Empowering Leadership and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: A Social Exchange Perspective in Uncertain Environments
Previous literature has overlooked the impact of environmental factors on the effectiveness of empowering leadership, and this study introduced the important boundary factor of environmental uncertainty as a moderating role, and constructed a moderated mediation model to investigate how empowering leadership influences employees' unethical pro-organizational behavior from a social exchange perspective. We collected data at three different time points and administered questionnaires to 431 employees. Hypotheses were tested in PROCESS using the bootstrapping method. The results showed that: (1) There was a positive relationship between empowering leadership and unethical pro-organizational behavior, and leader-member exchange played a mediating role in this relationship. (2) Environmental uncertainty played a moderating role between empowering leadership and leader-member exchange. With the increase of environmental uncertainty, the positive relationship between the two is weakened. This study contributes to leadership literature by integrating environmental uncertainty into the social exchange framework, highlighting its impact on leader-member exchange and unethical pro-organizational behavior, thereby offering fresh insights into leadership effectiveness in dynamic environments.
Impact of Individual and Situational Factors on Employees' Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Based on an FsQCA Approach
Despite the exploration of the impact of individual and external situational factors on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviors (UPB) and its boundaries to some extent, existing research has not sufficiently delved into the complementary relationships and the interactive effects among multiple factors, making it challenging to fully elucidate the complexity of UPB outcomes. Drawing upon prior research on UPB, this study employed the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method, integrating configuration theory and individual-context interaction theory, to gather a total of 550 datasets from seven Chinese food enterprises and a professional research platform (Credamo). The findings revealed that no single factor was essential for UPB; instead, the five factors encompassing individual psychological and external situational aspects coexist in multiple configurations, resulting in three distinct driving mechanisms. Furthermore, there exists a causal asymmetry within the driving mechanisms of UPB. Based on these insights, it is imperative to adopt a differentiated management approach from a holistic perspective, considering the specific context, fostering an ethical and supportive organizational climate, being vigilant about the potential adverse impacts of transformational leadership, and guiding employees with a high inclination toward Machiavellianism.
Theory of Mind Development in Children With Congenital Visual Impairment: Role of Visual Impairment and Verbal Ability
This study aims to explore the theory of mind (ToM) status in individuals with congenital visual impairment (CVI) and identify key predictive factors. For Study 1, the false-belief task was used to assess ToM ability in children aged 7-10 years (60 with normal sight, 33 with legal blindness, and 23 with total blindness). The results showed that children with total blindness had significantly lower false-belief scores than sighted children, with those with legal blindness performing in between. In the first-order false-belief task, verbal ability only moderated differences between children with total blindness and sighted children. Meanwhile, in the second-order false-belief task, verbal ability moderated differences between children with total blindness and sighted children and between children with legal blindness and sighted children. For Study 2, the faux pas task was used to examine the roles of age, residual vision, and verbal ability in ToM development among 166 adolescents aged 7-19 years with CVI. While age and verbal ability significantly predicted ToM development, residual vision had no significant predictive effect. In conclusion, compared with sighted children, those with CVI show delayed ToM development, though children with legal blindness perform better than those with total blindness. Age and verbal ability are key predictors of ToM development in children with CVI. Thus, in the early stages of ToM development, maximizing the use of residual vision and other senses is crucial. Further, enhancing verbal abilities, such as through using mental state terms in conversations and reading literary works, can mitigate the negative impact of CVI. Finally, intervention strategies should be tailored to age characteristics.
Cultural and Gender Influences on Facial Attractiveness: A Comparative Study of Japanese and American Raters Using Geometric Morphometrics
Facial attractiveness is a critical factor in forming interpersonal impressions. Evaluations of facial attractiveness were previously considered universal. However, it has recently been pointed out that individuals and cultures can diversify their evaluations. This study conducted Web experiments using the facial images of Japanese and American participants to examine the effects of raters' gender, age, and culture on facial attractiveness. Experiment 1 examined the impact of gender and age on Japanese raters. Experiment 2 explored the effects of culture on Japanese and American raters. Statistical and morphometric analyses were conducted on the obtained data. The results showed significant positive correlations between attractiveness ratings across gender, age, and culture. However, the results of the geometric morphometrics revealed that several differences in preferences regarding facial contours were observed among participants by gender. Additionally, Japanese raters were more likely than American raters to emphasize raised eyebrows for faces in attractive male images, and smaller mouths for faces in attractive female images. These results suggest that the facial features driving attractiveness evaluations differ depending on gender and culture, offering detailed insights into the culturally diverse standards of facial attractiveness. This study adds to the growing understanding of how cultural and individual factors shape aesthetic preferences, questioning the notion of universal beauty, and offering a clearer framework for future cross-cultural research on facial attractiveness.
