Exploring Science Academic Conference Series
The Conference Proceedings Series publishes peer-reviewed papers presented at the Exploring Science conferences. These proceedings are a valuable resource for the scientific community, providing access to the latest research findings, innovative methodologies, and interdisciplinary studies.
Motivation and Speaking Strategy Use among Chinese International Students in the UK: A Dynamic Perspective
This study adopts a narrative review approach to systematically explore the relevant research on the second language learning motivation and oral strategy use of Chinese students studying in the UK from a dynamic perspective. Current research indicates that second language learning motivation is not a stable individual trait but is a dynamic system that continuously evolves in the context of academic situations, social interactions, and identity construction. Additionally, oral learning strategies have shifted from formalized strategies focused on accuracy to more flexible and communicative ones. Furthermore, there is an interactional relationship between motivation and strategy use, forming a collaborative evolutionary mechanism: Motivation influences the selection and persistence of strategies, while effective strategy use, through positive feedback, reinforces learning motivation. Moreover, situational factors such as social networks, institutional environments, and cross-cultural experiences play important mediating roles in this process. This study integrates psychological, behavioral, and sociocultural perspectives to deepen the understanding of second language development in the context of studying abroad and points out that current research still lacks longitudinal tracking and the application of mixed methods, providing references for future research and teaching practice.
L2 motivation, speaking strategies, Chinese international students, study abroad, dynamic perspective
Copyright (c) 2026 Xiao Cheng (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Literature Review of Cultural Identity, Learning Motivation, and Learning Outcomes in Japanese Learning among Chinese Students
This paper adopts a narrative literature review approach and includes 24 representative studies, drawing mainly on empirical and review articles published in SSCI/CSSCI-indexed journals over the past two decades, while also incorporating a small number of foundational theoretical studies and one highly relevant Japanese-language article. The review focuses on the relationships among Chinese cultural identity, Japanese cultural identity, learning motivation, and learning outcomes in Japanese learning among Chinese students. It first constructs an analytical framework of identity-motivation-outcomes by integrating cultural identity theory, the investment model, self-determination theory, and the L2 Motivational Self System. It then examines empirical studies on Chinese learners of Japanese to analyze how interest in Japanese culture, intercultural orientation, nationalism, multilingual identity tensions, the gate-keeping role of English as a global language, and learning experience shape motivation and learning outcomes. Finally, it summarizes major debates, methodological limitations, and theoretical contributions in the existing literature. The review argues that cultural identity does not affect learning outcomes directly; rather, its influence is mediated by learning motivation and learning experience and further moderated by specific social contexts, thus producing a complex identity-motivation-outcomes mechanism. Existing research still shows limitations in the conceptualization of cultural identity, the measurement of learning outcomes, and the construction of integrated explanatory models. Future research should combine longitudinal designs, mixed methods, and more objective indicators of proficiency to explain this mechanism more systematically.
Chinese students, Japanese learning, cultural identity, learning motivation, learning outcomes
Copyright (c) 2026 Jiaqi Zhong (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Personalized Language Learning Based on Large Language Models on Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy
Academic self-efficacy is a core non-cognitive predictor of language learning outcomes, yet traditional large-class teaching fails to address individual differences, leading to widespread low self-efficacy among middle school students. Large Language Models (LLMs) enable scalable personalized instruction, but existing research lacks multi-method qualitative evidence to unpack the underlying mechanisms. Grounded in Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory and Bloom's Mastery Learning Theory, this study conducted an 8-week teaching experiment with 160 Grade 8 and Grade 10 students in Sichuan, China, covering both Chinese and English subjects. Adopting a qualitative-led mixed-methods design, it collected data through semi-structured interviews (14 participants, 60,000 words), longitudinal learning logs (320 valid entries, 40,000 words) and quantitative classroom observations (64 sessions). NVivo 12 was used for three-level coding of qualitative texts, with triangulation and member checking ensuring validity. Results show that LLM-based personalized learning improves academic self-efficacy via four synergistic pathways: reshaping success experiences, regulating emotional arousal, strengthening positive verbal persuasion, and empowering autonomous learning. This study provides localized empirical evidence for digital language education and non-cognitive ability cultivation.
large language models, personalized language learning, academic self-efficacy, qualitative research, language teaching
Copyright (c) 2026 Xinyi Qin, Jun Zhao (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Information Silos on Individual Psychology in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In today’s digital age, artificial intelligence and big data technologies are widely applied, leading to the development of personalized recommendation systems. While these systems enhance user experience, they have also contributed to the creation of information silos. An information silo refers to a narrow information environment in which individuals are exposed primarily to content that aligns with their existing views due to algorithmic recommendations. Consequently, users typically encounter only information that reinforces their perspectives, thereby influencing their cognition. This study aims to explore the mechanisms through which artificial intelligence drives the formation of information silos and to examine the impact of this phenomenon on individual psychology. To achieve this objective, the paper employs a combined approach of literature review and case analysis to investigate existing recommendation algorithms and their influence on user behavior. Furthermore, psychological theories are introduced to analyze how information silos contribute to cognitive biases in individuals. By integrating perspectives from both artificial intelligence and psychology, the study provides an in-depth analysis of how algorithm-driven personalized recommendations affect user psychology and social fragmentation. Through this research, it is hoped that the potential impact of information silos on individual mental health and society as a whole will be revealed, offering theoretical support for future solutions and fostering a more diverse digital information environment.
