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Analgesic effect of dual-target transcranial direct current stimulation on transient pain and sustained pain: A double-blind, randomized controlled study QIU Yi, CHANG Xiang-Yu, TU Yi-Heng 2024, 56 (10):  1313-1327.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01313 Abstract ( 192 )   PDF (1397KB) ( 152 )   Peer Review Comments Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique known for its reversibility, high safety, and patient compliance. It holds promise as a potential non-pharmacological method for analgesia. Previous studies have primarily focused on applying tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or the primary motor cortex (M1) for pain modulation. However, the analgesic effect of tDCS has shown unsatisfactory results with significant variation among individuals, possibly due to the complexity of the pain neural network and the limited targeting of previous tDCS interventions. To improve the efficacy of tDCS in pain relief, the present study used dual-target tDCS technology to simultaneously modulate the DLPFC and M1, with the aim of investigating the analgesic effects and advantages of this approach. In Experiment 1, a total of 80 healthy participants were double-blind, randomly allocated to receive either lDLPFC+rM1-tDCS, lDLPFC-tDCS, rM1-tDCS, or Sham-tDCS. The perception of transient pain induced by thermal stimulation and pressure pain thresholds were assessed before and after tDCS application. Dual-target tDCS demonstrated a significant analgesic effect on moderate-intensity transient pain and pressure pain thresholds, surpassing the effects observed in the lDLPFC-tDCS or rM1-tDCS groups. Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between the analgesic effects of dual-target tDCS on transient pain and participants' pain fear trait. Specifically, the higher the scores on the participants' fear of pain questionnaire, the greater the analgesic effects. In Experiment 2, a total of 26 participants double-blinded underwent three distinct intervention conditions: lDLPFC+rM1-tDCS (Dual-target), lDLPFC or rM1-tDCS (Single-target), and Sham. The sequence of these conditions was randomized, with a minimum interval of seven days between sessions. The perception of sustained pain induced by capsaicin was assessed during tDCS modulation and 30 minutes post-stimulation. During and after the tDCS modulation, the pain intensity scores in the dual-target tDCS group were significantly lower than those in the sham stimulation group and the single-target tDCS group. Data from Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that dual-target tDCS exhibited a significant analgesic effect on transient pain, sustained pain, and pressure pain thresholds. This analgesic effect was superior to that observed in the single-target tDCS group, supporting the theory of multi-pathway parallel processing in the pain neural network and providing evidence for the potential application of dual-target tDCS in pain treatment. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The promotion effect of automatically activated long-term associative representation on working memory ZHANG Yin, LI Yue, LIANG Tengfei, CHEN Jiangtao, LIU Qiang 2024, 56 (10):  1328-1339.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01328 Abstract ( 154 )   PDF (1486KB) ( 238 )   Peer Review Comments Research has demonstrated that long-term memory can improve working memory processing. However, these studies only used item memory as a representation of long-term memory. Associative memory also plays a critical role in long-term memory. An investigation revealed that associative representation impeded working memory, in contrast to the outcomes generated by item memory. It is possible that the participants were unable to generate activated associative memory from unrelated paired items. The purpose of this study was to explore how the activation of associative representations in long-term memory, through semantic relations, impacts working memory processing. This study is comprised of three experiments. For Experiment 1, twelve pairs of semantic association pictures were required to be memorized for long-term storage prior to the working memory task, whereas the other twelve pairs did not require pre-memorization. During the working memory array, images were presented in pairs (associative condition) or separately (independent condition) for 500 ms. Following a 1000 ms interval, participants had to decide whether the probe item was identical to the memory array. Experiment 2 was similar to Experiment 1, except that the memory array was presented for either 500 ms or 1000 ms and all items required memory training to be completed the day before. In Experiment 3, the variable of time was removed and two items were included as benchmarks. Additionally, Electroencephalogram (EEG) Alpha power was recorded and analyzed. Experiment 1 revealed that the accuracy and memory capacity of the associative condition were significantly higher than those of the independent condition, suggesting that the automatic activation of the association representation in long-term memory enhanced the performance of the current working memory task. Experiment 