Xiaoqin Mai, Professor
Research Area: Emotion and Social Cognitive Neuroscience
E-mail：maixq@ruc.edu.cn
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am a cognitive neuroscientist who uses non-invasive brain imaging techniques (e.g., ERP, EEG, fMRI and fNRIS) to understand the brain mechanisms that underline prosocial behaviors (e.g., fairness, cooperation, empathy, etc.), and the development of prosocial behaviors. I am also interested in understanding the mechanisms of anxiety caused by social comparison.
EDUCATION
2005 Ph.D. Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
2001 B.M. Clinical medicine, Peking University, China
PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
Sep 2019 – present Professor, Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Sep 2012 – Aug 2019 Associate professor, Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Oct 2005 – Aug 2012 Postdoctoral research fellow, Center for Human Growth and Development and Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, USA
COURSES TAUGHT
Undergraduate courses: Emotional Psychology and Experiments, General Psychology
Graduate courses: Cognitive Development, Advances in Social Psychology, Frontiers of Cognitive Neuroscience
GRANT
The modulating effect of social value orientation on fairness-related decision-making and its underlying neural mechanisms, National Natural Science Foundation of China (31970986), 2021.01–2023.12
The impact of social comparison on outcome evaluation: neural mechanisms and developmental trajectory, National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771206), 2018.01–2021.12
The brain mechanism and developmental trajectory of outcome evaluation under the multiplayer interactive modes, National Natural Science Foundation of China (31400888)，2015.01–2017.12
2022
Hu, X., Zhang, Y., Liu, X., Guo, Y., Liu, C., Mai, X.* (2022). Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on fairness-related decision-making. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience.
Xu, Z., Zhu, R., Zhang, S., Zhang S., Liang, Z., Mai, X., Liu, C. (2022). Mortality salience enhances neural activities related to guilt and shame when recalling the past. Cerebral Cortex.
He, Y., Hu, X., Mai, X.*. (2022). Influence of empathic concern on fairness-related decision making: Evidence from ERP (in Chinese). Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54, 385-397.
Zhang, Y., & Mai, X.*. (2022). The cognitive neural network model of deception (in Chinese). Chinese Science Bulletin.
2021
Zhu, R., Xu, Z., Su, S., Feng, C., Luo, Y., Tang, H., Zhang, S., Wu, X., Mai, X., Liu, C. (2021). From gratitude to injustice: Neurocomputational mechanisms of gratitude-induced injustice. NeuroImage, 245, 118730.
Hu, X., & Mai, X.* (2021). Social value orientation modulates fairness processing during Social decision-making: evidence from behavior and brain potentials. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 16(7),670-682.
Liu, S., Hu, X., & Mai, X.* (2021). Social distance modulates outcome processing when comparing abilities with others. Psychophysiology. 58 (5), e13798.
Liu, S., & Mai, X.*. (2022). Cognitive neural mechanisms of social comparison: A literature review (in Chinese). Chinese Science Bulletin. 66(15), 1835-1846.
Zhang, S., Bian, C., Mai, X., Qin, S., Liu, C. (2022). Regulation of overnight sleep on negative emotion memory with moral-violation (in Chinese). Chinese Science Bulletin. 66(13), 1642-1652.
2020
Zhu, R., Xu, Z., Tang, H., Wang, H., Zhang, S., Zhang, Z. Mai, X, Liu, C*. (2020). The dark side of gratitude: Gratitude could lead to moral violation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 91.
Zhang, Y., Yu, Z., Mai, X.*. (2020). The influence of social value orientation on self-other risk decision-making and its mechanisms (in Chinese). Acta Psychologica Sinica, 52(7)，895-908.
Duan, L., & Mai, X.* (2020). Spectral clustering-based resting-state network detection approach for functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Biomedical Optics Express. 11(4), 2191-2204.
Liu, X., Hu, X., Shi, K., & Mai, X.* (2020). Your losses are mine: The influence of empathic concern on evaluative processing of others’ outcomes. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience. 20(3), 481-492.