information echo chambers, big data, artificial intelligence, personalized recommendations, psychology
Copyright (c) 2026 Aixin Song (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Fractured Vision of Modernity: The “Poetic” Turn and the Writing of Urban Space in 1980s Chinese Avant-Garde Fiction
Since the 1980s, with the advancement of reform and opening up and the rapid changes in social structure, Chinese literary creation has entered the reflection and reconstruction of the existing narrative paradigm and aesthetic order. This article takes Chinese avant-garde novels in the 1980s as the object of study, focusses on the “broken modern picture” presented by them, and examines the intrinsic isomorphism between the poetic turn and urban space writing. The study adopts the text-reading method, and with the help of the theoretical perspective of spatial poetics, it takes works by Can Xue, Ma Yuan, and Ge Fei as cases for comparing and identifying the spatial heterogeneity in their fiction. The study found that avant-garde novels respond to the crisis of modernity with narrative “subtraction”: through the poetic stripping of language and the fragmentation and reorganisation of structure, to dispel the oppression of grand narratives; urban space, as a symbolic field, becomes a key intermediary for writers to transform fragmented reality experience into modern art patterns. This article believes that the poetic practice of avant-garde novels is not only a local experiment of spatial poetics, but also an important path for Chinese writers to rebuild sensory experience and subject speech after the collapse of the narrative framework.
avant-garde literature, poetic fiction, the 1980s, urban experience, poetics of space
Copyright (c) 2026 Danqi An (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Effect of Narration Language Type in Tourism Short Videos on Viewers' Travel Intention
Tourism short videos have become an important marketing tool for destination promotion in the digital era. As an integral part of the sound symbol of short videos, the narration language affects the audience's perception of the image and atmosphere of the destination. At present, the existing research on the difference in the role of dialect and Mandarin and its impact mechanism are still insufficient. This article takes social presence as an intermediary variable, and compares the two types of travel short video language types: Nanjing dialect commentary and Mandarin commentary. 241 valid samples were obtained through offline experiments and questionnaires, and the structural equation model was used to test the research hypothesis. The results show that the type of narration language has a significant impact on social presence. Compared with Mandarin commentary, dialect commentary is easier to enhance the audience’s perception of the narrator's presence, interactive atmosphere and proximity to the destination; Social presence has a significant positive impact on travel intention. The stronger social presence, the easier it is for the audience to have a tendency to further understand and visit the destination on the spot; The direct impact of the type of explanation language on travel intention has not reached a significant level. However, the indirect impact of social presence is significant, which shows that social presence plays an intermediary role between the type of language commentary and travel intention. Localized language can affect the audience's travel intention by improving the sense of realism and closeness. This article can provide reference for cultural tourism short video explanation language selection and destination marketing content optimization.
travel short videos, social presence, travel intention, dialect, Mandarin Chinese
Copyright (c) 2026 Yuhan Wu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Online and Offline Measures in L2 Pragmatics: Rethinking Interpretation, Processing, and Tolerance
Research in second language (L2) pragmatics increasingly relies on both online and offline measures to assess learners’ pragmatic competence. Yet these measures are often treated as broadly interchangeable, despite capturing different aspects of pragmatic performance. Offline tasks such as acceptability judgement tasks and discourse completion tasks primarily reflect learners’ final interpretive outcomes, whereas online measures such as self-paced reading and eye-tracking provide access to real-time processing dynamics. This paper argues that treating these measures as equivalent indices of the same underlying ability is theoretically unwarranted. Drawing on recent experimental evidence from L2 scalar implicature research, it argues that offline target-like performance does not entail native-like online processing: L2 learners may reach pragmatically appropriate interpretations through slower, more effortful, and more explicitly inferential routes than native speakers. The paper further suggests that offline judgements may be shaped not only by interpretive success, but also by individual differences in pragmatic tolerance, that is, learners’ tolerance for underinformative or pragmatically sub-optimal utterances, regardless of whether the relevant inference has actually been computed. To address these issues, the paper distinguishes three constructs that current research often conflates: interpretive success, processing efficiency, and pragmatic tolerance. A more differentiated account of what online and offline measures actually capture is therefore necessary for both accurate theoretical interpretation and more principled research design in L2 pragmatics.
