the textual proposition), (b) similarity across multiple content dimensions, and (c) similarity with respect to multiple reference entities. By integrating these layers, the study aims to move beyond coarse, one-dimensional similarity metrics and instead provide a fine-grained and operationalizable framework for diagnosing content homogenization in real-world influencer marketing. Second, the study examines the underlying dual psychological mechanisms through which sponsored content similarity influences consumer engagement, thereby locating the optimal differentiation threshold that can guide generative-AI-enabled content creation. Specifically, the study employs a combination of causal inference methods, behavioral experiments, and eye-tracking experiments to investigate content similarity under two common but theoretically distinct scenarios, organized as two parallel studies. The first study focuses on similarity between campaigns of competing brands, where legitimacy and differentiation are expected to be critical for standing out in a cluttered category environment. The second study examines similarity between different influencers within campaigns of the same brand, where managers often face a trade-off between information processing fluency and advertising intrusiveness. Through an empirical analysis of these dual mediators, the study identifies the threshold at which the net effect on consumer decision outcomes is optimized. We contribute influencer marketing literature by providing a new lens and a set of novel antecedents for influencer marketing effectiveness to refine an integrated analytical framework of influencer marketing. Finally, the study conducts both laboratory experiments and field experiments to test whether generative AI tools can, in practice, produce optimal distinctive sponsored content. Rather than treating generative AI as a generic productivity tool, the study evaluates it as a controllable content generation mechanism whose outputs can be steered toward an empirically grounded optimal distinctiveness target. The expected outcome is a set of actionable principles and evidence-based procedures for using generative AI to improve influencer marketing performance under real operational constraints. Overall, our research will enhance the theoretical framework for explaining influencer marketing effectiveness and offer a scientifically grounded, practically feasible solution to a pressing managerial problem. The research aligns with the core needs of the “AI + consumption” business ecosystem in the digital economy era and carries substantial practical value for expanding domestic demand and boosting household consumption. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The concept, formation, cross-level evolution, and multilevel impacts of employee moral authority CHEN Yashuo, CHEN Aobo, XU Jiaqi, YANG Chunjiang 2026, 34 (5):  856-874.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0856 Abstract ( 9 )   PDF (2842KB) ( 9 )   Peer Review Comments Trends of organizational flattening and decentralization are challenging traditional theories and practices of organizational ethics and have given rise to employee-based moral authority as a new topic in organizational management. As an informal form of authority, moral authority transcends the limitations of formal authority in terms of hierarchy, direction, and scope, achieving an ethical reshaping effect that spans across hierarchies, directions, and boundaries. However, moral authority has not yet received sufficient attention in management studies. In response, this project constructs and tests a theory of moral authority based on the research framework of “concept construction-formation mechanisms-cross-level evolution-multi-level impacts.” Firstly, drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives and adhering to a standardized empirical research paradigm, this study conceptually defines “moral authority” and “moral authority team norming.” By clarifying the connotations, extensions, structures, and dimensional contents of these two concepts, the study develops corresponding conceptual models and structural frameworks and further designs matched measurement instruments. This conceptual construction and refinement, on the one hand, enhances the scientific rigor of existing research on moral authority by addressing prior limitations characterized by descriptive accounts, insufficient analytical reflection, and a lack of systematic empirical testing, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for subsequent scale development, model examination, and mechanism analysis. On the other hand, it fills a notable gap in organization morality research from an employee-centered perspective, attends to the broad influence of moral authority, and encourages “perspective taking” in future studies-re-examining organizational moral phenomena from employees’ emic viewpoints. Accordingly, the new concepts and research perspective advanced in this study provide an important starting point with substantial potential for theoretical innovation in organizational morality. Secondly, by tracing the full process through which moral authority forms and evolves, this study proposes a dynamic, multilevel theoretical framework encompassing “formation mechanisms-influence processes-cross-level generalization,” thereby compensating for the relatively singular view of authority sources and the comparatively partial explanations of effects under traditional formal power perspectives. On the one hand, from both individuals’ internal moral endowments and external moral behaviors, the study posits that key traits/capabilities-moral awareness, moral prioritization, moral complexity, and moral courage-facilitate the emergence of moral authority, underscoring diversity in source types and pluralism in generative mechanisms. On the other hand, the