Prosocial risky behavior (PRB) refers to actions taken at personal risk for the benefit of others or societal welfare, combining risk-taking with prosocial intent, and involving the integrated processing of individual risk and social preferences. Building upon the review and evaluation of the definitions of PRB, existing research tools, theoretical models, and neural mechanisms, this paper elucidates the synergistic interaction and mechanisms of the emotional drive and cognitive reasoning systems in PRB. It constructs a dual-system collaborative model for PRB. Furthermore, to address the shortcomings of existing PRB research tools, such as limited cross-domain applicability and low reliability, this paper designs a PRB research paradigm within the economic decision-making domain. Combined with the dual-system collaborative model of PRB, this paper proposes a cognitive computational modeling concept for PRB and preliminarily verifies its reliability. Future research should conduct cross-cultural studies, utilizing cognitive neuroscientific technologies, to explore the cultural differences in the mechanisms underlying PRB, thereby enhancing the cross-cultural interpretive power of the constructed dual-system collaborative model of PRB. This broadens the theoretical explanatory pathways and research dimensions of PRB.

The technique of transforming symptom's symbol into emptiness (TSSE) is a new mind–body treatment method proposed by Tianjun Liu in 2008. It integrates Qigong and concrete object-image thinking rooted in traditional Chinese culture into modern psychotherapy and proposes that mental and physical problems can be alleviated or eliminated in the process of movement. Accordingly, the therapist needs to guide the client with various symptoms to psychological nothingness where the client cannot see or feel these symptoms, and the purpose of healing can be achieved through the experience of emptiness. TSSE is divided into static and dynamic operations and consists of 10 steps. The static operation includes trio relaxation exercises (the body, breath, and mind), identifying the target symptom, visualizing the target symptom as an object-image, visualizing a symbolic carrier, and filling out record sheet A. The dynamic operation includes trio relaxation exercises again, moving the symbolic object into the carrier, moving the carrier with the symbolic object into psychological nothingness, moving back and assessment, and filling out record sheet B. The effectiveness of TSSE can be evaluated by the therapist's judgment based on the client's performance and by the difference between the symptom impact scores recorded in sheets A and B. TSSE has been proven to be an effective psychosomatic treatment solution by some empirical studies conducted in China. Future research can combine other technologies, such as fMRI and fNIRS, to further explore the potential effective mechanisms of TSSE.

This study explores how peers influence the moral decisions of Chinese adolescents (12- to 16-year-olds, M_age = 14.32, n = 84) and young adults (18- to 26-year-olds, M_age = 20.92, n = 99) in moral dilemmas. Participants were asked to make moral decisions individually and then collectively within groups of three to reach a consensus in Trolly dilemma and Footbridge dilemma. They were also required to evaluate the degree to which they felt their decisions were moral. Results showed that adolescents tended to choose “action” (pull the lever in Trolly dilemma, or push the man in Footbridge dilemma) more than adults, and evaluate their “no action” choice as more immoral than young adults across both individual and group settings. Adolescents showed consistent decision-making patterns regardless of whether decisions were made individually or collectively, while adults were more likely to choose “no action” in group decision-making. Our results suggest that adolescents are more utilitarian than young adults when making decisions in moral dilemmas, compared to young adults. Young adults are less likely to make utilitarian choices when they are in groups than when they make decisions individually.

The development of empathy and the establishment of peer relationships significantly influence the quality of preschoolers' social lives. Past research consistently demonstrates a strong correlation between empathy and peer relationships. However, debates persist regarding causality. To provide evidence on this matter, we conducted a year-long longitudinal study involving 160 preschoolers at T1, with 137 children (mean age = 60.99 months, SD = 3.51; 66 males) retained at T2, 1 year later. Our study employed a two-wave design and cross-lagged panel analysis. Data on empathy and peer relationships were collected through empathy story tasks and peer nominations. For the analysis of peer nominations, we selected three centrality measures from social network analysis: degree centrality (number of direct friendships), closeness centrality (proximity between network members), and betweenness centrality (control/mediation of information exchange). Results from the cross-lagged panel analysis reveal that preschoolers' affective and cognitive empathy at T1 positively and significantly predict peer relationships at T2. Specifically, both forms of empathy predict degree centrality and closeness centrality. Additionally, hierarchical linear modeling indicates that, even after controlling for affective empathy, cognitive empathy significantly predicts both degree centrality and closeness centrality at T2. These findings underscore the importance of nurturing empathy, especially cognitive empathy, to enhance peer relationships among preschoolers. Consequently, educators can play a vital role in improving peer relationships by intervening in empathy development, promoting greater social interaction.

