Xian Zhao
Biographic Data
| ID | 3794314 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Xian Zhao |
| GIVEN NAMES | Xian |
| FAMILY NAME | Zhao |
| SIGNATURE | ZHAO X |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Auckland |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4105-7420 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 56 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 91 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 56 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Waiting as an epistemic-temporal mechanism for decolonising migration knowledge production
Waiting as an epistemic-temporal mechanism for decolonising migration knowledge production Migration knowledge production is not neutralRecent studies of migration have demonstrated that migration does not exist as a pre-given object; instead, it is actively shaped by practices of knowledge
The (in)congruence of L2 grit and growth mindset in shaping engagement among Thai learners of Chinese as an additional language
L2 grit and growth mindset (GM) are increasingly linked to engagement in language education, yet prior work has largely assumed linear effects and focused on English learning. This study examined whether the alignment between L2 grit and GM, along with their potential nonlinear joint effects, predicts engagement among Thai learners of Chinese in a Languages Other Than English (LOTE) context. Survey data from 325 Chinese-as-an-additional-language …
Rethinking student experience through temporal positioning
Responding to the under-explored international students’ temporal and spatial dimensions of abroad experiences, this study addresses this empirical gap by exploring four Chinese postgraduate students’ experiences at a UK university through the lens of temporal positioning. Using a qualitative secondary analysis of narrative data, this article answers two research questions: how do students position themselves temporally and spatially in relation …
The impact of ChatGPT’s feedback on L2 Chinese learners’ writing outcome, confidence, and emotions
Informal digital learning of Malay among L3 learners in China
Learners of less commonly taught languages such as Malay increasingly rely on digital resources to develop their language proficiency beyond the classroom, making informal digital learning an important yet still insufficiently understood part of their learning experiences. As one of the first studies examining informal digital learning of Malay (IDLM), this article draws upon the proactive language learning theory to explore how motivation and se…
Innovating Chinese Vocabulary Learning through Multimodal GenAI
Application of game-based learning of mathematics in primary school grade one——taking a primary school in Beijing as an example
In primary school mathematics teaching, game-based learning can assist teachers in enhancing classroom efficiency, diversifying classroom activities, and fostering more harmonious teacher-student interactions. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the current status of game-based learning implementation in first-grade primary school mathematics and identify challenges encountered during its application. To achieve this objective, the st…
International student belonging as a relational temporal-spatial-emotional cycle in higher education
International student belonging is a critical aspect of higher education research. This article advances the conceptualisations of international student belonging that further our understanding of researching student experience. Through in-depth explorations of stories obtained through narrative interviewing with Chinese postgraduate international students at a UK university, this study presents the circulations among temporal, spatial and emotio…
The Facilitating Role of Enjoyment and Anxiety in Shaping ( AI ‐Mediated) Informal Language Learning and Confidence
Chinese dialect learning through the lens of positive psychology
This study examines the motivations and learning experiences of Chinese dialect learners through the PERMA framework of Positive Psychology. While language learning motivation research has largely focused on dominant languages, including modern Standard Chinese (Putonghua), or institutionally supported minority languages, less is known about Chinese dialect learning, which is often weakly standardised with uneven access to learning resources. Dra…
Assumptions, prejudices, and being
This study sought to better understand students’ choices regarding their linguistic resources and the language practices arising from their choices. This study involved multilingual interviews with seven students undertaking education-related postgraduate study in the UK. Data analysis indicates that the students make purposeful choices regarding their linguistic resources for their UK-based studies as part of their broader endeavour of being and…
A Multi-dimensional Rhythm Framework for Intercultural Experiences in Higher Education