2 showed that the associative condition had higher accuracy and memory capacity than the independent condition for both the 500 ms and 1000 ms presentation-time conditions. Experiment 3 demonstrated that participants in the associative condition had better working memory capacity and accuracy than those in the independent condition. EEG data showed that alpha power was greater in the associative condition than in the independent condition during the maintenance phase. The findings from the experiments demonstrated that the associative condition had a higher working memory capacity than the independent condition. In conclusion, activating long-term memory associations can enhance working memory processing, regardless of the duration of encoding. The benefit of associative representation on working memory stems from its ability to aid in the storage and manipulation of information, rather than the simplification effect of compression. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Dynamics of parenting behaviors and 5-6-year-old children’s behavioral response during a conflict discussion task PAN Laike, ZHAI Shuyi, HE Jie 2024, 56 (10):  1340-1350.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01340 Abstract ( 327 )   PDF (531KB) ( 315 )   Peer Review Comments Parent-child communication is pivotal in children’s education, with both parties actively engaging in discussion and influencing each other. These daily interactions are widely acknowledged as significant contributors to children's developmental outcomes. While existing research has focused on examining parental effects or bidirectional relations over time, our understanding of child-driven versus parent-driven effects in momentary interactions remains limited. Furthermore, considering that children aged 5 and 6 have gained increased autonomy and self-regulation abilities, it is imperative to examine the dynamic processes within parent-preschooler dyads. In the current study, we used dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM) to explore the bidirectional associations between parenting behaviors and child behavioral responses during a conflict discussion task. Our aim is to determine whether the momentary interaction process is primarily driven by parents or by children themselves. The study included 113 Chinese parent-child dyads (59 boys, Mage = 5.81 years). During the laboratory visit, the parent-child dyads were video-recorded engaging in a conflict discussion. Specifically, they were prompted to discuss a negative episode with the potential to lead to conflict in their daily lives. Trained observers rated parental supportive behavior, non-supportive behavior, child positive behavior, and child negative behavior on 4-point scales in 15-second epochs. Also, observers coded the resolution of the conflict discussion as compromise, win-loss, or standoff. For data analysis, we employed DSEM with Bayesian statistics to assess changes in parental parenting behaviors and child behavioral responses in their momentary interactions during the discussion task. Further, we conducted regression analysis to examine the effects of parental and child behaviors on the resolution of the conflict discussion. The findings revealed that: (1) increases in children's negative behavioral responses in a given 15-second epoch predicted increases in parental non-supportive parenting behavior in the next epoch; (2) children's positive behavioral responses primarily predicted the resolution of the conflict discussion, with higher levels of positive behavior in children contributing to more constructive conflict resolution. The current study provides evidence for the child-driven effect in moment-to-moment parent-child communication, highlighting the active role of preschoolers in shaping parent-child interactions. Our findings underscore children as proactive agents in their own socialization process and offer valuable insights for parenting practices. Specifically, parents should be mindful of their own non-supportive parenting behaviors when responding to their children's negative reactions. To achieve constructive conflict resolution, it is crucial for parents to guide their children in developing positive strategies for behavioral regulation. Overall, our findings have practical implications for fostering effective parenting practices and nurturing healthy parent-child relationships. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Internet-based cognitive bias modification of interpretation in health anxiety: A randomized controlled trial DU Xiayu, LAI Lizu, SHI Congrong, GUO Zihan, HAN Jing, ZHANG Tao, REN Zhihong 2024, 56 (10):  1351-1366.