Dr. SU Yanjie is a professor at the Department of Psychology, Peking University, China. She completed all her undergraduate and postgraduate training at the Peking University. Dr. Su holds a double bachelor degrees in Psychology and Sociology (1987) and doctoral degree in Psychology (Ph.D. in 1992). She is now the director of Biological Psychology Laboratory. She has been teaching Developmental Psychology, Functional Anatomy of Central Nervous System, Comparative Psychology (Animal Psychology) and Environmental Psychology to undergraduates and Seminar on Developmental Psychology and Comparative Psychology to graduates. Her research interest focuses on evolution and development of mind, particularly the emergence and development of theory of mind, and the relationship between social behavior in social organization and intelligence evolution. Moreover, Her research on behavior and comparative cognition in a variety of species of birds and primates, also in human children, Dr. Su has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on various topics ranging from animal behavior to child development. She has also been the general secretary of the Beijing Association of Psychology since 1998. In addition, she serves on the editorial boards of two local psychology journals, "Acta Psychologica Sinica" and "Acta Theriological Sinica". She also serves as the associate dean of Yuan-Pei college of Peking University.

List of Publications

Gao, S., Wang, X., & Su, Y*. (2023). Examining whether adults with autism spectrum disorder encounter multiple problems in theory of mind: A study based on meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.

Lin, Y., & Su, Y*. (2023). The concurrent and longitudinal impact of sleep on mind wandering in early adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 33(2), 431–446.

Ji, L.-J., Imtiaz, F., Su, Y., Zhang, Z., Bowie, A. C., & Chang, B. (2022). Culture, Aging, Self-Continuity, and Life Satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(8), 3843–3864.

Wang, Y., Harris, P. L., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2022). Do bad people deserve empathy? Selective empathy based on targets’ moral characteristics. Affective Science.

Liu, Z., Hong, Y., & Su, Y*. (2022). “I am regretful but I would not change my decision”: The dissociation between emotional regret and behavioural regret in children. Current Psychology.

Wang, Y., Shang, S., Xie, W., Hong, S., Liu, Z., & Su, Y*. (2022). The relation between aggression and theory of mind in children: A meta‐analysis. Developmental Science, e13310.

Zheng, Z., Gao, S., Su, Y*., Chen, Y., & Wang, X. (2022). Cognitive load-induced pupil dilation reflects potential flight ability. Current Psychology.

Zhu, C., Liu, Z., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2022). Effects of photographer physical attractiveness on photograph aesthetic value assessment. Perception, 51(7), 505–513.

He, J., Zheng, X., Liu, M., Du, Y., Liu, G., Cui, J., & Su, Y*. (2022). Reciprocity in college teaching: A big data study based on online student evaluation of 919,750 professors. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 47(8), 1401–1415.

Bowie, A., Zhou, W., Tan, J., White, P., Stoinski, T., Su, Y., & Hare, B. (2022). Motivating children’s cooperation to conserve forests. Conservation Biology, 36(4), e13922.

Cui, J., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2022). Gender-related friend preferences of youths with different sexual orientations: The effects of gender role and sexual attraction. Psychology & Sexuality, 13(2), 265–282.

Wang, Y., & Su, Y. (2022). Genetic contributions to East Asian morality. In R. Nichols (Ed.), The Routledge international handbook on morality, emotion, andcognition in China (pp. 80-100). Routledge.

Bowie, A., Tan, J., Zhou, W., White, P., Stoinski, T., Su, Y., & Hare, B. (2021). Extrinsic motivators drive children’s cooperation to conserve forests [Preprint]. Scientific Communication and Education.

Wang, Y., Hong, S., Pei, M., Wang, X., & Su, Y*. (2022). Emotion matters in early polite lies: Preschoolers’ polite lie-telling in relation to cognitive and emotion-related abilities. Social Development, 31(2), 406–422.

Hao, Y., Hong, S., & Su, Y*. (2021). Chinese children showed self-deprecating modest behavior at ages of 7–8. Social Development, 30(4), 994–1005.