This article explores the experiences of Chinese postgraduate students in a UK university using the lens of rhythmanalysis. This study goes beyond intercultural interactional moments and examines how intercultural experience is organised through temporal, spatial, and emotional rhythms. The data were generated through narrative interviews with four students, and narrative rhythmanalysis was employed for analysis. Findings show that students’ inte…
Social Support, Resilience, and (AI‐Mediated) Informal Digital Learning of English among Multilingual Learners in Uzbekistan
The rapid development of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has expanded opportunities for self‐directed English learning beyond the classroom, yet learners’ participation in informal digital learning of English (IDLE) remains uneven. Drawing on the proactive language learning theory, this study examines how social support and resilience jointly shape learners’ participation in IDLE (i.e., receptive IDLE, productive IDLE, and A…
A multicenter cross-sectional survey on the status and influencing factors of health communication competence among primary healthcare workers
Objective To evaluate the current status and influencing factors of health communication competence among primary healthcare workers, providing evidence for improving the quality of primary health promotion services. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in August 2025 among 5,449 primary healthcare workers in Zibo City, Shandong Province, using multi-stage stratified random sampling. A self-designed questionnaire assessed four dimension…
Short-term air pollution and fracture admissions in Beijing
Introduction Limited evidence exists on the links between ambient air pollution and fractures. This study aimed to investigate the association between short-term exposure to criteria air pollutants and hospital admissions for fractures. Methods We collected daily data on six criteria air pollutants and fracture admissions from Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between June 2021 and May 2023. Generalized additive models (GAM) with quasi-Poisson regressio…
Distinct patterns of childhood trauma predict the symptoms network structure of depression in adolescents
Measuring Saudi Arabian Students' Engagement in Synchronous Online Learning of Chinese as a Foreign Language
Reverence and Reciprocity in Prioritization of Care to a Parent
Relationship research in the dominant psychological science portrays the prioritization of conjugal over consanguine relationships as a healthy standard. We argue that this “standard” pattern is only evident in cultural ecologies of independence. Drawing on the Confucian concept of filial piety, we conducted five studies and two mini meta-analyses to normalize the prioritization of mother over spouse. Cultural ecologies were operationalized by a …
How can ecosystem services trade-offs/synergies help select the optimal cultivated land restoration pattern? A study based on multi-scenario simulations
The developmental trajectory of prosocial behavior in economically disadvantaged children
INTRODUCTION: This study explored the general tendencies and heterogeneous developmental trajectory of prosocial behavior and predictors. METHOD: = 13.79 years old at baseline; 57% girls) from economically disadvantaged families, classified as being below the local income threshold in China, with four follow-up surveys administered during the following 2 years. RESULTS: The general tendency in the developmental trajectory of prosocial behavior sh…
Effects of name learning and name use on interethnic perceptions
Names are important aspects of identity, but when they are perceived as difficult to pronounce or “foreign,” they may trigger discriminatory responses. Rather than engaging in name “whitening” as a solution, we advocate placing the onus on others to learn to pronounce names of ethnic minority group members. In one study with White American college students, we examine the effects of a name learning intervention on communications to and perception…
The Predictive Effects of Sociobiographical Variables, English Learning Confidence, and Digital Competence on AI‐Mediated Informal Digital Learning of English (AI‐Idle)
As powerful artificial intelligence (AI) represented by ChatGPT creates new opportunities for creative and self‐directed language learning beyond traditional classrooms, this study examines AI‐mediated informal digital learning of English (AI‐IDLE) as an emerging area of research. Building upon the proactive language learning theory, we investigated the extent to which students’ participation in AI‐IDLE can be predicted by sociobiographical varia…
Critical digital literacies, agentic practices, and AI-mediated informal digital learning of English
Do shyness and emotions matter in shaping classroom engagement? A study of multilingual learners of Chinese in Thailand
The role of enjoyment and boredom in shaping English language achievement among ethnic minority learners
