Research Projects

The following are the projects currently being undertaken by the lab.

01 Multicultural Processes

Driven by the increasing ubiquity of intercultural contact in daily life due to globalization, Prof. Hong and her team have long been engaged in understanding the complex processes through which individuals adapt physiologically, cognitively, and behaviorally to multicultural exposure. Their research examines the influence of factors spanning intrapersonal, interpersonal, and collective levels.

In order to elucidate these dynamic processes, Prof. Hong developed the multicultural-mind and multicultural-self approach, which synthesizes various lines of multicultural research, including cultural frame switching, Bicultural Identity Integration, and lay theories of race. This theoretical framework provides a foundation for future investigations employing diverse methodologies.

Core Readings:

Hong, Y., & Cheon, B. K. (2017). How does culture matter in the face of globalization? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(5), 810–823. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617700496
Hong, Y., Zhan, S., Morris, M. W., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2016). Multicultural identity processes. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8, 49–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.020
Hong, Y., & Khei, M. (2014). Dynamic multiculturalism: The interplay of socio-cognitive, neural, and genetic mechanisms. In V. Benet-Martínez & Y. Hong (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of multicultural identity (pp. 11–34). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199796694.013.026
Hong, Y., Morris, M. W., Chiu, C.-y., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2000). Multicultural minds: A dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition. American Psychologist, 55(7), 709–720. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.7.709

02 Hong Kong Identity

Since Hong Kong’s 1997 handover, Prof. Hong has dedicated her research to understanding the evolving dynamics of Hong Kong identity. Amid increasing integration with the Greater Bay Area of China, tensions have emerged due to historical differences and disagreements with Mainland China. These issues surrounding identity change and intergroup relations have become particularly salient during periods of sociopolitical transition, notably the 2019 unrest, which exposed deep societal divisions and politicized collective identities.

To further explore these complex issues, Prof. Hong has been awarded a five-year RGC-Senior Research Fellow Scheme grant, enabling her to employ diverse methodologies, including interviews, longitudinal studies, and experiments.

Core Readings:

Hong, Y., Chan, H.-W., & Chiu, C. P.-Y. (2025). Understanding social divides in the Hong Kong 2019 unrest: A combination of person- and variable-centred approaches. European Journal of Social Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.70001
Osnos, E. (2019, September 2). China’s Hong Kong dilemma. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/02/chinas-hong-kong-dilemma
Zhang, J., Yang, Y., & Hong, Y. (2020). Sleep deprivation undermines the link between identity and intergroup bias. Sleep, 43(2), zsz213, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz213
Cheon, B. K., & Hong, Y. (2020). Aversive response towards culture fusion is moderated by the source of foreign cultural inflow. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 51(5), 370-386. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022120919994

03 Conspiracy Theories

In an era marked by the proliferation of misinformation, Prof. Hong’s team investigates the prevalence and psychological underpinnings of conspiracy theories. Focusing primarily on COVID-19 and climate change conspiracy theories, their research seeks to identify the psychological roots, situational factors, and personal characteristics that contribute to the endorsement of such beliefs, as well as the practical consequences that arise from them. Utilizing large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal designs in both China and the U.S., the team also examines potential cross-cultural variations in conspiracy beliefs.

Core Readings:

Chan, H. W., Wang, X., Tam, K. P., Hong, Y., & Huang, B. (2024). Hotter weather, less of a hoax? Testing the longitudinal association between experience of temperature anomalies and belief in climate change conspiracy theories. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 98, 102409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102409
Chan, H. W., Tam, K. P., & Hong, Y. (2023). Does belief in climate change conspiracy theories predict everyday life pro-environmental behaviors? Testing the longitudinal relationship in China and the US. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 87, 101980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.101980
Hong, Y., Chan, H-W., & Douglas, K. M. (2021). Conspiracy theories about infectious diseases: An introduction. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 15, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909211057657
Wang, X., Zuo, S-J., Chan, H-W., Chiu, C. P-Y., & Hong, Y. (2021). COVID-19-related conspiracy theories in China: The role of secure versus defensive in-group positivity and responsibility attributions. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 15, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909211034928

04 COVID-19 Psychology

Even beyond the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, relevant psychological research persists. In addition to investigating COVID-19-related conspiracy theories, Prof. Hong’s team has explored the relationship between individuals’ responses to COVID-19 and their social identity, as well as the influence of COVID-19 on health behaviors. Through a cross-cultural lens, the team has examined whether these behavioral patterns vary across different cultural contexts. Moving forward, the team remains dedicated to investigating the enduring spillover effects of COVID-19 on attitudes and behaviors extending beyond the immediate context of the disease.

Core Readings:

Chan, H.-W., Wang, X., Zuo, S.-J., Chiu, C. P.-Y., Liu, L., Yiu, D. W., & Hong, Y. (2021). War against COVID‐19: How is national identification linked with the adoption of disease‐preventive behaviors in China and the United States? Political Psychology, 42(5), 767-793. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12752
Lau, V. W., Tse, D. C., Bligh, M. C., Hong, Y., Kakarika, M., Chan, H. W., & Chiu, C. P. (2022). Not “My” crisis: Social identity and followers’ crisis responses to COVID‐19. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 22(2), 506-535. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12316
Li, K. K., & Hong, Y. (2023). Confidence in China’s political system was linked to perception of Covid infection risk, Covid health threat, and attitudes toward dynamic Zero-Covid policy. Judgment and Decision Making, 18, e36. https://doi.org/10.1017/jdm.2023.34
Zuo, S., Wang, F., Hong, Y., Chan, H.-W., Chiu, C. P.-Y., & Wang, X. (2024). Ecological introspection resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic: The threat perception of the pandemic was positively related to pro-environmental behaviors. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(3), 457–470. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2190923