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01351 Abstract ( 200 )   PDF (640KB) ( 185 )   Peer Review Comments Health anxiety, characterized by excessive fear and worry about one's health, is closely linked to interpretation bias as outlined in the comprehensive model of health anxiety. Research suggests that individuals with health anxiety often exhibit catastrophizing interpretations, and mitigating these interpretations can alleviate health anxiety symptoms. This study aims to examine the effects of internet-based cognitive bias modification of interpretation (iCBM-I) training on health anxiety, catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression symptoms. It also explores the longitudinal mediating mechanism of catastrophizing interpretation, providing insights for internet-based interventions for health anxiety. In this randomized controlled trial, 228 participants with health anxiety (Short Health Anxiety Inventory [SHAI] scores ≥ 15) were randomly assigned to an iCBM-I group (100% positive feedback, N = 76), an attention control group (50% positive and 50% negative feedback, N = 76), or a wait-list control group (N = 76). Participants in the iCBM-I and attention control groups completed internet-based tasks over 12 days (one session every three days, totaling four sessions). Health anxiety, catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression were measured at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a one-month follow-up to assess the immediate and long-term effects of the iCBM-I program. The intent-to-treat principle was employed, and the generalized linear mixed model analyzed the intervention effects. Two-factor analysis of variance and hierarchical regression examined the moderating effects of demographic and baseline symptom variables. Additionally, the parallel development latent growth curve model analyzed the longitudinal mediating effect of catastrophizing interpretation. Results indicated that the iCBM-I group with 100% positive feedback showed significant immediate effects on reducing catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression symptoms compared to the wait-list group. One-month follow-up results revealed significant effects on health anxiety, catastrophizing interpretation, anxiety, and depression. Marital status, baseline health anxiety symptoms, and catastrophizing interpretation moderated the iCBM-I intervention effects, with catastrophizing interpretation serving as a longitudinal mediator. This study developed an iCBM-I self-help intervention mini-program for health anxiety, demonstrating its feasibility, efficacy, and psychological mechanisms. The findings provide empirical support for cognitive theories of emotion and offer a novel perspective for networked interventions in health anxiety. Future research should consider integrating “top-down” and “bottom-up” combined intervention therapies to further investigate their effects and mechanisms in health-anxious individuals. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Beyond the myth of slimming: The impact of social norms on positive body image and caloric intake among young adults TANG Meihui, TIAN Shuwan, XIE Tian 2024, 56 (10):  1367-1383.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01367 Abstract ( 323 )   PDF (595KB) ( 341 )   Peer Review Comments Under the influence of the mass media, many individuals have embraced the “thin-ideal” social norm, wherein people accept and adhere to the behavioral norm that perceives thinness as the ideal body type. This trend has resulted in many young adults compromising their positive body image and adopting unhealthy weight loss practices, such as reducing their caloric intake. Based on the self-discrepancy theory, this paper proposes that the thin-ideal social norm will strengthen the thin-ideal self-concept, which will amplify any existing discrepancy between the ideal self and the actual self, ultimately diminishing the individual’s positive body image. In that light, the present research explored the effects of social norm interventions on improving young adults’ positive body image and increasing their caloric intake. The findings suggest that interventions that address misconceptions, particularly when combined with role models, yield more favorable outcomes than interventions that focus solely on correcting misunderstandings within the social norm framework do. The present research comprised one questionnaire study and three intervention studies, involving 612 participants. Study 1 examined the mediating role of body mass index (BMI) self-discrepancy in the relationship between the thin-ideal social norm and a positive body image. Two hundred eleven participants (113 females, aged 22.31 ± 2.10 years) completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of the social norms, their BMI self-discrepancy, and their positive body image. Studies 2~4 were dedicated to practical interventions. In Study 2, 117 participants (79 females, aged 22.56 ± 2.28 years) received either interventions that addressed misinformation about social norms, or no information. The participants reported their positive body image at the beginning and end of the study, along with their caloric intake over 4 days. Study 3 involved 155 participants (111 females, aged 22.06 ± 2.13 years) who were randomly assigned to one of three interventions: correcting misunderstandings alone, combining that intervention with role models, or no intervention. As was the case with Study 2, the participants reported their positive body image and caloric intake over 4 days. In Study 4, 147 participants (89 females, aged 22.57 ± 2.10 years) were randomly assigned to one of three interventions that were similar to those in Study 3 but spanned 10 days. Those participants reported their body