L2 pragmatics, online measures, offline measures, scalar implicature, processing efficiency
Copyright (c) 2026 Tiantong Wang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Bidirectional Relationship Between Social Media Use and Adolescent Anxiety: Mechanisms and Future Directions
This study focuses on the bidirectional relationship and underlying mechanisms between social media use and adolescent anxiety. Existing research largely focuses on the one-way influence, lacking integration of bidirectional pathways, core mediating mechanisms, and adolescent developmental vulnerability, and failing to explain the algorithm-driven social comparison effect. This paper integrates four psychological perspectives to confirm that the two are mutually causal, forming a self-reinforcing feedback loop; it clarifies that upward social comparison is a high-frequency, cross-cultural core mediating mechanism, and reveals that adolescents are in a sensitive period of social development, with an imbalance between the brain's reward and control systems and high sensitivity to peer evaluation, making them more susceptible to the influence of the digital environment. This research deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of adolescent mental health in the digital age, providing evidence-based directions for family parenting, school mental health education, clinical intervention, and platform optimization, helping to break the vicious cycle and promote healthy adolescent development.
adolescent anxiety, social media use, bidirectional relationship, social comparison, youth mental health
Copyright (c) 2026 Xiyao Sun (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reconceptualizing Support for Bilingual International Students: An Integrated Pathway Model of School Counsellor Intervention
The past few years have also seen an expansion of bilingual international students to international education systems, introducing many beneficial linguistic and cultural diversity to the education system at the same time experiencing some distinct adaptation and identity development challenges. Conventional school assistance is usually centered on deficiency neglecting the cognitive and cultural diversity of bilingual learners. This paper is based on institutional agency, linguistic capital, and the ABC model of acculturation as developed by Berry that teaches us to present an Integrated Pathway Model that illustrates the multidimensional and dynamic functions of school counsellors. The model focuses on three stages of interventions, namely, entry, adaptation, and integration, and counsellors support individuals to find emotional stability, access structural means, mediate between cultural-cognitive interpretations, and facilitate participation in the physical and digital social space. The given approach restructures bilingual students as proactive agents who can take advantage of their resources of intercultural resources to be successful with their academic performance and social inclusion. The research provides theoretical and practical implications of improving cross cultural counselling in the current education.
bilingual international students, school counselling, acculturation, linguistic and cultural capital, cross-cultural adaptation
Copyright (c) 2026 Yunshuai Zhu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Review of the Impact of Board Games on Second Language Acquisition
Board games, as a highly interactive form of activity, have attracted increasing scholarly attention in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) research in recent years. This paper presents a systematic literature review of relevant research, examining the theoretical foundations and empirical developments in five core dimensions: the Interaction Hypothesis and negotiation of meaning; communication strategies; task-based language teaching; game-based learning; and motivation and affective factors. The review demonstrates that board games can elicit authentic communicative behaviors in naturalistic contexts, effectively increasing opportunities for comprehensible input and output, facilitating negotiation of meaning, and enhancing learners' intrinsic motivation and affective engagement through game-based mechanisms. At the same time, existing research is characterized by limitations, including small sample sizes, insufficient diversity of game types examined, and a lack of longitudinal assessment of long-term effects. This review aims to integrate existing findings, provide a reference framework for the design and implementation of game-based approaches in second language teaching practice, and identify promising directions for future research.
second language acquisition, board games, game-based learning, task-based language teaching
Copyright (c) 2026 Ziyu Zhou (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Phonemic Minimal Pairs and Functional Load Theory: A Critical Review of Pedagogical Applications and Effectiveness in L2 Phonology
This review paper systematically examines the pedagogical shift in second language (L2) phonology, transitioning from the traditional pursuit of a native-like accent to a modern emphasis on intelligibility. Central to this discussion is the application of Functional Load Theory (FLT), which serves as a robust framework for optimizing the selection and prioritization of Minimal Pair (MP) instruction. By analyzing the information-bearing capacity of various phonemic contrasts, FLT provides an objective basis for focusing on those errors that most significantly impede communicative success. This paper evaluates how MP drills effectively bridge the gap between auditory perception (input) and articulatory production (output). Through a comprehensive synthesis of empirical evidence, including the roles of Computer-Assisted Pronunciation Training (CAPT) and the Noticing Hypothesis, the paper argues that FLT-based prioritization yields rapid improvements in learner efficiency. However, critical gaps remain, particularly regarding the over-focus on consonants and the lack of longitudinal data for adult learners. The review concludes that while MP instruction is a high-efficiency tool, future pedagogical success lies in the integration of suprasegmental features and AI-driven personalized feedback systems. This critical review aims to bridge the current gap between complex linguistic theories and practical classroom applications.