study explicates a three-stage mechanism through which moral authority shapes team members’ psychology and behavior at the micro level-social judgment, identification, and influence-and, by introducing the concept of “moral authority team generalization,” systematically illustrates how moral authority diffuses and generalizes to the team level and how it further exerts differentiated influences on higher levels and more diverse targets through team-generalization pathways. Together, these arguments offer a clearer and more comprehensive explanatory framework for understanding the internal and external sources, formation processes, effect mechanisms, and cross-level evolution of moral authority. Finally, centering on the derivative concept of “moral authority team generalization,” this study develops a system-level effects framework that connects micro, meso, and macro levels. Within this framework, it explicates the pathways and mechanisms through which team-level moral generalization influences actors across multiple levels (i.e., employees, teams, and organizations), thereby strengthening the logical bridge for understanding the cross-level impacts of moral authority in organizational contexts. Building on this, the study integrates team-level moral generalization effects with individual-level moral shaping processes and, with moral authority and moral authority team generalization as two theoretical anchors, moves beyond hierarchical boundaries and one-directional assumptions in traditional authority influence research. It delineates a longitudinal pathway in which moral authority emerges at the individual level, diffuses via team generalization, and produces differentiated impacts across employees, teams, and organizations, thereby more clearly demonstrating the comprehensive influence of moral authority in organizational ethical governance and its broader cascading effects. In sum, this study extends the field of organizational ethics in theoretical terms. Grounded in an employee emic perspective, the proposed moral authority theory shifts the analytical focus “downward” from leaders to moral authority among ordinary employees, transforming their role from a managed “object” to a moral “subject” who disseminates and leads ethical conduct. Practically, the theory resonates with the societal value orientation of promoting moral exemplars and provides organizations with an actionable theoretical lever for advancing spiritual civilization initiatives and ethical governance; related practices may help catalyze broader organizational improvement and change through small-scale, localized interventions. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The spillover effects of corporate misconduct: An attributional cognitive process perspective OUYANG Zhe, CHENG Peng, XU Zuhui 2026, 34 (5):  875-889.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0875 Abstract ( 8 )   PDF (610KB) ( 3 )   Peer Review Comments The spillover effects of corporate misconduct represent a critical phenomenon in organizational and financial research, describing the transmission of consequences-positive or negative-from a transgressor firm to innocent bystander firms within the ecosystem. These effects manifest in alterations to stock prices, reputational capital, resource access, and competitive opportunities for firms not directly implicated in the wrongdoing. Extant theories predominantly focus on industry or product similarity, leveraging shared characteristics to explain both positive and negative spillover directions. However, these streams of research often treat the two types of effects in isolation, leading to a fragmented theoretical landscape and a lack of integrative explanation. To address this gap, this study adopts the lens of attributional cognitive processes to construct a unified theoretical framework that simultaneously explains and integrates both positive and negative spillover effects of corporate misconduct. Specifically, this research posits that the direction of spillover is fundamentally determined by stakeholders’ “attribution locus” regarding the cause of the incident. When stakeholders attribute the misconduct to factors unique to the offending firm-such as specific managerial failures, isolated internal control breaches, or distinct ethical lapses-they engage in an isolated attribution. This perception frames the event as idiosyncratic and confined, thereby potentially redirecting trust, investment, and resources toward other firms within the industry that appear untainted, thus generating a positive spillover effect. Conversely, when stakeholders perceive the root cause as a systemic issue shared by a broader organizational group-such as pervasive regulatory gaps, industry-wide unethical norms, common technological vulnerabilities, or collective governance failures-they form a systemic attribution. This view triggers a generalized loss of confidence and a broad reassessment of risk across peer firms, resulting in a negative spillover effect. Furthermore, this study elucidates that the nature of the misconduct (ability failure and moral failure) and its multidimensional attributes (intensity, temporal and spatial attributes) critically shape stakeholders’ attributional choices. For example, compared to moral failure, capability failure is more likely to lead stakeholders to make isolated attributions of responsibility. Competence-based failures (e.g., operational errors, technical miscalculations) are often perceived as specific, correctable flaws, confining blame to the individual firm. Second, and conversely, compared to capability failure, moral failure is more likely to cause stakeholders to make systematic attributions of responsibility. Integrity-based violations (e.g., fraud, deliberate deceit) provoke moral outrage and immediately implicate the culture, governance, and industry norms that