image at two time points and their caloric intake at five time points. Study 1 revealed that self-discrepancy partially mediated the relationship between the social norms of the thin ideal and body image. Specifically, both the thin-ideal descriptive and injunctive social norms could reduce body image by increasing the self-discrepancy between ideal BMI and real BMI. Building upon Study 1, Study 2 revealed that the instructive social norm intervention demonstrated a positive impact on caloric intake, compared with no intervention, but not on positive body image, and its effectiveness was limited to correcting misunderstandings. Motivated by the insights from Study 2, Studies 3 and 4 advanced the research by adopting more robust descriptive social norm interventions and also employing descriptive social norm interventions that incorporated role models. Study 3 showed that both interventions had better effects on positive body image and caloric intake than no intervention did. In Study 4, among groups adhering to restrictive diets, the application of the norm-based intervention did not yield a significant improvement in positive body image. However, the findings suggest that the descriptive social norm interventions which incorporated role models exhibited not only a better impact but also a more sustained and prolonged duration of intervention effectiveness on caloric intake. This research contributes valuable insights into thin-ideal social norms. It suggests a more effective intervention strategy that provides practical recommendations which are applicable to individuals, role models, and commercial organizations. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Making up for merit! A study of the identity work of family-work conflict LU Hailing, DONG Guoqing, YANG Yang, WANG Yongli, TAN Ling, LAI Shaodong 2024, 56 (10):  1384-1400.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01384 Abstract ( 216 )   PDF (539KB) ( 200 )   Peer Review Comments Family and work are essential domains of most adults’ daily lives in the modern era. Family-work conflict is “a form of inter-role conflict in which role pressures from the work and family domains are mutually incompatible in some respects.” Although the negative consequences of family-work conflict have featured prominently in the literature, scholars have insinuated that it may yield positive work behaviors. However, there is little empirical evidence demonstrating the positive results of family-work conflicts and the mechanisms for such functional consequences. To address this theoretical gap, we drew upon the identity maintenance perspective and hypothesized that employees who experience family-work conflict perceive a loss of job performance and desire to maintain work identity, which, in turn, facilitates employees’ work effort and considers reducing family hours. We conducted three studies to test our hypotheses. In Study 1, a recall experiment was conducted to test the causal effect between family-work conflict and perceived job-performance loss. We recruited 200 participants through Credamo platform. Family-work conflict was manipulated by asking participants to recall their experiences. The results support the causal relationship between family-work conflict and perceived job-performance loss. In Study 2, we confirmed the conclusion through a between-participant scenario experiment. We recruited 232 full-time employees from southern China. When the test was administered, the participants were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental conditions: a high family-work conflict (N = 120) and a low family-work conflict (N = 112). Subsequently, the participants were required to read and describe the scenario and its content, respectively. They then completed the manipulation check of family-work conflict, reported their perceived job-performance loss and work-effort intention, and considered reducing family hours. In Study 3, we conducted a multi-wave field study with 786 dyadic data points from 100 employees. At Time 1, the employees were asked to report their demographic information. At Time 2, the employees completed three reports daily for 10 consecutive days. In the first report, the employees rated their affectivity, overnight sleep quality, and family-work conflict. The second and third reports focused on perceived job-performance loss, work effort, and reducing family hours. Confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, bootstrapping, and Monte Carlo methods were used for data analysis. The results showed that family-work conflict was positively associated with perceived job-performance loss. Employees’ perceived job-performance loss increases their work efforts and reduces family hours. Gender also moderated the positive effects between family-work conflict and perceived job-performance loss; this relationship was stronger for male employees. Furthermore, family-work conflict has a conditional, positive indirect effect on work effort and considers reduced family hours through perceived job-performance loss, such that the indirect effects are stronger for male employees than for female employees. This study extends the theory and research on family-work conflict in three ways. First, we