Functional Load Theory, phonemic minimal pairs, L2 phonology, intelligibility, input and output, pedagogical effectiveness
Copyright (c) 2026 Yibao Zhang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Reproduction of “Disparity” under the Appearance of “Equity”: The Impact of Financial Investment in After-school Services under the “Double Reduction” Policy on Regional Educational Equity in Zhejiang Province
With the implementation of the “Double Reduction” policy, after-school services have gradually been integrated into the compulsory education system. The panel data of the 11 prefectural cities in Zhejiang Province from 2020 to 2023 are used in this paper; per-student public expenditure is taken as the main index, variance coefficients are employed to address regional differences, and goodness-of-fit indicators (R2) are used to determine how well local financial capacity and fiscal effort explain the fluctuations in per-student funding. Based on the above analysis, it can be seen that after the implementation of the policy, Zhejiang's spending on compulsory education after-school services has increased steadily, and the relative difference between regions has been reduced. As the power of local financial capacity has increased, so too has the per-student funding due to capital accumulation. Fiscal efforts have had weak explanatory power; therefore, it can be concluded that the funding difference is due to objective financial constraints and not to any subjective reasons. Therefore, it is proposed that a provincial-level precise transfer payment system be built to strengthen the accountability mechanism and advance the goal of educational fairness across the country.
“Double Reduction” policy, after-school services, fiscal investment, educational equity, local financial capacity
Copyright (c) 2026 Lina Zhou (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Performative Sociality and Bounded Intimacy in Social Partner Relationships A Goffmanian Perspective
Postmodern society at present is increasingly fragmented in terms of inter-personal communication, functionalised, and emotionally shallow. The old form of a prolonged, emotionally rich relationship is being replaced by a more flexible and convenient relationship based on “mutual consideration”. Among the above new forms, social partner relationships have been particularly prevalent among young people, and they are organised around specific activities such as studying, exercising and consuming, rather than emotional closeness. In accordance with Goffman's dramatic theory, this paper will examine the relationship among social partners and observe how they present themselves to others, handle public attention, and keep their emotions concealed. Based on the above analysis, the relationships among social partners are generally highly formal in nature and are maintained by strict rules for boundary maintenance, emotion control, self-presentation selection and information restriction. Together, these mechanisms have created a kind of “limited closeness” that is both stable and functional, but not intimate. The above results further indicate that the reasons for changes in social partner relationships are also related to the whole society, such as a fast-paced life, digital communication and the need to reduce risk in social interactions. Although the links can provide functions such as reduced loneliness, flexible companionship, and easy social connections, they are also limited in their development of trust and empathy, and a stable long-term relationship cannot be established. They are also too dependent on consistent role performance and thus relatively weak when facing expectation gaps or disruptions to impression management.
social partner relationships, dramaturgical theory, impression management, bounded intimacy, contemporary social interaction
Copyright (c) 2026 Nuoxi Zheng (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Influence of Occupational Values on Academic Motivation among Pre-service Teachers
This study investigates the differential impact of various dimensions of vocational values on different types of academic motivation among pre-service teachers. Based on data from 380 valid questionnaires, this study conducted a stratified regression analysis on career values and academic motivation. The results indicate that: (1) Within the realm of career values, material security factor and prestige factor exert significant positive influences on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of teacher-training students, respectively. (2) Developmental factors had no significant impact on either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Yet, it positively predicted the lack of motivation among current teacher-training students. Therefore, higher normal colleges should recognize and respect the reasonable pursuit of teacher trainees for job security and stable career development. Adeptly guide students to transform external employment demands into intrinsic motivation for their professional studies. We should also expand the innovative development paths for teacher trainees and build personalized growth platforms. To effectively prevent academic burnout.
academic motivation, occupational values, pre-service teachers, teacher education
Copyright (c) 2026 Boxun Fan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Research on Behavioral Mechanism and System Design of Art Teachers Adopting AI Classroom Assessment Technology Based on Extended TAM
This study addresses the high subjectivity and heavy workload associated with traditional evaluation in art education, as well as the lack of attention to user adoption behavior in existing AI-in-education research. It aims to reveal the behavioral mechanisms underlying art teachers’ sustained use of AI-assisted classroom assessment technologies and to inform system design. An extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), incorporating information technology self-efficacy and AU (AI Application Intensity), was constructed and empirically tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on questionnaire data (N = 103). The sample primarily consists of art teachers with relatively high experience in using AI tools, and thus the findings are particularly applicable to active technology users. Results indicate that information technology self-efficacy serves as the initial driver of behavior and has the strongest effect on perceived ease of use (β= 0.59). Perceived usefulness significantly influences both BI (Behavioral Intention) (β= 0.39) and application intensity (β= 0.25). A chain mechanism from self-efficacy to ease of use, then to usefulness, intention, and ultimately application intensity is validated. Based on these findings, three design principles are derived, and a teacher-centered conceptual system architecture is proposed. The study provides a coherent linkage between user behavior mechanisms and system design, offering theoretical and practical implications for developing AI-based assessment systems that are usable, adoptable, and sustainable.