Progress in the field of positive psychology has stimulated an increasing body of work that examines the role of various emotions and their influence on English learning attainment in the second and foreign language (L2/FL) learning context. The present study contributes to this new wave of research by investigating the complex relationship between two emotions, foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language learning boredom (FLLB), and En…
Motivational intensity and willingness to communicate in L2 learning
Grit, emotions, and their effects on ethnic minority students’ English language learning achievements
Welcome to the U.S.” but “change your name”? Adopting Anglo names and discrimination
The predictive effects of motivation, enjoyment, and self-efficacy on informal digital learning of Lote
The Dampening Effect of Social Dominance Orientation on Awareness of Corruption
The role of enjoyment and boredom in shaping English language achievement among ethnic minority learners
Progress in the field of positive psychology has stimulated an increasing body of work that examines the role of various emotions and their influence on English learning attainment in the second and foreign language (L2/FL) learning context. The present study contributes to this new wave of research by investigating the complex relationship between two emotions, foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language learning boredom (FLLB), and En…
Critical digital literacies, agentic practices, and AI-mediated informal digital learning of English
Unpacking the Antecedents of Boredom and Its Impact on University Learners’ Engagement in Languages Other Than English
Although psychological factors such as emotion and engagement have gained increasing attention for their role in language learning success, a substantial gap remains in understanding the sources of boredom and its impact on learners’ engagement, whether behavioural, affective or cognitive, in languages other than English (LOTE). This study employs questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews to examine the cause‐and‐effect relationships between …
Ninety years after Lewin
Drawing on the literature on person-culture fit, we investigated how culture (assessed as national-level familism), personality (tapped by attachment styles) and their interactions predicted social network characteristics in 21 nations/areas ( N = 2977). Multilevel mixed modeling showed that familism predicted smaller network size but greater density, tie strength, and multiplexity. Attachment avoidance predicted smaller network size, and lower d…
Gender Gap in Parental Leave Intentions
Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender‐based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental‐leave intentions in young adults (18–30 years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identified as women; 5,062 identified as men) across 37 countries that varied in parental‐leave policies and…
Status of immigrants’ country of origin and Americans’ assimilation expectations
2,246). Using 60 countries/areas as targets, Study 1 showed that perceived country status negatively predicted assimilation expectations for immigrants from that country. In Studies 2 through 3, participants were exposed to a news article which emphasized China's shortcomings, achievements, or status-irrelevant attributes. In Studies 4 through 7, including one preregistered study, participants were presented with a portrayal of a fictitious count…
I Have Two Names, Xian and Alex
The practice of adopting Anglo names among ethnic minorities and foreign individuals may be intended to smooth interactions with majority group members, but it may also have negative implications for minorities themselves. Two studies investigated the associations among adoption of Anglo names, self-esteem, and other psychological outcomes. Chinese college students studying in the United States completed a battery of questions regarding adoption …
Modeling speaking performance in young learners of Chinese as a heritage language
Despite the growing attention to non-cognitive factors and their effects explored in studies inspired by Positive Psychology, there remains a scarcity of research examining how these factors impact young heritage learners’ language development in Chinese as a Heritage Language (CHL) learning, weakening the generalization of prior findings. Given the importance of speaking ability in developing communication skills and fostering language proficien…
Asian = machine, Black = animal? The racial asymmetry of dehumanization
How different racial minorities experience racism differently remains underexplored in existing research. Here, we show that Asian and Black people are often dehumanized differently. Twelve studies spotlight a racial asymmetry in dehumanization using a wide array of methods (experimental, archival, and computational) and data sources (online samples, word embeddings, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Whereas Black people are more often s…