complement and extend the family-work conflict research by revealing the positive effects of family-work conflict on employee work behaviors. The existing literature generally emphasizes that family-work conflict is detrimental to work. This study challenged conventional wisdom and provided a more balanced and dialectical understanding of the relationship between family-work conflict and work behavior. Second, we enrich the empirical research on the conditional effect of identity maintenance by providing evidence that gender is a significant factor influencing the process of identity maintenance. Third, we draw upon identity maintenance theory to explore the mechanism of family-work conflict to stimulate employees’ identity maintenance process. We further revealed a new explanatory mechanism of the relationship between employees’ family-work conflict and behavioral outcomes. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Envy or admiration: Employees’ psychological and behavioral reactions to colleagues being empowered JIA Jianfeng, LIU Weipeng, DUAN Jinyun, ZHAO Yang 2024, 56 (10):  1401-1416.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01401 Abstract ( 310 )   PDF (653KB) ( 446 )   Peer Review Comments The role and significance of empowerment are increasingly highlighted in the activation of employees and their autonomy. As a differentiated leadership behavior, empowerment by leaders brings unique resources and asymmetric preferential treatment to employees, which can be perceived by colleagues as observers and directly affects their work performance. However, current studies have mainly focused on the employees who are empowered, and few have focused on the colleagues as observers. It is important to recognize and discuss the emotional changes and subsequent behavioral reactions caused by colleagues being empowered from the perspective of observers. Based on social comparison theory, this research discusses the effect of the interaction between colleagues being empowered and procedural justice on envy and admiration of colleagues. The mediating effect of envy and admiration on the above interaction items and workplace ostracism and observational learning is explored, and a mediated moderation model is constructed. The hypotheses are tested in an experimental study (N = 238), a field sample (N = 306) and an experience sampling method (N = 1258). In Study 1, a between-participant scenario experimental design was used to manipulate procedural justice and colleagues being empowered, 238 participants from China who passed the attention test were retained. Participants were randomly assigned to a scenario to eliminate the effect of their own differences on the experimental results. In Study 2, empirical data from 306 employees in China were collected using a three-wave questionnaire survey. At Time 1, employees reported procedural justice and colleagues being empowered and provided their own demographic information. At Time 2, employees reported envy and admiration towards their colleagues. At Time 3, employees reported workplace ostracism and observational learning. In Study 3, we conducted a field study using an experience sampling method to collect data from employees in northeastern China. The survey process included an initial one-time entry survey and daily surveys administered over two weeks. One week before the start of the daily surveys, employees reported their leader-member exchange social comparison, colleagues’ guanxi and their own demographic information. During the two-week daily surveys, employees reported procedural justice, colleagues being empowered, envy and admiration at 11 am, and reported workplace ostracism and observational learning at 5 pm. The final sample included 1258 usable observations from 137 employees. We applied analysis of variance, confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, bootstrap method and Monte Carlo simulation to analyze the data. There are three findings. First, when procedural justice is low, colleagues being empowered and procedural justice interaction have a positive impact on envy; when procedural justice is high, colleagues being empowered and procedural justice interaction have a positive impact on admiration. Second, envy has a positive impact on workplace ostracism, and admiration has a positive impact on observational learning. Third, envy and admiration play a mediating role in the interaction terms of colleagues being empowered and procedural justice on workplace ostracism and observational learning, thus showing a mediated moderation model. This research has the following four implications. First, the research enriched the research perspective of empowerment from the perspective of the observer party. Second, the research integrated the contrast effect and assimilation effect caused by colleagues being empowered, which enriched the research framework of social comparison theory. Third, the boundary conditions of the two social comparison effects caused by colleagues being empowered were expanded. Final, the mediating mechanism of the effect of colleagues being empowered was revealed. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The impact of the construal level of negative feedback in vision communication on subordinates’ vision pursuit ZHAO Chen, LIN Chen, ZHOU Jinlai, GAO Zhonghua 2024, 56 (10):  1417-1430.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01417 Abstract ( 137 )   PDF (644KB) ( 139 )   Peer Review Comments The presence of negative feedback in vision communication is quite common in managerial practices and has increasingly garnered scholarly attention in recent years. However, prior investigations into this domain remain in their infancy. While some studies suggest that subordinates might lower their goal expectations after receiving negative feedback, there is also evidence suggesting that such feedback can motivate subordinates to enhance their performance. Consequently, the precise impact of negative feedback on subordinates’ perception of the leader’s vision remains unclear. To optimize the use of negative feedback, it is imperative to explore negative feedback strategies that are beneficial to subordinates’ vision expectations. The construal level of the message plays a pivotal role in shaping the receiver’s motivation and cognition. Drawing on fantasy realization theory, this study investigates the mechanisms through which the construal level of negative feedback in vision communication affects subordinates’ vision pursuit, particularly under favorable and unfavorable organizational conditions. This exploration aims to offer guidance for leaders to improve organizational communication. To examine the influence of negative feedback’s construal level on subordinates’ vision pursuit, three studies were conducted. The first study employed a scenario experiment, involving 76 participants divided into four groups. Subjects were exposed to stimuli related to organizational conditions and leader’s speeches. In the second study, 301 participants completed surveys at two time points. At Time 1, they reported the construal level of negative feedback of their immediate superiors during vision communication and evaluated the organizational conditions. At Time 2, they reported their perceptions of vision expectations and vision pursuit. The third study involved a broader survey with 619 valid responses, using refined scales and a sample-split technique to minimize common method bias. The results showed that: (1) For vision communication under favorable organizational conditions, the construal level of negative feedback had a negative relationship with subordinates’ vision expectations. (2) Under unfavorable organizational conditions, the construal level of negative feedback had a positive relationship with subordinates’ vision expectations. (3) The construal level of negative feedback further affected subordinates’ vision pursuit behavior through vision expectations. (4) This mediating effect is moderated by organizational conditions. This study makes several contributions. First, it examines the influence of leaders’ negative feedback on subordinates’ expectations and behaviors through the lens of wording strategy, thereby advancing the research on negative feedback. Second, it explores the boundary conditions of negative feedback’s construal level in vision communication. By integrating negative feedback with vision communication, this study has built a theoretical bridge for the integration of multiple communication strategies. Additionally, this study extends the application of fantasy realization theory to workplace contexts. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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When and how employee boundary spanning behavior influences supervisor support: The roles of supervisor trust and upward advice seeking ZHAO Fuqiang, ZHU Hanqiu, CHEN Yun, CHEN Zhuhui 2024, 56 (10):  1431-1447.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01431 Abstract ( 164 )   PDF (577KB) ( 166 )   Peer Review Comments Boundary spanning is a form of behavior taken by actors to establish contact with external stakeholders and continuously interact with them to achieve goals and enhance group effectiveness. As the subject of organizational cross-border cooperation, employees are the promoters of the acquisition, integration, and creation of heterogeneous knowledge, and thus employee boundary spanning behavior has received extensive attention from both the theoretical and practical communities. Studies on the effects of employee boundary spanning mainly focus on how boundary spanning behavior influences employee performance, creativity, and role perceptions from an actor-centered perspective. However, employees are not isolated individuals, and their boundary spanning behaviors are closely related to the interests of other individuals in the team or organization, and both these perspectives have ignored the potential interpersonal effects of employee boundary spanning on other stakeholders. Supervisors, who are responsible for assigning critical tasks and making important personnel decisions, are the most important stakeholders of employees in the organization. As such, how do supervisors respond to employees who engage in boundary spanning behaviors is important. Only a few scholars have found that supervisors may perceive employee boundary spanning as a threat to their status and power, resulting