Which Symptoms of Nomophobia, Social Networking Site Addiction, and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Directly Affect Mental Health? A Symptom Network and Flow Analysis Study
Nomophobia, social networking site (SNS) addiction, and fear of missing out (FoMO) are increasingly recognized as interrelated digital-age phenomena that pose risks to young people's mental health. However, limited research has examined how specific symptoms across these domains interact and contribute to anxiety and depression. This study aims to make a novel contribution by applying network and flow analysis to uncover the symptom-level interconnections among nomophobia, SNS addiction, FoMO, and their links to mental health outcomes. A total of 3108 college students completed validated scales measuring SNS addiction, FoMO, nomophobia, anxiety, and depression. Gaussian graphical models and centrality indices were used to estimate symptom networks. Flow networks were constructed to identify pathways connecting symptoms to mental health outcomes. Strong intranetwork associations were found within all three domains. "FoMO on information" emerged as the most central and influential bridge symptom, connecting nomophobia and SNS addiction. Flow network analysis revealed that "FoMO on information" was also the strongest individual predictor of both anxiety and depression. Other symptoms, such as "fear of losing internet connection" and "SNS-related insomnia," also showed notable associations with mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the potential of network and flow analysis to identify transdiagnostic mechanisms across digital behavioral addictions. "FoMO on information" appears to be a key symptom linking nomophobia and SNS addiction and may represent a promising target for interventions aimed at reducing comorbid anxiety and depression among adolescents.
The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Subjective Well-Being in College Students Over the Course of a Semester: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study
Subjective well-being is an essential construct in positive psychology and is linked with various physical and mental health outcomes in college students. This study examined the associations between different intensities of physical activity (PA) and multiple dimensions of subjective well-being at the beginning and end of a semester. A short-term longitudinal design was employed with a cohort of 743 undergraduate students (mean age = 19.63 years). Data on PA and subjective well-being indicators, including life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect, were collected during the third week of the semester and the week before final exams. The results revealed a significant decline in PA and life satisfaction, and a significant increase in negative affect from the beginning to the end of the semester. Vigorous-intensity PA at the semester's end showed a positive relationship with life satisfaction and positive affect, and a negative relationship with negative affect, while PA levels at the beginning of the semester did not predict subjective well-being at the semester's end. This study highlights the importance of vigorous-intensity PA in supporting subjective well-being during periods of academic stress. Universities should implement targeted programs to encourage vigorous-intensity PA to support student well-being.
Impact of Childhood Environmental Unpredictability on Hoarding Behavior: Attachment as Mediator and Environmental Cues as Moderator
This study examined the impact of childhood environmental unpredictability on hoarding behavior, focusing on the mediating roles of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance and the moderating role of environmental cues. Three studies were conducted: Study 1 investigated the effect of childhood environmental unpredictability on hoarding behavior through big data analysis and an experiment; Study 2 tested the mediating effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance, as well as the moderating role of environmental cues, using a two-stage questionnaire; and Study 3 further explored differences in hoarding behavior across attachment styles. Results indicated that childhood environmental unpredictability significantly and positively predicted hoarding behavior, with attachment anxiety and avoidance serving as parallel mediators. Moreover, pandemic-related environmental cues moderated the direct effect of childhood environmental unpredictability on hoarding behavior, with this effect weakening after the cues diminished. These findings provide novel insights into hoarding behavior as an adaptive response to childhood environmental unpredictability, clarify the roles of attachment anxiety and avoidance as adaptive mechanisms, and underscore the influence of current environmental cues in shaping hoarding behavior.
Dysfunctions of Reward Motivation Adaptation in Patients With Schizophrenia
Diminished reward motivation in the wanting or liking dimension constitutes one of the core dysfunctions in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, it remains unclear whether patients with SCZ would dynamically adapt their wanting or liking towards reward in response to a favourable effort-reward ratio and whether such adaptation correlates with their clinical symptoms or functional outcome. In this study, thirty patients with SCZ and 30 healthy controls (HC) were recruited to complete the reward motivation adaptation task (RMAT) based on mental arithmetic effort and manipulating effort-reward ratios. Clinical symptoms were assessed in the clinical group while pleasure experience and social functioning were assessed in all participants. We found that patients with SCZ exhibited less reward wanting and liking than HC in "effort = reward" and "effort < reward" conditions. Neither reward wanting nor liking in patients with SCZ adapted with effort-reward ratio as indicated by significantly smaller coefficients (βwanting and βliking) compared with HCs. Besides, SCZ patients' adaptation ability was positively correlated with social functioning in daily life. In conclusion, this study indicates that patients with SCZ not only exhibited reduced reward motivation in favourable conditions but also dysfunctions of reward motivation adaptation, and such deficits could explain poor functional outcome.