Geng, J., Mai, X., Zhan, J., Xu, L., Georgieff, M., Shao, J., & Lozoff, B. (2020). Timing of iron deficiency and recognition memory in infancy, Nutritional Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2019.1704991
2019
Zhang, Y., Chen, S., Hu, X. and Mai, X* (2019). Increasing the difference in decision making for oneself and for others by stimulating the right temporoparietal junction. Frontiers in Psychology, 10,185.
Zhang, D.*, Liu, Z., Chen, Y., Mai, X.*. (2019). The role of right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex on social emotional regulation in subclinical depression: An tDCS study (in Chinese). Acta Psychologica Sinica, 51(2), 207-215.
Zhu, R.D., Feng, C.L., Zhang, S., Mai, X*, Liu, C*. (2019). Differentiating guilt and shame in an interpersonal context with univariate activation and multivariate pattern analyses. NeuroImage, 186, 476-486.
Zhu, R.D., Xu, Z.H., Tang, H.H., Liu, J.T., Wang, H.Q., An, Y., Mai, X*, Liu, C*. (2019). The effect of shame on anger at others: Awareness of the emotion-causing events matters. Cognition and Emotion, 33 (4), 696-708.
2018
Hu, X., Xu, Z., Li, Y., & Mai, X*. (2018). The impact of trust decision-making on outcome processing: Evidence from brain potentials and neural oscillations. Neuropsychologia, 119, 136-144.
Wang H., Mai X., Han Z., Hu Y, Lei X. (2018) Linkage between Parent-Child Frontal Resting Electroencephalogram (EEG) Asymmetry: The Moderating Role of Emotional Parenting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, DOI: 10.1007/s10826-018-1121-5
Liu, X., Hu, X., Shi, K., & Mai, X*. (2018). Empathy modulates the evaluation processing of altruistic outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 407.
2017
Hu, X., Xu, Z., & Mai, X*. (2017). Social value orientation modulates the processing of outcome evaluation involving others. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 12(11), 1730-1739.
Zhu, R., Wu, H., Xu, Z., Tang, H., Shen, X., Mai, X*., & Liu, C*. (2017). Early Distinction between Shame and Guilt Processing in an Interpersonal Context. Social neuroscience, 1-14.
Wu, H., Tang, H., Ge, Y., Yang, S., Mai, X., Luo, Y. J., & Liu, C. (2017). Object words modulate the activity of the mirror neuron system during action imitation. Brain and Behavior, 7 (11), e00840.
Tang, H., Lu, X., Su, R., Liang, Z., Mai, X*., Liu, C*. (2017) Washing away your sins in the brain: physical cleaning and priming of cleaning recruit different brain networks after moral threat. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 12(7),1149-1158.
Zhu, R., Shen, X., Tang, H., Ye, P., Wang, H., Mai, X*., & Liu, C*. (2017). Self-Punishment Promotes Forgiveness in the Direct and Indirect Reciprocity Contexts. Psychological Reports, 120(3), 408-422.
Zhu, R., Jin, T., Shen, X., Zhang, S., Mai, X*., Liu, C*. (2017). Relational utility affects self-punishment in direct and indirect reciprocity situations. Social Psychology, 48(1),19-27.
Ye, P., Zhu, R., Tang, H., Mai, X*., Liu, C*. (2017). The application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in social cognitive neuroscience (in Chinese). Advances in Psychological Science, 25(5), 731-741.
2016
Zhang, W., Tang, H., Liu, C, Mai, X*. (2016). Hyperscanning used in the measurement of the brain activity (in Chinese). Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 14 (6), 834-841.
Sun, H., & Mai, X*. (2016). Workplace gossip: effects and factors (in Chinese). Human Resources Development of China, 21, 45-53.
Zhang, J., Feng, C., & Mai, X.* (2016). Automatic emotion regulation in response inhibition: The temporal dynamics of emotion counter-regulation during a go/no-go task. Psychophysiology, 53(12), 1909-1917.
Sturza, J., Silver, M. K., Xu, L., Li, M., Mai, X., Xia, Y., Shao, J., Lozoff, B. & Meeker, J. (2016). Prenatal exposure to multiple pesticides is associated with auditory brainstem response at 9months in a cohort study of Chinese infants. Environment international, 92, 478-485.
Silver, M. K., Li, X., Liu, Y., Li, M., Mai, X., Kaciroti, N., ... & Lozoff, B. (2016). Low-level prenatal lead exposure and infant sensory function.Environmental Health, 15,65.
