Abstract Culture fusion, defined as the blending of two cultural representations, can promote negative reactions based on perceived contamination of and symbolic threat to the heritage culture. In three experiments, we examined the possibility that such negative reactions to culture fusion may be responsible for exclusionary attitudes toward immigrants. We predicted that culture fusion would occur when an immigrant occupies a position that is representative of the host culture. We also tested whether the immigrant's cultural attitudes would moderate the effect of host cultural representativeness. Across three studies, Japanese participants ( N = 1421) read a scenario depicting an American immigrant who had either a culturally representative (e.g. Shinto priest) or a non‐representative occupation (e.g. bank worker). In addition, he was described as either willing to assimilate into Japanese culture or maintain American attitudes. The results revealed that the priest immigrant elicited stronger opposition to immigration, especially when he maintained foreign attitudes. In addition, disgust consistently mediated the effect of host cultural representativeness, with a lower impact from symbolic threat. More notably, the immigrant's (non‐)assimilative attitudes were consistently a key determinant of the opposition. However, when the sacred element of cultural representativeness was removed, the aversive response toward the scenario character was diminished. Implications and mitigating factors are discussed concerning when immigrants are seen as a case of culture fusion.

Abstract The fourth industrial revolution brings opportunities and challenges to career management for employers and employees. This study investigates employees' career crafting in preparation for the automation and transformation triggered by the fourth industrial revolution. Built on career construction theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate the explanatory mechanism and boundary condition of career growth opportunities on career crafting. Through an online questionnaire platform, 322 valid questionnaires were collected in mainland China with convenience sampling. The results indicate that career growth opportunities have a direct and indirect (via organization‐based self‐esteem) positive impact on career crafting. These effects are stronger among employees with higher levels (vs. lower) of perceived environmental dynamism. By investigating the relationship between career growth opportunities and career crafting in the dynamic context, this study sheds new light on this vital issue overlooked in previous proactive behavioural research fields. Based on career construction theory, the mediator and boundary conditions of this mechanism were also explicated. This study assists employers in helping employees identify opportunities in their careers and plan their careers better to prepare for industrial transformation and dynamic environments.

Abstract Within the framework of traditional Chinese interpersonal construct theory, the doctrine of ‘transferring filial piety to loyalty’ (移孝为忠) is conceptualised, whereby filial devotion operates through a gratitude‐driven mechanism to engender national identity. However, in contemporary society, shifting social structures and evolving value systems have introduced inherent complexities to this linkage, sparking ongoing scholarly debate and necessitating further interdisciplinary inquiry into its function within modern governance contexts. The purpose of this study was to explore the temporal associations among filial piety, trait gratitude and national identity across 3 years. A cross‐lagged analysis of three waves of data was conducted using a Chinese sample ( N = 711, aged 15–60 years). The results showed that in the direct prediction model, reciprocal filial piety (RFP) (T1) positively predicted national identity (T2), and national identity (T2) positively predicted RFP (T3), while no significant longitudinal relationship was found between authoritative filial piety (AFP) and national identity. In the longitudinal mediation model, there was an interactive cumulative effect between RFP and gratitude, and trait gratitude (T2) played a significant longitudinal mediating role between RFP (T1) and national identity (T3). Additional national identity (T2) positively predicted trait gratitude (T3). And age positively predicted trait gratitude (T2).