artificial intelligence-assisted assessment, art education, technology adoption, extended technology acceptance model, system design
Copyright (c) 2026 Shiyu Huang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From Pictographs to Stickers: A Study on the Visual Translation of Oracle Bone Script Characters in the Context of Contemporary Sticker Packs
This study focuses on the visual translation pathways of Oracle Bone Script (OBS) characters in contemporary sticker pack design, aiming to explore the mechanisms and possibilities of integrating traditional cultural symbols into the context of digital visual communication. As the early form of Chinese characters, Oracle Bone Script contains rich visual genes. However, in the context of contemporary digital sticker pack dissemination, it lacks systematic visual translation pathways and methodological references. To address this, the study first reviews the configurational features of Oracle Bone Script and the contextual characteristics of sticker packs to clarify the adaptation conditions for translation. Taking 15 sticker packs from the “Oracle Bone People’s Daily Life” series as design practice cases, the study explores specific visual translation methods through the workflow of “corpus positioning — ancient character verification — strategic translation — dynamic realization,” and preliminarily verifies the design effectiveness through multi-dimensional evaluations by 50 users. The research finds that the visual components of Oracle Bone Script possess a certain degree of adaptability in modern semantic expression. Through multi-level translation strategies, the meaning reconstruction of ancient script symbols in contemporary contexts can be achieved. The methodological pathway developed in this study provides reference value for the modern translation of other traditional visual resources. The significance of the research lies in providing an operable design approach and theoretical reference for the digital innovative dissemination of traditional cultural elements.
Oracle Bone Script, sticker packs, visual translation
Copyright (c) 2026 Wenya Xu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Attachment Dimensions and Depression: A Review of Associations, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications
Depression is among the most prevalent and disabling mental health conditions worldwide, and its developmental and interpersonal determinants remain incompletely understood. Drawing on Bowlby's attachment theory, this review examines the differential associations of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance with depression, the cognitive and regulatory mechanisms that may underlie these associations, and their implications for clinical practice. Evidence from meta-analytic and longitudinal research indicates that both dimensions are associated with elevated depression risk, with attachment anxiety showing stronger and more direct associations operating through hyperactivating emotion regulation and ruminative cognitive processing, whereas attachment avoidance tends to operate through more indirect pathways, including expressive suppression and impaired social support utilization. Rumination represents a dimension-specific mechanism more reliably implicated in the anxiety–depression pathway, with suppression-based emotion regulation representing a more salient pathway for avoidance-related depression. At the clinical level, attachment dimensions shape therapeutic alliance formation, may moderate differential treatment response, and may serve as meaningful intervention targets, though the evidence base remains limited by cross-sectional designs, measurement heterogeneity, and a predominance of Western samples. Future research would benefit from longitudinal designs, greater use of dimensional attachment assessment, and clinical trials evaluating attachment-informed interventions across diverse populations. This review affirms the value of treating attachment anxiety and avoidance as distinct rather than interchangeable dimensions, offering a developmentally grounded framework for understanding depressive vulnerability and informing more precise clinical approaches.
attachment, depression, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, emotion regulation
Copyright (c) 2026 Junyi Wang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Cherry Blossoms and the Concept of Impermanence: Nature Worship from an Aesthetic Perspective
As a highly representative natural icon, the cherry blossom has long been deeply associated with the concept of impermanence (Mujō) and nature worship. By examining the cultural mechanisms linking cherry blossom imagery, impermanence, and nature worship within classical literature and the Way of Tea (Chado), this study analyzes contemporary cultural practices such as MUJI’s cherry blossom product series and Hironao Tsuboi’s “Sakurasaku” glass. The findings indicate that the cherry blossom became a core symbol of impermanence through the dual influence of Mujō and nature worship, gradually solidified via the aesthetic construction of classical literature and the ritualized practices of tea culture. These tripartite cultural mechanisms continue to undergo transformation in modern consumption and design sectors. Unlike existing scholarship that often adopts a singular perspective, this research integrates the internal logic connecting cherry blossoms, impermanence, and nature worship at a mechanistic level, offering a new reference point for the study of cultural symbols. Future research may further expand upon these findings through the lenses of folklore and cross-cultural communication.
cherry blossom imagery, concept of impermanence (Mujō), nature worship, cultural mechanisms, contemporary aesthetics
Copyright (c) 2026 Yumeng Guo (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Political Theology and the Logic of Power: A Political-Theoretical Analysis of Contemporary Iranian Politics
This paper analyzes the logic of power and political theology in contemporary Iran from the 1979 Islamic Revolution to the present. By constructing a progressive analytical framework based on the theories of Max Weber, Carl Schmitt, and Niccolò Machiavelli, it examines how the Iranian regime maintains rule despite an ongoing legitimacy crisis. First, drawing on Weber’s theory of legitimacy, the paper analyzes the transition from Ruhollah Khomeini’s charismatic authority to a hybrid theocratic-republican system. The routinization of charisma into a bureaucratic-religious structure has generated persistent legitimacy deficits, with some survey-based evidence indicating declining public support for theocratic governance. Second, using Schmitt’s concepts of the state of exception and the friend–enemy distinction, the study shows how the regime consolidates power during crises. By framing internal dissenters and external actors as existential threats, authorities justify extraordinary measures that override ordinary legal constraints. Finally, from a Machiavellian perspective, the paper examines coercive stability maintenance through institutions such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij. These mechanisms rely on deterrence and controlled coercion to sustain order. The study concludes that while this system enables short-term stability, it produces long-term vulnerability by eroding social consensus and institutional legitimacy.