The merit of grit and emotions in L2 Chinese online language achievement
The Covid-19 pandemic has provided second language (L2) learners with additional challenges regarding how to obtain an enjoyable experience while achieving a better learning attainment. Despite a growing body of studies that substantiated the predictive effect of grit, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLA) on Chinese language achievement (CLA), no previous research has explored their predictive effects in …
Evaluative Conditioning
摘要: 以真实商标图案为条件刺激, 情绪图片为无条件刺激, 探索无条件刺激呈现时长、效价强度与关联意识对评价性条件反射效应的影响。实验通过结合四图再认测验与基于项目分析, 对关联意识的作用进行了详细探讨。结果表明, 评价性条件反射效应只发生在无条件刺激长呈现水平与无条件刺激强效价水平; 评价性条件反射效应的产生需要基于被试的关联意识。关联意识在呈现时长(效价强度)与评价性条件反射效应间的中介作用不显著。结果不支持评价性条件反射的内隐错误归因机制及联想-命题评价模型的相关论断, 部分支持命题性解释模型
The Effect of Group Boundary Permeability on Intergroup Prejudice
The developing world is witness to a major urban transformation. How to facilitate intergroup relations between new migrants and long-time urban residents is a critical issue in developing societies globally. The current research explored the effect of group boundary permeability on intergroup prejudice by the case of rural-to-urban migration in China. As the boundary between rural-to-urban migrants and permanent urban residents in China can be a…
Effects of dyadic communication on race-based impressions and memory
In an experimental study, we examined the effects of dyadic communication and implicit racial attitudes on impressions formed of Black versus White individuals. Participants viewed a graduate application of a student depicted as a Black or White male and then had a conversation about the applicant with another student (or not) before individually rendering judgments of him. Subjective impressions were more favorable for the Black than White appli…
The Dampening Effect of Social Dominance Orientation on Awareness of Corruption
Staying friends with ex‐romantic partners
In two studies, we identified predictors of staying friends with an ex‐partner, developed and validated a measure for reasons to stay friends with exes, and examined the outcomes of staying friends. We identified four reasons to stay friends with exes: Security , Practical , Civility , and Unresolved Romantic Desires . Sex, sexual orientation, attachment styles, personality traits, time since breakup, and reasons for breakup all predicted staying…
Welcome to the U.S.” but “change your name”? Adopting Anglo names and discrimination
I Have Two Names, Xian and Alex
The practice of adopting Anglo names among ethnic minorities and foreign individuals may be intended to smooth interactions with majority group members, but it may also have negative implications for minorities themselves. Two studies investigated the associations among adoption of Anglo names, self-esteem, and other psychological outcomes. Chinese college students studying in the United States completed a battery of questions regarding adoption …
Your Name Is Your Lifesaver
Can immigrants’ names determine whether they receive help or not? Drawing on a partial in-group membership framework, we adapted intergroup versions of moral dilemmas (a trilogy of transportation accidents) to test how Anglicizing ethnic names affects intergroup decision-making in hypothetical life-and-death situations. Study 1 showed that White American participants were equally likely to help White and Asian immigrants with Anglicized names but…
Relational mobility promotes subjective well‐being through control over interpersonal relationships among the Chinese
The present research investigated the relationship between relational mobility (RM) and subjective well‐being and revealed its psychological mechanism among the Chinese. Study 1 demonstrated that RM positively predicted subjective well‐being. In Study 2, imagined ecology with high RM led to higher expected subjective well‐being relative to that observed in low RM. In Study 3, a correlational study, interpersonal relationship mastery mediated the …
Physical segregation impedes psychological integration
Status of immigrants’ country of origin and Americans’ assimilation expectations
2,246). Using 60 countries/areas as targets, Study 1 showed that perceived country status negatively predicted assimilation expectations for immigrants from that country. In Studies 2 through 3, participants were exposed to a news article which emphasized China's shortcomings, achievements, or status-irrelevant attributes. In Studies 4 through 7, including one preregistered study, participants were presented with a portrayal of a fictitious count…
The effect of cumulative risk related to family adversity on social adjustment among left-behind children in China
摘要: 基于生态系统理论和累积风险观的观点, 考察了留守儿童家庭处境不利因素对社会适应的累积效应及其作用机制。采用问卷法对651名农村儿童进行入户调查, 1年后实施追踪。以前后测中一直处于留守状态的285名儿童为分析对象, 其他样本作为对照组仅参加社会适应比较。结果显示:(1)与非留守儿童相比, 留守儿童的前测、后测社会适应得分均较低; 留守儿童家庭处境不利累积风险与即时/延时社会适应的关系模式均为线性模式; (2)控制性别、年龄的作用后, 留守儿童家庭处境不利累积风险对社会适应的即时/延时预测作用均显著(β = -0.42/-0.23, ps < 0.001)。即时预测中, 压力起部分中介作用, 心理社会资源对后半条中介路径有调节效应, 随着资源水平提高, 压力的中介能力降低; 延时预测中, 后测压力起部分中介作用, 心理社会资源对中介模型中的主效应及前半条中介路径同时有调节作用, 随着资源水平提升, 延时主效应及后测压力的中介效应同时减弱, 至高分组时两类效应均不显著。可见, 家庭处…