in interpersonal undermining towards employees. In the meantime, supervisors may also recognize the effort and competence of boundary spanning employees and reciprocate with positive interpersonal responses. Some studies have found that under certain circumstances, supervisors give higher career evaluations or job rewards to employees for behaviors that are beneficial to the organization but challenge authority (e.g., taking charge or voice), which provides indirect empirical evidence for the above positive views. The question of when and how boundary spanning employees will win supervisor support remains unanswered. To address this issue, drawing on relevant concepts of interpersonal interaction, this study constructs a moderated mediation model to examine how employee upward advice seeking influences supervisors’ cognitive and affective trust and subsequent interpersonal support towards boundary spanning employees. Hypotheses were tested through a scenario experiment (Study 1) and a multi-wave, supervisor-employee matching field survey (Study 2). For the experimental study, we recruited 220 full-time employees from different companies in China through our alumni network. We adopted a 2 (high employee boundary spanning vs. low employee boundary spanning) × 2 (high upward advice seeking vs. low upward advice seeking) between-subjects design to generate four scenarios, with participants randomly assigned to each of the scenarios. We asked participants to imagine that they were the supervisor in the scenario and to read the materials related to employee boundary spanning and upward advice seeking in order. Next, participants completed measures of cognitive trust, affective trust, supervisor support, manipulation check, and demographics. For the field study, we conducted a three-wave questionnaire survey and collected data from 406 supervisor-employee dyads in knowledge-intensive firms in Hubei, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Beijing provinces. At Time 1, employees assessed their boundary spanning behaviors and upward advice seeking and provided their demographics. At Time 2 (one month after Time 1), immediate supervisors of employees who completed the Time 1 survey were invited to assess their cognitive and affective trust in their subordinates. At Time 3 (one month after Time 2), immediate supervisors continued to be invited to report the support provided to their employees. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, and path analysis via SPSS 22 and Mplus 8.0 to analyze the data. The results of Study 1 (N = 220) indicated that employee boundary spanning and upward advice seeking interacted to affect supervisor cognitive trust and affective trust, which in turn influenced supervisor support. When employee upward advice seeking was high, employee boundary spanning would have a stronger impact on supervisor cognitive and affective trust, which in turn resulted in increased supervisor support. Study 2 (N = 406) again revealed that upward advice seeking positively moderated the direct effect of employee boundary spanning on supervisor affective trust as well as the indirect effect of employee boundary spanning on supervisor support via affective trust. However, it did not support the moderating role of upward advice seeking on the supervisor cognitive trust path, suggesting that in the real workplace, cognitive trust stems from supervisors’ long-standing independent rational judgments of employee competence. This study makes several theoretical contributions. First, we contribute to the literature on employee boundary spanning behavior by adopting a supervisor-focused perspective and exploring supervisors’ positive attitudes toward boundary spanning employees. Second, we reveal the boundary conditions under which employee boundary spanning can win the supervisor support by selecting employee upward advice seeking as a moderator, which deepens the research on upward influence strategy from the perspective of supervisor- employee dyadic interaction. Third, we enhance the understanding of how the interaction of employee boundary spanning and upward advice seeking increases supervisor support by examining the mediating role of supervisor cognitive and affective trust. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Order of disorder: The matching effect between display order and product attribute LI Bin, JIN Lai, CHEN Xiaoxi, YU Weinan, LI Aimei, DAI Xianchi 2024, 56 (10):  1448-1461.