Lucca, K., Capelier-Mourguy, A., Cirelli, L., Byers-Heinlein, K., Ben, R. D., Frank, M. C., Henderson, A. M. E., Kominsky, J. F., Liberman, Z., Margoni, F., Reschke, P. J., Schlingloff-Nemecz, L., Scott, K., Soderstrom, M., Sommerville, J., Su, Y., Tatone, D., Uzefovsky, F., Wang, Y., … Hamlin, K. (2021). Infants’ Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large-Scale, Multi-Lab, Coordinated Replication Study.

Wu, Y., Wang, X., Hong, S., Hong, M., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2021). The relationship between social short-form videos and youth’s well-being: It depends on usage types and content categories. Psychology of Popular Media, 10, 467–477.

Atkinson, M., Renner, E., Thompson, B., Mackintosh, G., Xie, D., Su, Y., & Caldwell, C. A. (2021). Robust, source-independent biases in children's use of socially and individually acquired information. Journal of Experimental Psychology. General, 150(4), 778–791.

Wang, X., Su, Y*., & Hong, M. (2021). The dynamic differences between self- and other-oriented mental inferences: An ERP study on a false-belief task. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 21(5), 960–969.

Wang, X., Su, Y*., Pei, M., & Hong, M. (2021). How self-other control determines individual differences in adolescents’ theory of mind. Cognitive Development, 57, 101007.

Liu J., Shang S., Pei M., & Su Y*. (2020). Influence of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) on empathy: the mediation role of a primary emotion, CARE. Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 71(2), 252–261.

Teuber, Z., Wang, Q., Su, Y., Lohaus, A., & Nussbeck, F. W. (2020). Human resources in Chinese youngsters – A Chinese adaptation of the QARCA. Psychological Test Adaptation and Development, 1(1), 12–19

Huang, H., Liu, Y., & Su, Y*. (2020). What is the relationship between empathy and mental health in preschool teachers: The role of teaching experience. Frontiers in Psychology, 11:1366.

Wang X., Yang X, Sun Y., & Su, Y*. (2020). The influence of autonomous sensory meridian response on individual's executive function. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 73(10), 1587–1595

Hou, X., Gong, Z., Wang, L., Zhou, Y., & Su, Y. (2020). A reciprocal and dynamic development model for the effects of siblings on children's theory of mind. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 554023.

Yan, Z., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2019). Executive functions moderated the influence of physical cues on children’s empathy for pain: an eye tracking study. Early Child Development and Care, 191(14), 2204–2216.

Su, J., Yao, C., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2020). Prosociality across adolescence: A large cross-sectional study. Child Indicators Research, 13(1), 131–145.

Yan, Z., Hong, S., Liu, F., & Su, Y*. (2020). A meta-analysis of the relationship between empathy and executive function. Psych Journal, 9(1), 34–43.

Xie, D., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2019). "Favoring my playmate seems fair": Inhibitory control and theory of mind in preschoolers' self-disadvantaging behaviors. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 184, 158–173.

Wang, L., Qian, Y*., & Su, Y. (2019). Jiao Shao: A forerunner of physiological psychology and comparative psychology in China. Protein & Cell, 10(9), 623–627.

Zhu, W., Shang, S., Jiang, W., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2019). Convergent thinking moderates the relationship between divergent thinking and scientific creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 31(3): 320–328.

Ji, L., Hong, E. K., Guo, T., Zhang, Z., Su, Y., & Li, Y. (2019). Culture, psychological proximity to the past and future, and self-continuity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49(4), 735–747.

Su, J., & Su, Y*. (2018). A touch-scaffolded model of human prosociality. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 92, 453–463.

Liu, Y., Su, Y*., Xu, G., & Pei, M. (2018). When do you know what you know? The emergence of memory monitoring. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 166, 34–48.

Wu, N., & Su, Y*. (2018). Variation in the OXTR gene and prosocial behavior: Moderating effects of situational factors. Integrative Zoology, 13(6), 687–697.

Wang, H., Su, Y*., Shang, S., Meng Pei, M., Wang, X., & Jin, F. (2018). Working memory: A criterion of potential practicality for pilot candidate selection. The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 28:3-4, 64–75.