political theology, Iranian politics, Carl Schmitt, Max Weber, authoritarianism
Copyright (c) 2026 Yuxuan Hua (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Algorithmic Rentier: Value Extraction and the Reconfiguration of Creative Labor in the Era of Global Streaming Platforms
Against the backdrop of the global streaming wars, the audiovisual industry is undergoing a rapid transformation towards video-on-demand (VOD) platforms. Leading streaming platforms like Netflix have built massive digital infrastructure; however, behind the industry's prosperity lies a severe distribution crisis. This paper focuses on the logic of algorithmic rent, analyzing how transnational streaming platforms systematically extract value and restructure creative labor. It adopts the political economy of communication (PEC), integrating platform capitalism and algorithmic governance theories to construct an analytical framework for algorithmic rent. Through a literature review and the case study of Squid Game, it explores how algorithmic-editorial power, and the data black box achieve institutionalized deprivation. The core research questions include how financialization weakens creators' bargaining power through global buyout contracts, and how algorithmic discipline erodes the aesthetic autonomy of creative subjects. The study argues that platforms have become digital landlords extracting economic rents rather than partners. To achieve distributive justice, this paper proposes policy intervention strategies such as strengthening local investment quotas, legislating to guarantee the right to fair compensation, and establishing third-party data auditing mechanisms.
algorithmic rentier, streaming platforms, value extraction, creative labor, algo-torial power
Copyright (c) 2026 Xiaoran Ma (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Tianxia Studies: A Narrative Review of Domestic, East Asian, and Euro-American Scholarship
The Tianxia concept is central to traditional Chinese political thought. It carries deep meanings such as great unity and the Hua-Yi distinction. Despite growing multidisciplinary interest, a systematic review of the research landscape remains lacking. This paper adopts a narrative review method to synthesize domestic and international scholarship on the Tianxia concept. Domestically, three research paradigms emerge. The first is a philosophical construction led by Zhao Tingyang. The second is historical contextualization, represented by Ge Zhaoguang and Liu Zifan. The third is institutional practice with ethnological perspectives, advanced by Liu Xiaodong, Xie Bo, Xi Jing, and Yang Nianqun. Internationally, Japanese scholarship shows three intellectual traditions: cultural homology, rupture theory, and Japan-centered discourses. A Marxist-influenced Asiatic discourse shifted from critique to colonial justification. Korean scholarship centers on the Little China ideology, evolving from admiring China to honoring Ming and resisting Qing. Euro-American research has two main orientations: theoretical dialogue with International Relations and critical/hegemonic analysis. The paper finds that these diverse interpretations reflect each scholar's national intellectual traditions. It calls for an open and inclusive attitude toward this diversity, which aligns with the Chinese vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Tianxia, Hua–Yi distinction, comparative intellectual history, East Asian world order, global International Relations theory
Copyright (c) 2026 Jingyi Yang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Platform-Based Governance of Fake News in the Digital Information Ecosystem
The rise of digital media has fundamentally transformed the production, dissemination, and consumption of news, enabling fake news to circulate at unprecedented speed and scale. In this platform-mediated information environment, fake news has become a structural phenomenon capable of generating systemic public harms across multiple domains, including democratic governance, public health, public safety, and economic stability. The existing ex post regulatory frameworks in the United States are ill-suited to address such harms, while constitutional constraints under the First Amendment significantly limit the feasibility of ex ante governmental regulations. This paper examines the regulatory challenges posed by fake news through a combination of conceptual reasoning and legal analysis. It identifies the systemic harms associated with fake news and analyzes the current public-private regulatory structure against the Constitution and judicial precedents. Building on the analysis, this paper proposes an editorial process-based labeling mechanism, centered on source transparency at the platform level, to regulate fake news. By shifting regulatory focus from content-based to process-based, the proposed mechanism offers a constitutionally compatible, scalable, and transparency-oriented solution for mitigating the harms of fake news in the digital ecosystems.