Cultural Individualism-Collectivism and Third-Party Punishment and Compensation
This study examined how culture shapes third-party punishment and compensation in the harm domain using realistic judicial scenarios. Chinese participants showed greater engagement in both forms than American participants, with individualism-collectivism values mediating these societal differences.
The Antecedents and Buffer of Social Media Fatigue: A Moderating Role of Dispositional Mindfulness
Social media fatigue negatively affects users' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral faculties. Therefore, the identification of risk factors associated with this phenomenon is essential for the development of preventative measures against social media fatigue. This study aimed to explore the relationship between fear of missing out and social media fatigue, the mediating role of information overload and perceived stress, and the moderating role of dispositional mindfulness. Adopting a longitudinal cluster sampling design, this study assessed college students using several psychometric instruments: Fear of missing out scale, information overload scale, Chinese perceived stress scale, social media fatigue scale, and mindfulness attention awareness scale. Data from 743 college students, collected and matched across three-time points, were analyzed to test the mediation and moderation effects. Findings from the study indicated that the independent and chain mediating effects of information overload and perceived stress were significant. Moreover, the negative moderating influences of dispositional mindfulness were also found to be significant. The results suggest that fear of missing out influences social media fatigue through two parallel pathways-information overload and perceived stress-and through a serial pathway involving both variables. Dispositional mindfulness can mitigate the impact of fear of missing out on information overload or perceived stress, as well as alleviate the mediating role of information overload and perceived stress. These findings provide valuable insights into social media fatigue and have significant implications for its prevention and intervention.
Outcomes of Mutual Support Groups on Well-Being, Academic Skills, Career Confidence, and Psychological Support Attitudes Among Higher Education Students
Mutual support groups are increasingly implemented in higher education settings across high-income countries to promote peer-based support, with demonstrated benefits for emotional well-being and social connectedness. However, their impact on other domains of students' lives remains underexplored, particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. This study investigates the outcomes of mutual support groups by examining students' perceived changes in mental well-being, academic skills, career certainty, social support attitudes, interpersonal functioning, and attitudes toward seeking psychological help. Using a qualitative retrospective approach, open-ended responses were collected from 20 Kosovar students (aged 18-25 years) at a major public university after a 5-week support group program. Data were thematically analyzed using a deductive approach based on predefined themes aligned with the study's objectives. Findings revealed that participating in mutual support groups contributed to reduced stress, lower anxiety, and improved mood, as students felt heard and emotionally supported by peers facing similar challenges. Students adopted more effective study habits and time management techniques through the sharing of practical strategies and encouragement. Open discussions about career uncertainty fostered clarity and confidence in students' academic and professional goals. Hearing from the perspectives of others on mental health reduced internalized stigma and increased willingness to seek psychological support. The group setting also enabled students to develop stronger interpersonal skills, including empathy, emotional expression, and a sense of connection and belonging. This study highlights the potential of mutual support groups as effective peer-led supplements in higher education by emphasizing improvements in student well-being, academic development, and mental health attitudes.
Language Use in Chinese University Students With Depressive Symptoms
This study examined the language use in Chinese university students with depressive symptoms based on negative and positive memory recall tasks. People with depression used more first-person singular pronouns in the negative memory task and more negative words in both memory tasks.
Effects of Spicy Food on Sense of Fairness: Mediating Effects of Aggression and Pathogen Avoidance
Spicy food consumption is prevalent worldwide, yet its psychological and behavioral impacts remain underexplored compared to basic tastes like sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. The present research aimed to investigate the effects of spicy food preferences and consumption on individuals' sense of fairness, with aggression and pathogen avoidance considered as potential mediators. Two behavioral studies using the Ultimatum Game were conducted to examine these relationships. Study 1 found that individuals with a preference for spicy food were more likely to reject unfair offers and accept fair offers, mediated by trait aggression and trait pathogen avoidance, respectively. In Study 2, immediate consumption of spicy food led to a higher rejection rate of unfair offers compared to non-spicy food consumption, an effect mediated by increased state aggression. However, no significant differences in fair offer rejection rates were observed between the spicy and non-spicy conditions, and no significant mediation effects of situational pathogen avoidance were detected. These findings suggest that spicy food enhances sensitivity to unfairness-likely by elevating an individual's acceptance threshold-an effect primarily driven by aggression. This research provides novel insights into how sensory experiences shape social decision-making and fairness judgments.