Gao, J., Su, Y., Tomonaga, M., & Matsuzawa, T*. (2018). Learning the rules of the rock-paper-scissors game: Chimpanzees versus children. Primates, 59(1), 7–17.

Wu, Z*., Chen, X., Gros-Louis, J., & Su, Y. (2018). "She is looking at me! Shall I share?' How Chinese and American preschoolers respond to eye gaze during sharing. Social Development, 27(2), 447–460.

Buchtel, E. E., Ng, L. C. Y., Norenzayan, A., Heine, S. J., Biesanz, J. C., Chen, S. X., Bond, M. H., Peng, Q., & Su, Y. (2018). A sense of obligation: Cultural differences in the experience of obligation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(11), 1545–1566.

Su, J., Wu, Z., & Su, Y*. (2018). Physical exercise predicts social competence and general well-being in Chinese children 10 to 15 years old: A preliminary study. Child Indicators Research, 11(6), 1935–1949.

Yan, Z., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2018). Physical cue influences children’s empathy for pain: The role of attention allocation. Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 2378.

Wang, X. S., Pei, M., Wu, Y*., & Su, Y*. (2017). Semantic radicals contribute more than phonetic radicals to the recognition of Chinese phonograms: Behavioral and ERP evidence in a factorial study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2230.

Yan, Z., Pei, M., & Su, Y*. (2017). Children’s empathy and their perception and evaluation of facial pain expression: An eye tracking study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2284.

Chen, T., Gao, J., Tan, J., Tao, R., & Su, Y. (2017). Variation in gaze-following between two asian colobine monkeys. Primates, 58(4), 525-534.

Huang, H., Su, Y., & Jin, J. (2017). Empathy-related responding in chinese toddlers: factorial structure and cognitive contributors. Infant & Child Development, 26(3), e1983.

Shang, S., Wu, N., & Su, Y. (2017). How oxytocin receptor (oxtr) single nucleotide polymorphisms act on prosociality: the mediation role of moral evaluation. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 396.

Wang, Y., Su, Y., & Song, Y. (2016). Facial expression recognition in children with cochlear implants and hearing aids. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1989.

Liu, Yanchun, Wang, Yijie, Luo, Rufan, Su, Yanjie. (2016). From the external to the internal: behavior clarifications facilitate theory of mind (tom) development in chinese children. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 40(1), 2563-2567.

Jiang, W., Shang, S., & Su, Y. (2015). Genetic influences on insight problem solving: the role of catechol-o-methyltransferase (comt) gene polymorphisms. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1569.

Buchtel, E. E., Guan, Y., Peng, Q., Su, Y., Sang, B., & Chen, S. X., et al. (2015). Immorality east and west: are immoral behaviors especially harmful, or especially uncivilized? Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(10), 1382-1394.

Nan, W., Siyuan, S., & Yanjie, S. (2015). The arginine vasopressin v1b receptor gene and prosociality: mediation role of emotional empathy. Psych Journal, 4(3), 160-165.

Chen Yulu, Su Yanjie*, & Wang, Yijie. (2015). Young children use the “Ignorance = Getting it Wrong” rule when predicting behavior. Cognitive Development, 35, 79-91–472

Ci Haipeng, Wu Nan, & Su Yanjie*. (2014). Clock Gene modulates roles of OXTR and AVPR1b Genes in prosociality. PloS one, 9(10): e109086–472

Hao Jian & Su Yanjie*. (2014). Deaf children’s use of clear visual cues in mindreading. Research in developmental disabilities, 35(11): 2849–2857–472

Huang Heqing & Su Yanjie*. (2014). Peer acceptance among Chinese adolescents: The role of emotional empathy, cognitive empathy and gender. International Journal of Psychology, 49(5): 420–424–472

Liao Zongqing, Li Yan, & Su Yanjie*. (2014). Emotion understanding and reconciliation in overt and relational conflict scenarios among preschoolers. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38(2): 111–117.–472

MacLean, E. L., Hare, B., Nunn, C. L., Addessi, E., Amici, F., Anderson, R. C. . . . Su, Yanjie. . . Zhao, Y. (2014). The evolution of self-control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(20): E2140–E2148–472