enabled such behavior, diffusing blame across a broader category of firms. Additionally, the research explores the moderating roles of corporate reputation and the multidimensional attributes of the behavior within the attribution process. A strong, resilient reputation can act as a buffer against negative spillovers under systemic attributions, as stakeholders discount the firm’s association with the tainted group. Conversely, under isolated attributions, high-reputation firms may be the prime beneficiaries of positive spillovers, attracting disproportionate gains in trust. The model also posits that the multidimensional attributes of the behavior moderate the primary attribution process itself. For instance, a high-magnitude event with high industry typicality will powerfully interact to strengthen systemic attribution and amplify negative spillovers. In summary, this study synthesizes disparate strands of spillover research into a coherent, process-oriented theory centered on stakeholder cognition. By delineating the attributional pathway from misconduct characteristics to spillover valence, moderated by firm and contextual factors, it provides a robust cross-industry theoretical tool. This tool enhances anticipatory capability, allowing managers to assess not just if a spillover might occur, but its likely direction based on real-time causal narratives forming in the public sphere. For policymakers, it highlights the importance of managing systemic perceptions to prevent industry-wide crises. Ultimately, this integrated framework advances academic discourse by replacing a similarity-based paradigm with a more dynamic and predictive cognitive model, offering significant implications for crisis management, strategic communication, and regulatory intervention. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Aging of path integration ability and its neural mechanisms XUE Yingqi, ZHANG Yao, ZHAO Haichao, HE Qinghua, LIU Jiali 2026, 34 (5):  890-905.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0890 Abstract ( 11 )   PDF (1232KB) ( 6 )   Peer Review Comments Path integration (PI) is a crucial spatial navigation process that involves continuously integrating self-motion signals—such as vestibular, self-motion, and visual flow cues—to track one's position and orientation relative to a start location. Against the backdrop of global population aging, a key research question is whether changes in PI behavior and its neural substrates can serve as predictive biomarkers for early neurodegenerative conditions, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD). Impairments in path integration (PI) ability have been demonstrated across cognitively normal older adults, individuals at-risk for AD, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD, using a variety of experimental paradigms. The triangle completion task serves as a fundamental tool for assessing core PI ability. With advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology, this classic paradigm has evolved into more interactive VR-based tasks, such as the virtual supermarket task, Apple Games, and path estimation tasks. These paradigms differ significantly in the types of cues available to participants—ranging from body-based cues to visual cues—and in their environmental presentation modes, which include real walking, desktop-based VR, and immersive VR. Utilizing these varied paradigms, distinct patterns of PI decline across the aging spectrum have been identified. In normal aging, PI impairment is primarily characterized by deficits in distance estimation when relying on a single sensory modality. This specific deficit is also evident in at-risk stages for AD. However, both at-risk individuals and those with prodromal AD exhibit significantly increased angular errors during PI. Notably, these pre-clinical groups largely retain the ability to compensate for their deficits when stable environmental cues are available. In contrast, pathological aging (MCI/AD) is characterized by a comprehensive deterioration in PI performance, involving severe inaccuracies in both distance and angular computations, as well as a significantly diminished capacity to utilize environmental cues for compensation. It is important to note that VR paradigms, by eliminating authentic body-based cues inherent in real walking, might accentuate the observed PI deficits. Furthermore, variability in the criteria used to define “at-risk” populations across studies complicates the interpretation of results and the understanding of pathological progression. To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the aforementioned behavioral differences, this study begins by analyzing how the multi-level neural hierarchy operates synergistically during path integration. Compared to other navigation functions, PI underscores the synergistic operation of a multi-level neural hierarchy in processing and integrating self-motion information. At the cellular level, grid cells generate and update spatial representations by integrating information from speed and head-direction cells to continuously track the displacement vector. Place cells support this process by providing positional feedback and error correction. At the brain network level, the initial input and integration of self-motion cues rely on the vestibular system, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and retrosplenial cortex (RSC). The core computation for PI is dependent on the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC), a process modulated by rhythmic input from the medial septum. