Faculty Profile

【Bio】

Dr. Yanhui Mao received her Ph.D. from Sapienza University of Rome and completed postdoctoral research at Zhejiang University. She served as a visiting scholar at The University of Queensland (Australia) and Claremont Graduate University (USA). She is currently a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Southwest Jiaotong University.

Dr. Mao joined Southwest Jiaotong University in July 2016 through the "Overseas Talent Zone" program. She was appointed as a Master's Supervisor in 2017, promoted to Associate Professor in 2020, and appointed as a Doctoral Supervisor in 2024. In the same year, she was promoted to Full Professor through an exceptional promotion process.

Dr. Mao is a member of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), the European Flow Research Network (EFRN), and the Australian Centre on Quality of Life (ACQoL). She has been recognized as a High-Level Overseas Returnee Scholar in Sichuan Province and selected for the Chengdu "Young Eagle Program" for Outstanding Young Talents in Philosophy and Social Sciences. She serves as a peer reviewer for the National Natural Science Foundation of China, an external examiner for doctoral dissertations for the Ministry of Education, and a member of the expert panel for project evaluation at the Sichuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology.

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【Research Projects】

Dr. Mao has led 4 national-level projects, including grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Foreign Expert Program. She has also led over 10 provincial, university-level, and industry collaboration projects, including the Sichuan Science and Technology Program, the Central Universities Young Scholar Fund, general projects from the Sichuan Mental Health Education Research Center, key projects from the Sichuan Applied Psychology Research Center, key projects in degree and graduate education reform at Southwest Jiaotong University, and collaborative projects with China Railway Construction Corporation and Sichuan Chengyu Expressway Company Ltd.

She has participated as a co-investigator in 2 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Social Science Fund. She has also contributed to 6 international collaborative projects with partners in the United States, Italy, Sweden, and Greece. Her completed National Natural Science Foundation project received an "Excellent" rating in performance evaluation.

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【Research Publications】

Dr. Mao's research focuses on the fundamental and applied aspects of positive psychology in research and education, as well as applied research in managerial psychology. She has published over 40 articles in high-impact international SCI/SSCI journals, including the European Journal of Innovation Management, Journal of Construction Engineering & Management, R&D Management, Journal of Managerial Psychology, American Journal of Community Psychology, International Journal of Psychology, Educational Psychology, British Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Happiness Studies, BMC Public Health, Biological Psychology, and Social Indicators Research. Her work includes 1 ESI top 1% highly cited paper and has been cited over 1,000 times on Google Scholar.

She has authored 1 English monograph, translated 1 book, and contributed to 3 edited English volumes.

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【Student Development】

Dr. Mao teaches undergraduate courses including Management Communication (supported by Southwest Jiaotong University's Bilingual Course Development Program), Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Positive Psychology (supported by Southwest Jiaotong University's Bilingual Course Development Program), Introduction to Psychology, and Professional English for Psychology. She also teaches graduate courses including Academic Writing in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Frontiers in Psychology.

Under her supervision, 2 undergraduate Student Research Training Program (SRTP) projects have resulted in publications in SSCI Q2 journals. Over the past five years, 5 of her students have received National Scholarships for Graduate Students or full scholarships from the China Scholarship Council. More than 10 students have pursued master's or doctoral degrees at prestigious universities both domestically and internationally, including Beijing Jiaotong University, Chongqing University, South China University of Technology, Nanjing University, Sapienza University of Rome, University College London, and Washington University. One student has joined the research group of a Distinguished Professor (Changjiang Scholar) and National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars recipient at the Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, as a postdoctoral researcher.

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【Academic Service】

Dr. Mao previously served as one of the first International Cooperation and Exchange Officers at Southwest Jiaotong University. She currently serves on the editorial boards of BMC Public Health, Scientific Reports, Management Revue, Applied Psychology Research, and Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Studies. She has also served as a guest editor for Scientific Reports and Psych Journal. Additionally, she serves as a peer reviewer for over a dozen international SCI/SSCI journals, including Applied Psychology: An International Review, Journal of Happiness Studies, Journal of Positive Psychology, Personality and Individual Differences, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Current Psychology, and Motivation and Emotion.

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【Recent Research】

 (*corresponding author):

Mao, Y*., & Xie, M*. (2026). Flow: The affective and cognitive optimal experience for human flourishing and well-being. Current Directions in Psychological Science. In Press...

Mao, Y*. Wang, S., Li, Y., & Peng, W., & Zhang, W.* (2025). Exploring the underlying mechanism of the relation between trait mindfulness and insomnia among university students: A dual processing perspective. BMC Public Health. In Minor Revision...

Liu, T., Zeng, S., Zhang, R., & Mao, Y*. (2025). How authentic leadership shapes follower flow and innovative work behavior: A temporal dynamics perspective. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. In Review...

D'Ottone, S., Travaglino, G*., Burgmer, P., Giammusso, I., Imada, H., Mao, Y., Mirisola, A., Moon, C., Nawata, K., & Ozeki, M. (2025). When confidence in institutions backfires: Power distance orientation moderates the relationship between institutional trust and civic honesty across eight countries. International Journal of Psychology. doi:10.1002/ijop.70059

Zhao, Y., Zhang, Z*., & Mao, Y. (2025). Perceived residential environment quality, emotional experience, and sense of community among the retired people in China. American Journal of Community Psychology. doi:10.1002/ajcp.12805

Liu, T.,  Lu, S*., & Mao, Y. (2025). Impact of advice network centrality on innovative work behavior: the moderating role of multiplex network embeddedness. European Journal of Innovation Management. doi:10.1108/EJIM-09-2023-0804