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01448 Abstract ( 198 )   PDF (808KB) ( 218 )   Peer Review Comments Orderly display, from our urban planning to the layout of goods in shops, is widely used in our nearby environment. Researches have shown that the need for order is one of the basic human needs and people prefer objects under orderly display. Our study enriched this line of work by exploring the association between display order and product attribution and providing evidence that disorder can be beneficial. Specifically, natural attribution (vs. artificial product) is associated with disorder (vs. order). Furthermore, for natural product (vs. artificial product), consumers prefer them in disorderly display (vs. orderly display). Based on the associative learning mechanism, 4 studies were conducted to examine how display order and product attribute match together and influences consumers' product preference. Also, the mediating role of fluency perception and moderating role of valence cue were examined. Study 1 (N = 34, 18 men) intended to explore the matching relationship between product attribution and display order with the method of Implicit Association Test. Participants were instructed to sort a series of stimuli into two categories (natural or artificial) as quickly as possible. Study 2 (N = 280, 105 men) aimed to test the match effect of product attribution and display order in explicit level using within-subjects design. After showing the interpretation of both constructs’ definition, participants were asked to match natural (vs. artificial) product to orderly or disorderly display. Study 3 (N = 200, 75 men) used between-subjects design to further investigate the effect of product attribution and display order on consumer preference, and the mediation role of processing fluency. Participants were shown one picture and asked to indicate their preference and processing fluency. Study 4 (N = 240, 98 men) investigated the boundary effect of valence cue. The participants were asked to evaluate the valence of all categories of product attribution and display order as priming method. Then participants were shown two pictures of natural or artificial product in disorderly and orderly display. In the end, they indicate their liking and processing fluency of pictures. The main results of this study are as follows: (1) natural attribution (vs. artificial product) is associated with disorder (vs. order) in both implicit and explicit level; (2) for natural (vs. artificial) product, consumers have higher preference for product in disorderly (vs. orderly) display; (3) product attribution and display order influences consumers’ product preferences through the mediation role of processing fluency; (4) valence cue moderate consumers’ preference for natural products in different display order. This research identify and explore a previously unidentified lay theory, the natural (vs. artificial) = disorder (order) intuition. Moreover, based on dual-process of associative learning, we further explore the contradictory naive theory of our proposal. And this research contributes to the literature of natural product and product display. It provides managers with guidelines on arrangement of display order for product with different attribution when organizing shelf display or designing advertisement. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The influence relationship among variables and types of multiple influence factors working together WEN Zhonglin, WANG Yifan, MA Peng, MENG Jin 2024, 56 (10):  1462-1470.  doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01462 Abstract ( 752 )   PDF (628KB) ( 1009 )   Peer Review Comments The investigation of relationships among variables is the main focus of empirical research in psychology and other social science disciplines. Many empirical studies based on questionnaire surveys involve the influence relationship between variables. However, the lack of a universally accepted definition for this concept has led to ambiguity, and it is often conflated with causal or correlational relationships, which may cause problems, especially for studies on mediating effects. This article defines the influence relationship as a directional correlation, elucidating relations between correlation, influence, and causation in terms of denotation and connotation. Risk factors and protective factors are both influence factors of a negative outcome, and the impact increases with the level of a risk factor and decreases with that of a protective factor. We summarize several ways to find evidence for modeling the influence relationship: (1) establishing directionality based on the temporal sequencing of variable occurrences; (2) testing the explanatory power by reversing the order of variables; (3) following the rule that object variables tend to influence subject variables; (4) considering attributes of variables (e.g., essential vs. state attributes, long-term vs. temporary attributes; stable vs. unstable attributes) to predict their influence; (5) gaining evidence from theoretical or empirical literature; (6) obtaining support from life experience and common sense; (7) reasoning through analogies; (8) applying principles of cross-lag analysis to identifying dominant factors. Furthermore, we categorize multiple influence factors working together. These include independent effects, overlapping effects, two types of proxy effects, two types of mediating variables, and three types of moderating variables. These distinctions clarify how different influence factors work together to shape outcomes. Some influence relationships exhibit characteristics akin to causal relationships, while others resemble correlation patterns. The degree to which different studies capture influence relationships close to causation may differ, affecting the quality of the research. Closer proximity to causal relationships enhances the informational value and significance of findings. References | Related Articles | Metrics