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) serves as an auxiliary region, collaborating with the medial temporal lobe to facilitate precise spatial updating and positioning based on self-motion. The decline in PI ability is a common feature of both normal and pathological aging, closely linked to the vulnerability of its supporting core brain regions to the aging process. In normal aging, a key neural correlate of PI decline is impaired grid cell-based representations resulting from age-related degradation of the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit. In individuals at risk for AD, the RSC supports compensatory navigation when rich environmental cues are available, and reduced functional connectivity within relevant networks also contributes uniquely to PI deficits. In contrast, those with pathological aging exhibit structural atrophy and neuropathological changes that correspond to the widespread impairment in PI. Current research faces important limitations: the inability to clearly quantify differences between grid cell impairment due to AD pathology versus normal aging, and the lack of causal evidence regarding compensatory mechanisms mediated by posterior cortical regions. These gaps constrain a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying PI decline in aging and hinder its translation into clinically useful biomarkers. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The effects of kangaroo mother care on postpartum anxiety and its mechanisms YANG Bin, KONG Lingnan, GAO Jun 2026, 34 (5):  906-918.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2026.0906 Abstract ( 13 )   PDF (613KB) ( 5 )   Peer Review Comments Clarifying the psychological and neural mechanisms through which non-pharmacological interventions alleviate postpartum anxiety is a critical prerequisite for advancing both perinatal mental health theory and clinical practice. Kangaroo mother care (KMC), a caregiving intervention centered on sustained mother-infant skin to skin contact, has been consistently shown to reduce postpartum anxiety; however, its mechanisms have often been oversimplified as operating through a single physiological or neuroendocrine pathway. Integrating evidence from neuroscience and psychological research, this review proposes a cognitive-emotional-behavioral dynamic interaction model grounded in an extended attachment framework to explain how kangaroo mother care alleviates postpartum anxiety through coordinated, multi-level regulation, while simultaneously strengthening maternal-infant emotional bonding and stabilizing intervention effects. At the neurophysiological level, the sustained and extensive skin to skin contact inherent to kangaroo mother care constitutes a high-density form of affective tactile input that robustly engages peripheral C-tactile afferent pathways. Compared with brief or fragmented touch, this mode of contact more effectively attenuates threat-related processing and reduces cognitive hypervigilance, providing an immediate physiological basis for anxiety reduction. Continuous affective touch further promotes sustained oxytocin release, enhancing feelings of safety and emotional connectedness, while modulating autonomic nervous system activity and suppressing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity. These processes jointly lower physiological arousal in the short term and support emotional homeostasis and psychological resilience over time. In parallel, kangaroo mother care activates dopaminergic reward circuits centered on the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, conferring positive reinforcement to caregiving behaviors and counteracting the motivational withdrawal and avoidance tendencies commonly associated with postpartum anxiety. Building on this neurobiological foundation, this model delineates three interrelated psychological pathways through which kangaroo mother care mitigates postpartum anxiety. Cognitively, it redirects maternal attention away from catastrophic threat appraisal toward the infant’s immediate, concrete cues, while repeated positive caregiving feedback enhances parenting self-efficacy and disrupts anxiety-related maladaptive cognitive processing. Emotionally, reductions in physiological stress and improvements in sleep quality strengthen emotion regulation capacity, allowing the restoration of cognitive control resources and the maintenance of affective stability over time. Behaviorally, sustained reward system engagement fosters a positive feedback loop between caregiving behaviors and positive affect, facilitating the internalization of the maternal role and the establishment of stable, enduring patterns of adaptive caregiving. Crucially, cognition, emotion, and behavior are conceptualized as dynamically interacting rather than operating in isolation: emotional stabilization supports cognitive restructuring, cognitive improvements consolidate emotional regulation, and behavioral reinforcement further strengthens both self-efficacy and perceived safety. As postpartum anxiety diminishes, secure mother-infant attachment is more readily established and deepened; in turn, enhanced attachment quality functions as a key regulatory factor that stabilizes maternal emotional states and amplifies the effectiveness of kangaroo mother care. Theoretically, by extending attachment theory to emphasize the role of maternal-infant emotional bonding in mothers’ own psychological regulation, this framework moves beyond the traditional infant-centered perspective of attachment research. Practically, it provides a coherent theoretical rationale for promoting kangaroo mother care as a low-cost, sustainable non-pharmacological strategy for the prevention and adjunctive treatment of postpartum anxiety. Overall, this review advances the field from the question of whether kangaroo mother care is effective to why it is effective, offering an original cognitive-emotional-behavioral dynamic interaction model that lays a systematic foundation for future mechanistic validation, intervention optimization, and the development of individualized perinatal mental health strategies. References | Related Articles | Metrics