This multi-journal special issue project stands as a heartfelt tribute to our late colleague and friend, Professor James H. Liu. James was deeply concerned about the pressing challenges our world faces—such as poverty, inequality, human rights violations, political instability, pandemics and climate change. He believed that the academic silos we often inhabit are a luxury we can no longer afford. For psychology, he envisioned a future where internally driven initiatives could dismantle the barriers of fragmentation in knowledge and practice that exist within our discipline. This special issue is a direct manifestation of his inspiring vision. In an extraordinary collaboration, nine journals, including the Asian Journal of Social Psychology, have come together to curate special issues that bridge the gap between research and practice in their respective fields. Each special issue addresses a selected set of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the aim of fostering meaningful change. You can explore these special issues at https://www.asiansocialpsych.org/mjsi/. For the Asian Journal of Social Psychology, we firmly believe in the tremendous potential of social psychology to contribute to timely and effective climate change mitigation and adaptation. With this in mind, we called for contributions that examine the intersection of research and practice, highlighting how social psychological processes can promote mitigation behaviours, facilitate social, cultural and institutional transformations, protect vulnerable populations and disseminate adaptation practices within the global climate agenda. Our topics closely align with SDG 3—Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 12—Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 13—Climate Action. We also welcomed contributions that delve into justice-related issues and those that emphasize the importance of the institutional context—whether at the local, regional, national or international level. Now, we are delighted to present nine exceptional articles featured in this special issue, each making a valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue on these critical topics. All nine articles in this special issue seek practical solutions to the pressing challenge of climate change. Drawing from various psychological perspectives, they analyse behaviours that are pivotal to the climate agenda, addressing not only everyday emissions reduction practices but also actions in the public sphere, information behaviours and adaptation strategies. The diverse range of topics covered includes packaging waste prevention (Wenzel et al., 2025), polluting behaviours (Nakamata et al., 2025), alternative food sources (Liu et al., 2025), technology adoption (Deuß et al., 2025), social media engagement (Jiang et al., 2025; Liu et al., 2025), information and communication strategies (Richter et al., 2025), as well as private and collective actions (Han et al., 2025; Mackay et al., 2025) and adaptation to sea level rise (Hakim et al., 2025). Collectively, these articles resonate with the recent call by Hampton and Whitmarsh (2023) for behavioural research to explore the multiple roles individuals can play in reducing emissions. They highlight that individuals can contribute to climate efforts not only through personal lifestyle changes but also by advocating for structural reforms from governments and influencing those around them. A remarkable feature of these articles is their geographic and cultural inclusiveness. Psychological and behavioural research, including studies focused on climate change, has often been criticized for its reliance on participants from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) societies (Anjum & Aziz, 2025; Henrich et al., 2010). Scholars have increasingly advocated for a broader geographic and cultural scope of the evidence base of environmental psychology and climate psychology research (e.g. Anjum & Aziz, 2025; Tam & Milfont, 2020). The inclusion of non-Western epistemologies, voices from the Global South and Indigenous perspectives is considered essential for a well-rounded understanding of climate issues (Aziz & Anjum, 2025; Tam, 2025). This special issue impressively responds to this call for inclusivity. The samples and contexts examined encompass countries from the Global South, including Cambodia (Deuß et al., 2025), the Philippines (Richter et al., 2025) and China (Jiang et al., 2025), as well as Indigenous communities in Indonesia (Hakim et al., 2025). This diverse representation enriches the discourse and enhances our understanding of climate-related behaviours across different sociocultural contexts. In honour of Professor James H. Liu's vision, this special issue embodies the collaborative spirit essential for fostering meaningful solutions across diverse populations and perspectives. We hope these contributions inspire further research and practice at the vital intersection of psychology and sustainability. The authors declare no conflict of interest in the publication of this article. No materials are available for sharing. No pre-registration is available for sharing. No data is available for sharing.

Abstract Unjust events cause humiliation and can elicit revenge fantasies. The present study explored cultural differences between Indians and Thais expressing revenge fantasies through drawings and narratives. A matched convenience sample of 100 adults, that is, 50 participants each (35 females and 15 males) from India and Thailand were recruited. The qualitative measures administrated include drawings with two prompts: ‘Draw an unjust event you experienced’ and ‘Draw what you would prefer to happen to the person who unjustly treated you’, followed by narratives about the drawings. The participants also filled in demographics, The Traumatic Events Checklist (TEC), and The Injustice Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ). Analysis revealed that Thais were more likely to report known individuals as perpetrators than Indians. In contrast, Indians were more likely to report strangers and family members than Thais. Indians preferred avoidance as revenge fantasy more than Thais. Thais in contrast preferred revenge by proxy more in comparison to Indians. Indians had higher scores for sexual abuse, loss of family members, and other unspecified events, than Thais. The drawings and IEQ scores also showed associations for full sample and for Thais alone ( p < 0.05). The cultural differences shed light on how revenge fantasy is expressed between Indians and Thais.

Abstract The rising popularity of social networking sites has resulted in more social connections taking place within digital environments, leading to changes in users' psychological states. While prior research rooted in social capital theory (SCT) often assumes that greater online popularity enhances well‐being, we challenge this linear view by examining a moderated curvilinear model using a national sample from China (N = 4587). Hierarchical polynomial regression analyses indicated that both low and high levels of perceived popularity predict reduced life satisfaction and heightened anxiety, with moderate levels associated with the most favourable outcomes. Additionally, face concerns—a culturally specific motivation to maintain social harmony and reputation—moderated the inverted U‐shaped relationship between popularity and life satisfaction: individuals high in face concerns reported diminished life satisfaction at lower levels of popularity compared to their low face‐concern counterparts. However, face concerns did not moderate the relationship between popularity and anxiety, suggesting different underlying mechanisms. These findings refine SCT by identifying threshold effects and introducing cultural moderators that shape the psychological returns of social capital in digital environments. The study also offers practical implications for mental health professionals, platform designers and public health campaigns aiming to promote balanced, culturally aware social media use.