fake news, First Amendment, public harms, ex ante regulation, platform-based governance
Copyright (c) 2026 Geyu Deng, Liang Li (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Traffic, Bans, and Cyberspace: Gender Politics in the Yunchichi Account Ban Incident
In 2026, the Yunchichi Joining the Family incident triggered extensive discussions on RedNote regarding the marriage market, gender power, and female awakening. However, this public debate, largely initiated and led by female users, ultimately culminated in the permanent ban of the core account, Yunchichi. Drawing on case study and text analysis within the theoretical framework of platform capitalism and digital gender politics, this paper examines the incident to explore the structural contradictions that commercial platforms face when addressing gender-related issues. The findings suggest that RedNote, as a community platform with a predominantly female user base, experiences an inherent tension between its beautiful life positioning and gender-antagonistic discourse. The emergence of millions of Yunchichis following the ban demonstrates users’ forms of algorithmic resistance through the creation of virtual identities. Meanwhile, the platform’s governance decision reflects the difficulty of balancing traffic-driven incentives with public opinion risks. This paper argues that the incident reveals the complexity of gender politics under platform capitalism: platforms simultaneously depend on female users’ traffic and consumption power, while fearing the fragmentation of community cohesion caused by gender conflicts. This structural contradiction ultimately renders feminist expression fragile on commercial platforms.
platform governance, platform capitalism, algorithmic resistance, RedNote
Copyright (c) 2026 Yan Zhu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Globalization and Localization of Subculture: Cultural Conflicts and Integration in the Overseas Expansion of Chinese Tactical Competitive Mobile Games
This study focuses on the globalization of Chinese tactical competitive mobile games, such as PUBG Mobile and Peacekeeper Elite, to explore how Chinese youth subculture achieves cross-cultural communication through gaming platforms. It analyzes cultural conflicts arising from symbol misinterpretation and value differences between Chinese youth subcultures and local cultures in Europe, America, and the Middle East. Adaptation strategies, including localized skin design and regional holiday events, are summarized to foster cultural integration. From the perspective of cultural imperialism theory, this research demonstrates how Chinese youth subculture maintains its subjectivity and enhances cultural soft power in global expansion. This study further argues that globalization does not lead to simple cultural domination but results in hybrid cultural forms through continuous interaction between global and local elements. It highlights the role of players as active agents who reinterpret and reshape cultural meanings within game environments. Additionally, the research emphasizes that successful localization depends on balancing cultural authenticity with market adaptability, providing a sustainable model for global cultural dissemination. It not only provides theoretical and practical references for Chinese youth subcultures to gain international recognition, but also offers insights into the global dissemination of Chinese digital cultural products and the international influence of youth subcultures.
youth subculture globalization, localization adaptation, tactical competitive mobile games, cultural integration, cultural imperialism theory
Copyright (c) 2026 Kaiheng Zhang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Structural Dilemmas of Multilateral Security Mechanisms in East Asia: A Security Governance Perspective
This paper analyzes the role and limitations of multilateral security mechanisms in East Asia from a security governance perspective. Although economic interdependence and institutionalized cooperation have expanded in the region, security relations remain constrained by great-power rivalry, sovereignty sensitivities, and fragmented threat perceptions. Focusing on regional forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit, as well as issue-specific mechanisms including the Six-Party Talks and South China Sea consultations, the paper examines why these institutions persist despite their limited conflict-resolution capacity. Using an institutional analytical framework, the study argues that low levels of legalization, consensus-based decision-making, and weak enforcement mechanisms facilitate inclusive participation but restrict substantive security governance. Rather than functioning as instruments of collective security, East Asian multilateral mechanisms primarily serve as process-oriented platforms for dialogue, confidence-building, and risk management. Their continued relevance lies in managing uncertainty and reducing the risk of escalation under conditions of intensified great-power competition.
East Asian security, multilateral security mechanisms, security governance, institutional design, great-power competition
Copyright (c) 2026 Zerun Hu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Transformation of English Teaching Models in the AI Era: Challenges and Development Pathways
The transformation of English teaching models in the AI era is the result of the combined effect of four factors: guidance from national education strategies, empowerment through technological iteration, pressure from the pain points of traditional teaching, and leadership from global education development trends. The current study aimed to represent the transformation of the English teaching model in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era and to explore the challenges and development in English teaching given by AI. The findings aim to provide practical insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers to effectively leverage AI for enhancing English teaching quality and efficiency. This study proposes a conceptual framework for AI-driven pedagogical transformation. After conducting a deep search and analysis of relevant scholarly works, this study identifies key challenges, which include ineffective combination between AI technological tools and English teaching, anxiety in the teaching profession, and declined independence even gradually disappeared among students in the student bracket, while proposing strategies for the sustainable development of AI-integrated English teaching models. Additionally, Relevant literature has proposed new teaching models, including personalized learning, human-computer collaboration, and smart classrooms. These studies lay a solid foundation for exploring the development paths, innovative strategies, and future trends of English teaching in the AI era. In the meantime, this combination has promoted the development of science and technology in the field of education.
