关键词: 时间知觉取向, 自我先辈, 自我连续性, 跨民族群际帮助行为

Abstract: Inter-ethnic helping behavior is a key practical pathway for promoting inter-ethnic interactions, exchanges, and integration. It also helps strengthen the sense of community for the Chinese nation. However, previous research has rarely examined how time orientation affects such behavior from a time psychology perspective. Time orientation refers to an individual‘s relative attention to and preference for the past, present, and future. It profoundly influences social cognition and decision-making. previous research has largely focused on a “small-self” three-perspective model (past-self, present-self, future-self). The present research initially expands this concept to a “large-self” five-perspective model that includes ancestral-self and descendant-self. Through four experiments (N = 1,159), we would investigate the effects of different time orientations on inter-ethnic helping behavior. We aim to identify a more effective time orientation and, on that basis, further reveal its underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. In Studies 1a and 1b, we used a writing task and an imagination task, respectively, to examine whether time orientation can promote individuals' inter-ethnic helping behavior. By systematically comparing the effects of five different time orientations (ancestral-self, past-self, present-self, future-self, descendant-self) on inter-ethnic helping behavior, we identified the time orientation with the strongest promoting effect. In Study 2, we investigated whether self-continuity mediates the relationship between ancestral-self orientation and inter-ethnic helping behavior. In Study 3, we further examined whether inter-ethnic helping direction (Han helping minority vs. minority helping Han) moderates the effect of ancestral-self orientation on inter-ethnic helping behavior. The results showed that the five time orientation groups (ancestral-self, past-self, present-self, future-self, descendant-self) all reported significantly higher levels of inter-ethnic helping intention, monetary helping intention, and time helping intention than the control group. Among them, ancestral-self orientation exhibited superior promoting effects on all three dependent variables. Ancestral-self orientation promoted inter-ethnic helping behavior by enhancing individuals' past self-continuity. Inter-ethnic helping direction significantly moderated this mediation path: The mediating effect of past self-continuity was present only in the context of Han helping minority groups, but not in the context of minority helping Han groups. In contrast, inter-ethnic helping direction did not significantly moderate the direct effect of ancestral-self orientation on inter-ethnic helping behavior. The theoretical contributions of this research are as follows. First, it initially expands time orientation from the traditional “small-self” three-perspective model to a “large-self” five-perspective model, providing a more culturally adaptive theoretical framework for the multidimensional structure of time orientation. Second, by systematically comparing the effect sizes of five time orientations, this study reveals for the first time the unique advantage of ancestral-self orientation in promoting inter-ethnic helping behavior. Third, drawing on continuity motivation theory, it validates the mediating role of past self-continuity between ancestral-self orientation and inter-ethnic helping behavior, deepening the understanding of the underlying mechanism through which time orientation influences inter-ethnic helping behavior. Fourth, it clarifies the moderating boundary of inter-ethnic helping direction: The mediating effect of past self-continuity is present only in the context of Han helping minority groups but absent in the context of minority helping Han groups. These findings provide a time-psychological theoretical explanation and practical implications for promoting ethnic unity and strengthening the sense of community for the Chinese nation.

Key words: time orientation, ancestral-self, self-continuity, inter-ethnic helping behavior