Tan Jingzhi, Tao Ruoting, & Su Yanjie*. (2014). Testing the Cognition of the Forgotten Colobines: A First Look at Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). International Journal of Primatology, 35(2): 376–393–472

Wu Zhen & Su Yanjie*.(2014). How do preschoolers’ sharing behaviors relate to their theory of mind understanding? Journal of experimental child psychology, 120: 73–86–472

Wang Zhiwen & Su Yanjie*. (2013). Age-related differences in the performance of theory of mind in older adults: A dissociation of cognitive and affective components. Psychology and Aging, 28(1): 284-291–472

Wu Zhen, Pan Jingtong, & Su Yanjie*, & Gros-Louis, J. (2013). How Joint attention relates to cooperation in 1- and 2-year-olds. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 37(6): 542–548–472

Wu Nan, Li Zhi & Su Yanjie* (2012). The association between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism (OXTR) and trait empathy. Journal of Affective Disorders, 138(3): 468–472

Xia Haiwei, Wu Nan & Su Yanjie* (2012). Investigating the Genetic Basis of Theory of Mind (ToM): The Role of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene Polymorphisms. PLoS ONE 7(11): e49768. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049768

Zhang Zhen, Su Yanjie* & Chan. R. C. K. (2011). A preliminary study on the function of food begging in Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana): Challenge to begging for nutritional gain. Folia Primatologica, 81(5): 265-272

Xue Ming & Su Yanjie* (2011). Food transfer in Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). International Journal of Primatology (Int J Primatol ), 32(2): 445–455 (1.793, Q1, 31/145ZOOLOGY)(DOI: 10.1007/s10764-010-9480-9)

Wang YiFang, Su Yanjie*, Fang P & Zhou Q. X. (2011). Facial Expression Recognition:Can Preschoolers with Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids Catch it? Research in Developmental Disabilities. 32(6): 2583–2588

Li Yan, Martha Putallaz & Su Yanjie (2011). Interparental Conflict Styles and Parenting Behaviors: Associations with Overt and Relational Aggression Among Chinese Children. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 57(4): 402–428.

Wang Dian-can, Guo Chuan-bin, Peng Xin, Su Yan-jie & Chen Fan (2010). Is therapeutic non-disclosure still possible? A study on the awareness of cancer diagnosis in China. Supportive Care in Cancer, 19(8): 1191-1195 DOI 10.1007/s00520-010-0937-3

Yu Yue, Su, Yanjie*, & Chan. R. (2011). Chapter 21. The Relationship between Visual Perspective Taking and Imitation Impairments in Children with Autism. In: Autism/Book3, Mohammad-Reza Mohammadi, pp. 369-384.

Hao Jian, Su, Yanjie*, Chan, R. C. K. (2010). Do deaf adults with limited language have advanced theory of mind? RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, 31(6): 1491-1501

Ren R. M., Yan K. H, Su, Y.J., Xia, S. Z., Jin, H. Y., Qiu, J. J. & Romero, T. (2010) . Social behavior of a captive group of Golden Snub-Nosed Langur (Rhinopithecus roxellana). ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES, 49(1): 1-8

Zhou, J., & Su, YJ*. (2010). A missing piece of the puzzle: The organizational context in Cultural patterns of creativity. Management and Organization Review. 6(3): 391-413

Wang Dian-can, Guo Chuan-bin, Peng Xin, Su Yan-jie & Chen Fan (2010). Is therapeutic non-disclosure still possible? A study on the awareness of cancer diagnosis in China. Support Care Cancer, DOI 10.1007/s00520-010-0937-3

Su Yanjie (2009). Says Who?: Decision-Making and Conflicts among Chinese-Canadian and Mainland Chinese Parents of Young Children. Sex Roles, 60(7-8): 527-536

Wang Yifang & Su Yanjie* (2009). False Belief Understanding: Children Catch It from Classmates of Different Ages. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 33 (4) 331-336.