The merit of grit and emotions in L2 Chinese online language achievement
The Covid-19 pandemic has provided second language (L2) learners with additional challenges regarding how to obtain an enjoyable experience while achieving a better learning attainment. Despite a growing body of studies that substantiated the predictive effect of grit, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLA) on Chinese language achievement (CLA), no previous research has explored their predictive effects in …
Grit, emotions, and their effects on ethnic minority students’ English language learning achievements
Motivational intensity and willingness to communicate in L2 learning
Gender Gap in Parental Leave Intentions
Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender‐based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental‐leave intentions in young adults (18–30 years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identified as women; 5,062 identified as men) across 37 countries that varied in parental‐leave policies and…
Addressing climate change with behavioral science
Effectively reducing climate change requires marked, global behavior change. However, it is unclear which strategies are most likely to motivate people to change their climate beliefs and behaviors. Here, we tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on four climate mitigation outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing intention, and an effortful tree-planting behavioral task. Across 59,440 participants from 63 countries, the interve…
Foreign language learning boredom
This cross-sectional and longitudinal study sought to refine the measurement of foreign language learning boredom (FLLB) and examine its links with overall/skill-specific second and foreign language (L2) achievement (curriculum-based course exam scores) and proficiency (Cambridge English test scores). In Substudy 1, we developed and validated an 11-item Foreign Language Learning Boredom Scale–Short Form among secondary and tertiary English as a f…
The predictive effect of language achievement on multiple emotions in languages other than English
Although the predictive effect of emotion on language achievement has been substantially established, little is known about whether language achievement could, in turn, shape a constellation of emotions in second language/L2 learning, especially in the field of languages other than English. Given this, grounded on the control-value theory, this tentative study aims to fill the gap by investigating the predictive effect of language achievement on …
The longitudinal relationship between social mobility belief and prosocial behavior among adolescents from out-of-poverty families
Celosia cristata L.-an underutilized Chinese medicine
Unpacking the Antecedents of Boredom and Its Impact on University Learners’ Engagement in Languages Other Than English
Although psychological factors such as emotion and engagement have gained increasing attention for their role in language learning success, a substantial gap remains in understanding the sources of boredom and its impact on learners’ engagement, whether behavioural, affective or cognitive, in languages other than English (LOTE). This study employs questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews to examine the cause‐and‐effect relationships between …
The predictive effects of motivation, enjoyment, and self-efficacy on informal digital learning of Lote
Modeling speaking performance in young learners of Chinese as a heritage language
Despite the growing attention to non-cognitive factors and their effects explored in studies inspired by Positive Psychology, there remains a scarcity of research examining how these factors impact young heritage learners’ language development in Chinese as a Heritage Language (CHL) learning, weakening the generalization of prior findings. Given the importance of speaking ability in developing communication skills and fostering language proficien…
Asian = machine, Black = animal? The racial asymmetry of dehumanization
How different racial minorities experience racism differently remains underexplored in existing research. Here, we show that Asian and Black people are often dehumanized differently. Twelve studies spotlight a racial asymmetry in dehumanization using a wide array of methods (experimental, archival, and computational) and data sources (online samples, word embeddings, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Whereas Black people are more often s…
Psychology (36 works) · Social Psychology (29 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (12 works) · Developmental psychology (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Mathematics education (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (8 works) · Language acquisition (8 works)