The Assessment of Body Image Based on Large Language Model
Assessing adolescent body image is crucial for mental health interventions, yet traditional methods suffer from limited dimensional coverage, poor dynamic tracking, and weak ecological validity. To address these gaps, this study proposes a multidimensional evaluation using large language models (LLMs) and compares its criterion validity against a dictionary-based method and expert ratings. We defined four dimensions-perception, positive attitude, negative attitude, behavior-by reviewing the body-image literature and built a validated dictionary through expert ratings and iterative refinement. A four-step prompt-engineering process, incorporating role-playing and other optimization techniques, produced tailored prompts for LLM-based recognition. To validate these tools, we collected self-reported texts and scale scores from 194 university students, performed semantic analyses with Llama-3.1-70B, Qwen-Max, and DeepSeek-R1 using these prompts, and confirmed ecological validity on social media posts. Results indicate that our multidimensional dictionary correlated significantly with expert ratings across all four dimensions (r = 0.515-0.625), providing a solid benchmark. LLM-based assessments then outperformed both the dictionary and human ratings, with zero-shot LLMs achieving r = 0.664 in positive attitude (vs. expert r = 0.657) and DeepSeek-R1 reaching r = 0.722 in perception. Role-playing techniques significantly improved the validity in the perception dimension (Δr = +0.117). Consistency checks revealed that the DeepSeek model reduced error dispersion in extreme score ranges by 48.4% compared to human ratings, with the 95% consistency limits covering the fluctuations of human scores. Incremental validity analysis showed that LLMs could replace human evaluations in the perception dimension (ΔR = 0.220). In ecological validity checks, the Qwen model achieved a correlation of 0.651 in the social media behavior dimension-53.1% higher than the dictionary method. We found that LLMs demonstrated significant advantages in the multidimensional assessment of body image, offering a new intelligent approach to mental health measurement.
Cross-Informant Comparison of Depressive Symptoms in Youth: A Network Approach
Developmental researchers generally use a multi-informant approach to assess youth depressive symptoms to increase diagnostic accuracy and reliability, but informant discrepancies between youth and caregivers are common. Previous studies have predominantly used the sum score-level approach to examine informant discrepancies, which may obscure the heterogeneity of depression. This study adopted a symptom-level approach, network analysis, to examine informant discrepancies regarding depressive symptoms. The participant sample comprised 1043 community youth living in China (M = 13.68, 48.3% male) and their caregivers. Youth and caregivers completed the Children's Depression Inventory-Youth (CDI-Y) and the Children's Depression Inventory-Parents (CDI-P) separately. We employed R 4.3.0 and the Ising model to estimate two distinct networks. We then utilized the R-package Network Comparison Test to compare these two networks. Our findings revealed that irritability emerged as a symptom with high centrality in both networks, while crying demonstrated the most significant disparity in strength centrality, being stronger in the youth-report network. Youth-reported crying showed stronger connections with suicidal ideation (edge weight = 2.78), social withdrawal (edge weight = 1.72) and schoolwork difficulty (edge weight = 1.70), whereas caregivers-reported crying was more strongly associated with self-hatred (edge weight = 1.21). This study contributes to a better understanding of the structure of depressive symptoms from the perspectives of both youth and their caregivers.
The Relationship Between Parent-Child Attachment and Peer Attachment and Depression in College Students: A Moderated Polynomial Regression With Response Surface Analyses
Previous research has established a strong link between parental attachment and depression in youth. However, the nuances of paternal-maternal attachment congruence and its relationship with depressive symptoms, as well as the roles of gender differences and peer attachment in this context, remain unclear. This study aimed to explore these associations among emerging adults. Attachment and depressive symptoms were assessed in 1564 college students using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis were utilized for data analysis. The results revealed that when paternal and maternal attachment were congruent, students with average-range levels of parental attachment (i.e., scores near the IPPA mean) exhibited the least depressive symptoms. Conversely, greater discrepancies between paternal and maternal attachment were associated with more pronounced depressive symptoms, while this effect was buffered by higher levels of peer attachment. In addition, incongruent paternal and maternal attachments were not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in sons, whereas insecure maternal attachment was more closely related to daughters' depressive symptoms. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of parental attachment (in)congruence in college students' depressive symptoms and the moderating roles of gender and peer attachment.