Chuang SS, & Su YJ (2009). Do we see eye to eye? Chinese mothers' and fathers' parenting beliefs and values for toddlers in Canada and China. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY, 23(3): Sp. Iss. SI: 331-341

Keller, H; Borke, J; Staufenbiel, T; Yovsi, RD; Abels, M; Papaligoura, Z; Jensen, H; Lohaus, A; Chaudhary, N; Lo, WS; Su, YJ (2009). Distal and proximal parenting as alternative parenting strategies during infants' early months of life: A cross-cultural study. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 33 (5): 412-420

Lu Huijing, Su Yanjie* & Wang Qi. Talking About Others Facilitates Theory of Mind in Chinese Preschoolers Developmental Psychology, 2008, 44(6): 1726-1736

Zhang Zhen, Su Yanjie*, Chan C K Raymond & Reimann Giselle A preliminary study of food transfer in Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). American Journal of Primatology, 2008, 70(2): 148-152

MO SL, SU YJ*, CHAN RCK, & LIU JX. Comprehension of metaphor and irony in schizophrenia during remission: The role of theory of mind and IQ. Psychiatry Research, 2008, 157 (1-3): 21-29

LIU Y, SU YJ*, XU GQ, & CHAN R. Two dissociable aspects of feeling of knowing: Knowing that you know and knowing that you do not know. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (QJEP), 2007, 60(5): 672-680

WANG YF & SU YJ*. Theory of mind in old adults: The performance on Happe’s stories and faux pas stories. Psychologia, 2006, 49(4 ): 228-231 Keller H*, Lamm B, Abels M, Yovsi RD, Borke J, Jensen H, Papaligoura Z, Holub C, Lo WS, Tomiyama AJ, Su YJ, Wang YF, and Chaudhary N. Cultural models, socialization goals, and parenting ethnotheories: A multicultural analysis Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2006, 37 (2): 155-172.

Wang Q. Su YJ*. Myth of the most frequently used cultural frames: A critical look at individualism /collectivism and independent/interdependent self-construals. Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Pekinensis, 2006, 42(2): 159-167

Wang Q & Su YJ Moving developmental constructs across cultural boundaries: Lessons from cross-cultural research on attachment and parenting styles. US-China Education Review. 2005, 2(3): 1-6

Li-Jun Ji, R.E. Nisbett & Yanjie Su. (2001). Culture, Change, and Prediction. Psychological Science, 12(6): 450-456.

Su, Y. J. & Shao, J (1995). Number processing by two species of macaques (Macaca mulatta and Macaca arctoides). 灵长类研究与保护, pp364-372, 中国林业出版社

Su, Y. J. , Ren, R. M., Yan, K. H. , Li, J. J. , Zhou, Y. , Zhu, Z. Q. , Hu, Z. L. , Hu, Y. F. (1995). Preliminary Survey of the Home Range and Ranging Behavior of Golden Monkey ( Rhinopithecus [Rhinopithecus] roxellana ) in Shennongjia National Natural Reserve, Hubei, China. In C. E. Oxnard (Series Ed.) & N. G. Jablonski (Vol. Ed.). Recent Advances in Human Biology: Vol. 4. The Natural History of the Doucs and Snub-nosed Monkeys (pp. 255-268). World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Ren, R. M., Su, Y. J. , Yan, K. H. , Li, J. J. , Zhou, Y. , Zhu, Z. Q. , Hu, Z. L. , Hu, Y. F. (1995). Preliminary Survey of the Social Organization of Golden Monkey ( Rhinopithecus [Rhinopithecus] roxellana ) in Shennongjia National Natural Reserve, Hubei, China. In C. E. Oxnard (Series Ed.) & N. G. Jablonski (Vol. Ed.). Recent Advances in Human Biology: Vol. 4. The Natural History of thr Doucs and Snub-nosed Monkeys (pp. 269-277). World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Ren, R. M., Yan, K. H. , Su, Y. J. , Qi, H. J. , Liang, B. , Bao, W. Y., and de Waal, F. B. M. (1995). The reproductive behavior of golden monkeys in captivity (Rhinopithecus roxellana roxellana). Primates, 1995, 36(1): 135-143. [SCI]

Ren, R. M., Yan, K. H. , Su, Y. J. , Qi, H. J. , Liang, B. , Bao, W. Y., and de Waal, F. B. M. (1991). The reconciliation behavior of golden monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in small breeding groups. Primates, 1991, 32(3): 321-327. [SCI]