Mai X, Zhang W, Hu X, Zhen Z, Xu Z, Zhang J and Liu C (2016) Using tDCS to Explore the Role of the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction in Theory of Mind and Cognitive Empathy. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 380.
Wang L, Feng C, Mai X*, Jia L, Zhu X, Luo W, Luo, Y*. (2016) The Impact of Perceptual Load on the Non-Conscious Processing of Fearful Faces. PLoS ONE 11(5), e0154914.
Gan, T., Lu, X., Li, W., Gui, D., Tang, H., Mai, X., Liu, C., & Luo, Y. J. (2016). Temporal Dynamics of the Integration of Intention and Outcome in Harmful and Helpful Moral Judgment. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 2022.
Tang, H., Mai, X., Wang, S., Zhu, C., Krueger, F., & Liu, C. (2016). Interpersonal brain synchronization in the right temporo-parietal junction during face-to-face economic exchange. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 23-32.
2015
Geng, F., Mai, X., Zhan, J., Xu, L., Zhao, Z., Georgieff, M., Shao, J., & Lozoff, B. (2015). Impact of Fetal-Neonatal Iron Deficiency on Recognition Memory at 2 Months of Age. The Journal of pediatrics, 167(6), 1226-32.
Mai, X., Tardif, T., Xu, L., Li, M., Kileny, P.R., Shao, J., & Lozoff, B. (2015). Temporal processing in the auditory brainstem response by full-term 6-week- and 9-month-old infants. Scientific Reports, 5, 12647. 2015-7-30
Lee, S. W., Tang, H., Wan, J., Mai, X., & Liu, C. (2015). A cultural look at moral purity: wiping the face clean. Frontiers in Psychology, 6,577.
Lou, J., Mai, X., Lozoff, B., Kileny, P. R., Felt, B. T., Zhao, Z., Shao, J. (2015). Prenatal Iron Deficiency and Auditory Brainstem Responses at 3 and 10 Months: A Pilot Study. Hong Kong Journal of Paediatrics, 20(2), 71-79.
Zhu, R., Liu, C., & Mai, X*. (2015). Chinese characteristic religiosity: Comment on Jing's study. Psychological Reports, 116(1), 322-323.
Wu, H., Ge, Y., Tang, H., Luo, Y. J., Mai, X., & Liu, C. (2015). Language modulates brain activity underlying representation of kinship terms. Scientific reports, 5.
Shen, X., Mai, X.*, & Liu, C*. (2022). Application of internet-based big data in social cognitive science (in Chinese). Chinese Science Bulletin. 60(11), 986-993.
2014
Mai, X., Xu, L., Li, M., Shao, J., Zhang, Z., Lamm, C., Fox, N.A., Nelson, C. A., & Lozoff, B. (2014). Sounds elicit relative left frontal alpha activity in 2-month-old infants. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 94(3), 287-291.
Geng, F., Mai, X., Zhan, J., Xu, L., Shao, J., Meeker, J., & Lozoff, B. (2014) Low-Level Prenatal Lead Exposure Alters Auditory Recognition Memory in 2-Month-Old Infants: An Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) Study. Developmental Neuropsychology, 39(7), 516-528.
Li, W., Mai, X., & Liu, C. (2014). The Default Mode Network and Social Understanding of Others: What do Brain Connectivity Studies Tell Us. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 74.
2013
Liu, C., Tardif, T., Wu, H., Monk, C. S., Luo, Y. J., & Mai, X. (2013). The representation of category typicality in the frontal cortex and its cross-linguistic variations. Brain and language,127, 415-427.
Wu, H., Mai, X., Tang, H., Ge, Y., Luo, Y., Liu, C. (2013). Dissociable somatotopic representations of Chinese action verbs in the motor and premotor cortex. Scientific Reports, 3, 2049.
Gu, Y., Mai, X., Luo, Y. (2013). Do Bodily Expressions Compete with Facial Expressions? Time Course of Integration of Emotional Signals from the Face and the Body. PLoS ONE 8(7), e66762.