English teaching reform, Artificial Intelligence (AI), human–computer collaboration, personalized learning, pedagogical transformation
Copyright (c) 2026 Shuo Zhang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
AI-Driven Paradigm Shift in Personalized Learning: Cognitive Reconfiguration and Institutional Adaptation in Higher Education
The deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology with higher education is driving a fundamental transformation in personalized learning paradigms, triggering cognitive reconfiguration among learners and educators within the higher education field, as well as adaptive adjustments at the institutional level. This study comprehensively employs literature review, questionnaire surveys, and qualitative interviews to systematically analyze the current status, positive impacts, and practical challenges of AI applications in personalized learning at universities. The research finds that AI significantly improves learning efficiency and optimizes the allocation of teaching resources, yet it also faces multiple challenges such as data security and the transformation of teachers’ roles. Meanwhile, cognitive reconfiguration is manifested in learners’ restructuring of knowledge authority, learning processes, and human-machine relationships, as well as educators’ updated perceptions of teaching roles, educational technology, and talent cultivation goals. Based on these findings, promoting the paradigm shift of personalized learning requires systematic institutional adaptation in terms of technical specifications, faculty development, and resource allocation, providing theoretical support and practical pathways for AI-empowered higher education.
artificial intelligence, higher education, personalized learning, cognitive reconfiguration, institutional adaptation
Copyright (c) 2026 Wuying Xu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From Rigid Tracking to Coordinated Development: Equity Implications and Realistic Scrutiny in China’s General-Vocational Education Integration Policy
China's 2022 Vocational Education Law advocates the integration of general vocational education (GVEI) and raises vocational education to an equal status with general academic education. This review aims to explore the equitable impact of this policy change and examine the structural shortcomings in its current implementation. The analysis shows that the GVEI policy has not fostered true two-way coordinated development. On the contrary, the policy largely serves as a one-way channel for vulnerable students to escape the vocational education track. At the same time, under the strong inertia of social reproduction, the tracking system continues to intensify the competition in hierarchical education driven by parents’ rational status anxiety and relative risk avoidance. This review concludes that alleviating educational anxiety and achieving real equity cannot rely solely on internal education reform. Meaningful educational equity requires comprehensive structural reforms to reshape the valuation of technical skills in the labor market. Future studies should empirically track the long-term labor market outcomes of students navigating the integrated system to evaluate the policy’s effectiveness in practice.
general-vocational education integration (GVEI), tracking system, educational anxiety, social reproduction
Copyright (c) 2026 Meiqi Zhai (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Standards for Copyrightability of AI-Generated Content (AIGC): Theoretical and Practical Perspectives
The explosive development of generative artificial intelligence technologies, exemplified by ChatGPT, has fundamentally challenged traditional Copyright Law by introducing new models of human-machine collaborative creation, making the copyrightability of AI-generated content (AIGC) a cutting-edge issue in contemporary judicial practice and academic studies. This technological wave has directly given rise to several typical cases in China, where courts have grappled with unprecedented legal questions. The current academic debate encompasses three main viewpoints: the negative view emphasizes that copyrightable works must be originated directly from natural persons and argues that artificial intelligence fundamentally lacks authorship capacity; the affirmative view regards AI as merely a sophisticated tool or active co-creator with human users; while the neutral view advocates for case-by-case analysis, focusing particularly on examining the causal relationship between user prompts and the final generated contents. The core controversies involve applying the traditional thought/expression dichotomy, identifying the extent of user control over outputs, and coordinating international protection standards, etc. Against this background, this paper aims to shift the identification framework of AIGC copyrightability from a conventional result-oriented approach to a more nuanced process-oriented one, proposing specific and operational standards that can help unify judicial standards, provide practical references for courts, and offer a solid doctrinal basis for the adaptive interpretation of Copyright Law in the artificial intelligence era. Establishing appropriate criteria is crucial for promoting cultural prosperity and innovation without either stifling legitimate AI-assisted creation or overprotecting low-quality, machine-dominated outputs.
generative artificial intelligence, copyrightability, originality, copyright, thought/expression dichotomy
Copyright (c) 2026 Minyu Zhang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Duty of Care for Child Protection in AI Chatbots: A Comparative Analysis of EU, US, and Chinese Regulatory Frameworks
This article raises two critical questions: How do the European Union, the United States, and China regulate AI chatbots? Should these systems be recharacterized as products with design defects rather than protected speech? This study adopts a comparative legal approach to the regulatory frameworks in Europe, America, and China. The paper analyzes three particular models: the EU’s precautionary risk-based model, China’s administrative oversight, and the US’s tort-based litigation. The findings suggest that the notion of AI as a neutral tool is increasingly untenable. Traditional safe harbor protections are no longer enough to protect children. The paper presents a triple-layer framework to strengthen Duty of Care. This combines China’s pre-deployment (ex-ante) administrative filing at the input layer, the EU’s safety-by-design standards at the model layer, and the US’s post-harm (ex-post) product liability at the output layer. By establishing a triple-layer framework, regulators can effectively intervene in real time to prevent harmful manipulation of minors by AI chatbots.
AI chatbots, minor protection, duty of care
Copyright (c) 2026 Anna Xu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0