Abstract Previous studies have revealed that meaningful endings cause people to experience mixed emotions. Endings are ubiquitous in various facets of our lives and can be categorised into personally meaningful (e.g., a graduation ceremony) and less personally meaningful experiences (e.g., falling flowers). However, it is unclear whether less personally meaningful endings evoke mixed emotions similar to meaningful endings. We hypothesised that awareness of endings is necessary to evoke mixed emotions irrespective of whether the endings are personally meaningful. As a less personally meaningful ending, we focused on momentary phenomena that occur in an instant. Such momentary phenomena are assumed to heighten the awareness of the ending because of their short duration, thereby intensifying mixed emotions. Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis. The results of the studies indicated that momentary phenomena evoked mixed emotions, and momentary phenomena with high fragility heightened the awareness of the ending and elicited stronger mixed emotions than those with low levels of fragility. These findings suggest that both personally meaningful and less personally meaningful endings, such as ephemeral phenomena, evoke mixed emotions. This background is related to the possibility that the fragility inherent in momentary phenomena enhances the awareness of an ending.

Abstract This study investigated whether the in‐group advantage in facial expression recognition extends to the ability to retrodict past events based on others' reactions and explored the influence of cultural familiarity on retrodiction accuracy. Chinese and European participants viewed videos of Chinese and European individuals reacting to four emotionally evocative events (being told a joke, receiving a compliment, listening to a story, or being kept waiting) and were asked to identify the event that caused each reaction. European participants demonstrated higher overall retrodiction accuracy and in‐group advantages in specific events, while Chinese participants showed limited in‐group advantages and even displayed signs of in‐group disadvantages, revealing an asymmetrical pattern of in‐group advantages. The relationship between cultural familiarity and retrodiction accuracy is complex and may be influenced by factors such as behavioural accommodation and cultural differences in emotion expression, regulation, and interpretation. The findings highlight the importance of considering cultural factors in emotion communication and social cognition research and underscore the need for developing cross‐cultural competence in an increasingly globalized world.

Abstract The global COVID‐19 outbreak caused severe physical and economic damage. This study focused on the interpersonal factors among Japanese people and attempted to elucidate why the impact in Japan was milder than that in other countries. Previous studies have demonstrated that the perceived risk of COVID‐19 promoted infection prevention behaviours. However, even people who perceived a low risk engaged in infection prevention behaviours in Japan. Therefore, we investigated whether reputation promoted infection prevention behaviours in Japan, especially among those with a lower risk perception. We conducted four studies and analysed the data for 2214 participants (176, 1235, 518 and 285 participants in each study). Participants had a greater intention to engage in infection prevention behaviours as they estimated greater reputational damage if they neglected to perform these behaviours. In addition, reputation more strongly promoted infection prevention behaviours among unvaccinated people (Studies 1a–1c) and those who perceived a lower risk of COVID‐19 (Study 2). That is, even those who perceived a lower risk engaged in infection prevention behaviours to avoid lowering their reputation. We further discuss the socio‐ecological characteristics that may underlie these results, such as tighter norms and lower residential mobility.

Abstract Attachment plays an invaluable role in adult romantic relationships. However, little research has investigated the psychological mechanisms of the relationship between insecure attachment and romantic relationship satisfaction, especially from a body image perspective in the male population. Based on attachment theory and objectification theory, this study examined the relationship between body shame and romantic relationship satisfaction using a serial mediation model with two mediators which were insecure attachment and partner objectification among young males. In the study, 468 heterosexual males with romantic relationship experience participated. They completed the Body Image Shame Scale, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory‐Short Form, Body Surveillance Subscale and the Relationship Assessment Scale. The results showed that insecure attachment (avoidance and anxiety) was negatively correlated with romantic relationship satisfaction, and body shame could positively predict partner objectification among heterosexual male college students. Importantly, body shame and partner objectification acted as mediators in the association only between avoidant attachment (not anxious attachment) and romantic relationship satisfaction sequentially. This study identified different pathways associated with insecure attachment types in the male population, which could help guide young people to understand factors related to developing healthy romantic relationships.