The first year of parenthood is considered to be a challenging period, associated with the transformation of family relations. The links between family relations and parenting are widely studied. However, in most research only a limited number of indicators is investigated, and there is a lack of data on the agreement between mothers' and fathers' evaluations of family relations. The aims of the present study were to explore (1) the structure and measurement invariance of marital relations and parenting constructs for mothers and fathers; (2) the associations among the measures of marital relations and parenting in mothers and fathers; (3) the agreement between mothers and fathers in their perception of marital relations, as well as cross-parent cross-measure associations of marital relations and self-rated parenting; (4) average differences between the parents in their perception of marital relations and parenting. The data from 352 Russian-speaking married couples participating in the Wave 3 of the Prospective Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Study (PLIS) were collected when the children were 9 months old. Seven measures of family relations (marital relations, grandparents' support) and nine measures of parenting were obtained. The statistical analyses included the exploratory factor analysis, assessment of measurement invariance, comparative and correlational analysis. The result showed that measures were organised into coherent factor-based groupings: (1) marital relations, (2) support from grandparents, (3) childcare and affection, and (4) harsh parental discipline. Six of 12 measures showed partial scalar invariance between mothers and fathers. Moderate within-measure correlations were observed between mothers' and fathers' assessments of family relations; and weak correlations—for parenting. Mother-father cross-measure correlations were moderate for family relations, but negligible for parenting. Small to moderate average differences between mothers and fathers were found for all measures. The results highlight the need to consider similarities and differences between mothers' and fathers' experiences in future research and practice.

Curiosity, as the strong desire to acquire new information, plays a crucial role in human behaviors. While recent research has delved into the effects, behavioral manifestations, and neural underpinnings of curiosity, the absence of standardized assessment tools for measuring curiosity may hinder advancements in this field. Here, we translated different curiosity scales into Chinese and tested each translated scale by examining its reliability and structural validity. Our results showed that the scores derived from these scales have comparable reliability to those original versions. The confirmatory factor analysis results of the curiosity scales were consistent with previous results. We also found significant associations between different types of curiosity within taxonomy and demonstrated that personality traits such as impulsive sensation seeking, intolerance of uncertainty, and openness can jointly predict trait curiosity. Additionally, we confirmed the social dimension of curiosity, showing that loneliness partially mediates the relationship between social anxiety and social curiosity. This study provides validated Chinese versions of curiosity scales and elucidates the mechanisms of curiosity from multiple perspectives, potentially advancing curiosity research in the Chinese and cross-cultural contexts.

The Geneva Sentimentality Scale (GSS) measures the experience of being moved and its effects on behavior. Despite the prevalence of this emotional response, it has not been extensively studied in China. This study aims to adapt and revise the GSS for Chinese college students to assess its cross-cultural consistency. A sample of 1328 students aged 18–24 years participated in the study, with 127 randomly selected for retesting after an 8-week interval. Exploratory factor analysis reveals that the Chinese version of the GSS includes three factors (emotional labels, tears of joy, and warm feelings in the chest), with a total of nine items. The internal consistency coefficients for the three factors and the overall scale are high, and the total score remains stable over time. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) shows that the three-factor model has a good fit. Multigroup CFA indicates measurement invariance across genders. The results also demonstrate good discriminant and convergent validity for the scale. Overall, the GSS is a reliable and flexible tool for assessing the emotion of being moved among Chinese college students.

Future thinking, mentally projecting oneself into future events, scenarios, and circumstances, is common in everyday life. However, no scale has been developed to explore the functions of future thinking in China. This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the functions of future thinking scale (FoFTS). Based on a sample of 578 Chinese residents, confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the 10-factor structure of the Chinese version of FoFTS fit well. The reliability indexes across 10 factors were in an acceptable range. Acceptable convergent validity was reported considering its association with time perspective, future self-continuity, emotion regulation, and intertemporal decision-making. Additionally, the effect of age and the severity of emotional states on FoFTS were found. Overall, the Chinese FoFTS is a reliable and valid tool for examining the diverse purposes and roles of future thinking among Chinese adults, thereby enhancing the cross-cultural study of purposes for future thinking.

The present study examines the impact of induced social stress on facial trustworthiness judgments in individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ) and the associations between symptoms and trustworthiness ratings. Thirty-three individuals with SCZ and forty healthy controls (HC) were asked to rate the trustworthiness of 24 digitally morphed faces in two counterbalanced conditions. Mild social stress was induced by listening to loud noises from a busy street. BPRS, CAPE-42, and the Paranoia Scale measured the severity of symptoms. We did not observe significant differences in trustworthiness judgments between the patient and control groups. Social stress did not impact trust judgments. Paranoia was negatively connected to trustworthiness ratings in the control group. Subjective rating of stress in noise condition was negatively associated with paranoia only in the control sample. In the patient group, a negative correlation was found between trustworthiness ratings in stress conditions and the severity of self-reported negative symptoms. Our results suggest that mild social stress does not significantly affect trustworthiness judgments in either patients with SCZ or in HC. Differences between the patient and control groups in trustworthiness judgments were negligible. Overall, the results of this study can be considered mainly negative and contrast with previous studies. The stress induction paradigm or a smaller sample size might cause observed results. In controls, biased face perception was linked to trait paranoia. By contrast, in SCZ, other factors might impact trust perception and need further examination.