Chonchaiya, W., Tardif,T., Mai, X., Xu, L., Li, M., Kaciroti, N., Kileny,P., Shao, J., Lozoff, B. (2013). Developmental trends in auditory processing can provide early predictions of language acquisition in young infants. Developmental Science, 16(2), 159-172.
Li, M., Zhu, Li., Mai, X., Shao, J., Lozoff, B., Zhao, Z. (2013). Sex and gestational age effects on auditory brainstem responses in preterm and term infants. Early human development, 89(1), 43-48.
Before 2012
Chen, C., Liu, C., Huang, R., Cheng, D., Wu, H., Xu, P., Mai, X., Luo, Y. (2012). Suppression of aversive memories associates with changes in early and late stages of neurocognitive processing. Neuropsychologia, 50(12), 2839-2848.
Mai, X., Xu, L., Li, M., Shao, J., Zhang, Z., deRegnier, R., Nelson, C. A., & Lozoff, B. (2012). Auditory recognition memory in 2-month-old infants as assessed by event-related potentials. Developmental Neuropsychology, 37(5), 400-414.
Mai, X., Tardif, T., Doan, S. N., Liu, C., Gehring, W.J., Luo, Y. (2011) Brain activity elicited by positive and negative feedback in preschool-aged children. PLoS ONE, 6(4), e18774.
Sun, S., Mai, X., Liu, C., Liu, J, & Luo, Y. (2011). The processes underlying deception: ERP spatiotemporal principal component analysis and source analysis. Social Neuroscience. 6(4), 348-59.
Wu, J., Yu, Z., Mai, X., Wei, J., & Luo, Y. (2011). Pitch and loudness information encoded in auditory imagery as revealed by event-related potentials. Psychophysiology，48, 415-419.
Wu, J., Mai, X., Yu, Z., Qin, S., & Luo, Y. (2010). Effects of discrepancy between imagined and perceived sounds on the N2 component of the event-related potential. Psychophysiology, 47, 289-298
Liu, C., Tardif, T., Mai, X., Simms, N., Gehring, W. J., & Luo, Y. (2010). What’s in a name? Brain activity reveals categorization processes differ across languages. Human Brain Mapping. 31(11),1786-1801.
Liu, C., Ge, Y., Mai, X., Luo, Y. (2010). Exploring the conceptual and semantic structure of human kinship: An experimental investigation of Chinese kin terms. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33, 392-394.
Liu, C., Zhang, W., Tang, Y., Mai, X., Chen, H., Tardif, T., & Luo, Y. (2008). The visual word form area: evidence from an fMRI study of implicit processing of Chinese characters. NeuroImage, 40, 1350-1361.
Monk, C.S., Telzer, E.H., Mogg, K., Bradley, B.P., Mai X., Louro, H.M.C., Chen, G., McClure-Tone, E.B., Ernst, M., & Pine, D.S. (2008). Amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation to masked angry faces in children and adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65, 568-576.
Telzer, E.H., Mogg, K., Bradley, B.P., Mai X., Ernst, M., Pine, D.S., & Monk, C.S. (2008). Relationship between trait anxiety, prefrontal cortex, and attention bias to angry faces in children and adolescents. Biological Psychology, 79, 216-22.
Wu, J., Mai, X., Chen, C., Zheng, Y., & Luo, Y. (2006). Event-related potentials during mental imagery of animal sounds. Psychophysiology, 43, 592-597.
Mai, X., Luo, J., Wu, J., & Luo, Y. (2004). “Aha!” effects in a guessing riddle task: An ERP study. Human Brain Mapping, 22, 261-270.
Liu, C., Mai, X., & Fu, X. (2005). The influence of endogenous and exogenous attention on number processing (in Chinese). Acta Psychologica Sinica, 37, 167-177.
Liu, C., Mai, X., & Fu, X. (2004). The SNARC effect of number processing in different attention conditions (in Chinese). Acta Psychologica Sinica, 36, 671-680.
Mai, X., & Luo, Y. (2004). ERP study on human visual categorization of natural objects (in Chinese). Advances in Psychological Science, 12, 168-175.
Mai, X., & Luo, Y. (2002). Application of P300 in the diagnosis and treatment of dementia (in Chinese). Chinese Clinical Rehabilitation, 6, 3520-3521.