Enhancing the Cohesion and Influence of Minority Opinions Through Clustering: A Social Network Experiment
Minority opinions can be of crucial importance to the diversity, productivity, and harmony of a group, but are often left unattended and unheard. Previous methods that tried to enhance minority influence are usually overly forceful and low on ecological validity. To overcome these pitfalls, we proposed a new intervention method called minority clustering and examined its effects with a social network experiment (N = 456). Minority clustering was implemented by increasing the network connections among participants with initial opinions that deviated from the mainstream opinion and forming an opinion cluster among these minority members. Our results show that minority clustering significantly slowed down the rate at which minority members shifted toward majority opinions, thereby sustaining minority cohesion, and moved majority members closer to minority opinions, thus enhancing minority influence. An additional filter bubble intervention, through which all members of a network were exposed to neighbors with similar opinions to their own, further strengthened minority cohesion but weakened minority influence. Minority clustering is an unobtrusive intervention that does not need overt cooperations of network members and can be implemented easily in social media platforms. The working mechanisms of minority clustering and its effects on group opinion formation are further discussed.
Unity or Diversity in Executive Functions: Examining the Three-Factor Model in Young Children
Executive functions (EFs) as a set of cognitive processes play a crucial role in developing children's higher mental functions and academic success. Regardless of the number of studies conducted on EFs, current findings on the structure of cognitive functions as a whole or multifaceted construct are mixed. This study aims to evaluate and compare the latent factor structure of EFs in preschool-aged children (5-7 years) and school-aged children (7-9 years) to identify this structure across two age groups. The study involved 500 children divided into four age groups: senior kindergarten groups, preparatory kindergarten groups, first grade groups, and second grade groups. The participants were assessed using the NEPSY-II neuropsychological battery and the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. The results revealed that a three-factor model of EFs, comprising inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, best fits the data across all age groups. This suggests an earlier differentiation of EFs components, starting at the age of 5, which contradicts some previous studies proposing one- or two-factor structures in preschool age. Correlation analysis showed statistically moderate relationships between EFs components, which weakened by the second grade, potentially indicating stabilization in EFs development during early school years. The findings support the unity and diversity model of EFs and emphasize the importance of conducting longitudinal research to clarify the factors influencing EFs development over time.
Intervention Effectiveness of Health Behaviors During COVID-19: A Systematic Review and a Network Meta-Analysis
In the context of a global public health crisis, such as COVID-19, developing interventions to improve population health behaviors has emerged as a pivotal element of health management strategies. The efficacy of various interventions implemented during this period has varied, and the impact of different variables on these intervention outcomes remains to be fully elucidated. This study screened 57 papers (n = 47,264) by searching electronic databases and revealed the optimal intervention through pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis, as well as the changes in intervention effectiveness under different conditions. Our research findings indicate that interventions for preventive health behaviors and health-promoting behaviors have significant effects. For preventive health behaviors, the intervention method of health education and low-risk information framework under information intervention was the optimal intervention. For health-promoting behaviors, the exercise intervention and the prosocial information framework with information intervention were the optimal interventions. Accordingly, future research should focus on the in-depth exploration of specific interventions to establish and improve the effectiveness of interventions.
Unraveling the Link Between n-Back Working Memory and Algebraic Ability in Adolescents: Correlations and Training Effects
Individuals with higher working memory capacities excel in mathematics performance. However, limited research has explored the impact of working memory on adolescents' algebraic ability and the transferability of training effects. Therefore, we conducted the current investigation with Chinese adolescents. In a correlational study (n = 218), we identified a positive association between n-back working memory and the ability to solve algebraic word and equation problems. In a subsequent training study, the experimental group (n = 28) underwent adaptive n-back working memory training for 20 days, resulting in enhanced working memory performance. However, no improvements in algebraic performance were observed in the experimental group compared to either the passive control (n = 22) or the active control group (n = 28). Together, while n-back working memory performance is associated with better algebraic performance, leveraging training gains of working memory to enhance algebra learning presents challenges. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are presented.
The Comparative Effect of Immediate and Delayed Feedback on EFL Learners' Engagement and Willingness to Collaborate
This study examines the comparative effects of immediate and delayed feedback on the engagement and willingness to participate in collaborative learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Ninety EFL students at Guangxi University participated in a quasi-experimental study across three conditions: no feedback, immediate feedback, and delayed feedback. Using one-way ANOVA, the results revealed that both feedback types significantly influenced learners' engagement across affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions, with immediate feedback yielding significant effects in the affective and cognitive domains. Delayed feedback, however, was more effective in fostering willingness to collaborate, likely due to the reflective space it provided. These findings suggest that the timing of feedback plays a crucial role in shaping learner outcomes and should be strategically aligned with instructional goals. The study highlights the importance of context-sensitive feedback practices, particularly in digital learning environments where timing constraints and student autonomy vary.