From infancy, we spend considerable time absorbing social information from the external world. Social information processing, which starts with looking at facial expressions, affects behavior and cognition. Previous research has demonstrated that looking behaviors at social cues such as faces may differ in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by using eye-tracking studies with real photographs and movies. However, mixed results have been reported. In this study, we examined whether autistic traits in adults affected gaze behavior when participants viewed paintings. The eye-tracking results indicate that gaze patterns change over time during a 20-s free-viewing task. Although the fixations were not influenced during the first 10 s of the viewing, autistic tendencies affected gaze behavior after the overview of the painting was completed: the higher the autism-spectrum quotient scores, the shorter the fixation duration and the fewer the fixations on the facial areas of the paintings during the latter 10 s of viewing time. This result indicates that the atypical gaze behavior was more likely to be modulated by a generalized attentional process for endogenous orienting with reduced interest in social cues. Gaze patterns of viewing paintings may be used to predict autistic tendencies among people undiagnosed but suspected of having ASD.

To examine the effects of mindfulness on shame and the mechanisms mediated by cognitive flexibility and self-compassion in a Chinese adult population in daily life, we conducted two studies. Study 1 was a cross-sectional study using the Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Self-Conscious Affect-3, which were administered to 481 adults in Beijing and Chengdu. For Study 2, an 8-month follow-up study was conducted on 128 of the adults. The results of Study 1 showed that (1) the awareness of action and nonjudgment dimensions, and the total score of mindfulness were significantly correlated with shame; (2) cognitive flexibility and self-compassion could fully mediate the prediction of mindfulness on shame. The Study 2 showed that (1) mindfulness and shame were significantly negatively correlated in both phases of measurement; (2) controlling for T1 shame, T1 mindfulness was able to negatively predict T2 shame; controlling for T1 mindfulness, T1 shame was not able to predict T2 mindfulness. There is a longitudinal association between mindfulness and shame, and only mindfulness scores are predictive of the shame and not vice-versa; both cognitive flexibility and self-compassion can provide explanations for the prediction of shame by mindfulness. Enhancing levels of mindfulness can help alleviate individuals' shame levels.

Mindfulness plays an important role in reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and promoting posttraumatic growth (PTG) among traumatized populations. However, the mechanism at the emotional level has not been fully examined. Thus, we aimed to investigate the possible mediating roles of trauma-related shame and guilt. A total of 814 college students (M_age = 19.55, SD = 1.89) with traumatic experiences in China were recruited. Traumatic experiences, mindfulness, trauma-related shame, and trauma-related guilt were assessed in the first survey. Six months later, PTSS and PTG were assessed in the second survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that mindfulness was associated with less PTSS through shame and guilt. However, though directly associated with more PTG, mindfulness could also negatively predict PTG by evoking less guilt. Mindfulness can be a way to cope with traumatic experiences and related psychological consequences. However, although mindfulness can reduce PTSS by suppressing negative trauma-related shame and guilt, it can also limit the realization of PTG by inhibiting the adaptive sides of these emotions.

This study aimed to explore the mental health status of individuals seeking rhinoplasty before and 3 months after surgery. This study was conducted in 2022 at Velayat Hospital, involving patients aged 18–60 who were seeking rhinoplasty, selected using convenience sampling method. Exclusion criteria included prior nasal surgery and severe psychiatric disorders without clearance from a psychiatrist. The Symptom Check List-90-Revised questionnaire was employed to assess psychological disorders across 9 dimensions. Sixty patients were examined, consisting of 14 men and 46 women, with an average age of 31 years. A substantial 83.3% of participants sought rhinoplasty solely for cosmetic reasons, whereas 16.7% cited both cosmetic and breathing issues as motivations. Initially, 59 patients had scores indicating “good” mental health, with one showing “moderate” mental health. Three months after the surgery, all patients scored within “good” mental health. The findings revealed significant improvements in various dimensions of mental health, including depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive symptoms, with the exception of paranoid ideation. All three primary indicators of mental health demonstrated significant decrease post-surgery. The study highlights the positive impact of rhinoplasty on the mental health of patients, particularly among women, individuals over 20, and non-smokers. Notable improvements were observed across various mental health dimensions, with significant enhancements reported three months post-surgery. However, the findings underscore the need for careful consideration of psychological conditions when selecting candidates for surgery. Limitations, including a small male sample and lack of a control group, suggest further research is necessary.

Children's brain is able to track the linguistic structures in continuous speech. When there was no prior knowledge, we found that children also automatically detected and tracked the statistical structures in auditory tone steam as reflected by neural entrainment, but their ability was immature.

Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy technique, this study identified lower brain network efficiency in children with anxiety and/or depression compared to healthy controls, with caregivers' evaluation of mood correlating with brain network efficiency.