Liu, T., Lu, S., & Mao, Y*. (2024). Facilitating individual innovation from the perspective of social network ties: A fuzzy-set QCA approach. R & D Management. doi:10.1111/radm.12737

Cai, X., Zhou, N., Chen, J., Mao, Z., Wang, S., Luo, X., Xie, M., Mao, Y*. (2024). Gratitude practice helps undergraduates who experienced an earthquake in China find meaning in life. Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-61256-3

Peng, C., Yuan, G., Xie, M., Zhu, L., & Mao, Y*. (2024). The Impact of daily flow on employees’ daily innovative behavior: Disentangle the within-level mediation effect of job involvement and the cross-level moderation effect of person-organization fit. Current Psychology. doi:10.1007/s12144-024-06086-2

Mao, Y., Chen, J., Liu, X., Dang, J*., & Schiöth, H. (2024). Social support predicted subsequent subjective well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective study. BMC Public Health. doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18473-2

Jia, F., Meng, J., Ma,Y., Mao,Y*. (2024). Flow experience and self-efficacy in undergraduates' English learning: A weekly diary investigation with cross-lagged panel modeling approach. System. doi:10.1016/j.system.2024.103312

Liu, T., Mao, Y, & Lu, S*. (2024). Disentangling the relations among help-givers’ instrumental helping ties, creativity, and creative idea implementation: A social network perspective. Creativity & Innovation Management. doi: 10.1111/caim.12594 

Mao, Y., Luo, X., Wang, S., Mao, Z., Xie, M*., Bonaiuto, M. (2024). Flow experience fosters university students’ well-being through psychological resilience: A longitudinal design with cross-lagged analysis. British Journal of Educational Psychology. doi: 10.1111/bjep.12661

赵怡霖, 王兰爽, 陈兰双, 毛燕辉, 张镇. (2023). 社区绿化感知特征与老年人主观幸福感:社区依恋的中介作用和家庭亲密度的调节作用. 心理与行为研究, 21(5), 682-690. doi: 10.12139/j.1672-0628.2023.05.015

D’Urso, G*., Pagliaro, S., Preti, E., Asnake, M., Lionetti, F., Mao, Y., Minaye, A., Ayele, M., Pacilli, M.G., Wuhib Tsega, T., Fasolo, M., & Spinelli, M. (2023). Predisposing Factors connected with Willingness to Intervene in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence: A study in the Chinese, Italian, and Ethiopian Context. Sexuality & Culture, doi:10.1007/s12119-023-10162-3

Liu, T., Lu, S., Ma, J., & Mao, Y*. (2023). Go put your strengths to enjoy work: A diary study on the relationship between strengths use and innovative behavior. Journal of Happiness Studies, doi:10.1007/s10902-023-00696-6

Mao, Y., Guo, S., Xie, M., Yu, J., Deng, X., Li, Y., Zhai, Y., Kong, F*. (2023). Devote yourself to enjoy work: A diary study on flow experience and employees’ organizational identification. Journal of Managerial Psychology, doi: 10.1108/JMP-07-2022-0355

Mao, Y., Kang, X., Lai, Y., Yu, J., Deng, X., Zhai, Y., Kong, F*., Ma, J., & Bonaiuto, F. (2023). Authentic leadership and employee resilience during the COVID-19: The role of flow, organizational identification, and trust. Current Psychology, doi:10.1007/s12144-022-04148-x

Liu, T., Mao, Y, & Lu, S*. (2023). Fostering participants’ collaborative innovation performance in megaprojects: The effects of perceived partners’ non-mediated power. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002417

Xie, M., Mao, Y, & Yang, R*. (2022). Flow experience and city identity in the restorative environment: A conceptual model and nature-based intervention. Frontiers in Public Health, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1011890

Peng, C., Liang, Y., Yuan, G., Xie, M., Mao, Y*., Harmat, L., Bonaiuto, F. (2022). How servant leadership predicts employee resilience in public organizations: A social identity perspective. Current Psychology, doi:10.1007/s12144-022-04138-z

Mao, Y., Xie, M., Li, M., Gu, C., Zhang, Z., Chen, Y., & Peng, C*. (2022). Promoting academic self-efficacy, positive relationships and psychological resilience for Chinese university students’ life satisfaction. Educational Psychology, doi:10.1080/01443410.2022.2138830

Mao, Y*., Luo, X*., Guo, S., Xie, M., Zhou, J., Huang, R., & Zhang, Z. (2022). Validation of the abbreviated indicators of perceived residential environment quality and neighborhood attachment in China. Frontiers in Public Health, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.925651

Mao, Y., Peng, C*., Liang, Y., Yuan, G., Ma, J., Bonaiuto, M. (2022). Perceived residential environment quality, flow, and social capital on urbanities’ community identity during COVID-19 residential confinement. Social Indicators Research, doi:10.1007/s11205-022-02915-8

Wu, J., Xie, M., Lai, Y., Mao, Y*., Harmat, L. (2021). Flow as a key predictor of subjective well-being among Chinese university students: A chain mediating model. Frontiers in Psychology, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.743906

Yang, S., Mao, Y*., Liu, T., Baldner, C., Roberts, S., & Lu, S*. (2021). Achieve ambidextrous learning in construction engineering project partnerships: The roles of formal control and Chinese guanxi. Asian Business & Management, doi:10.1057/s41291-021-00173-z

Cui, P., Mao, Y*., Shen, Y., & Ma, J*. (2021). Moral Identity and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Identity Commitment Quality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(18). doi:10.3390/ijerph18189795

Pagliaro, S., Sacchi, S., Pacilli, M.G., Brambilla, M., Lionetti, F., …Mao, Y., …Bettache, K., et al. (2021). Trust predicts COVID-19 prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions in 23 countries. PLoS ONE 16(3): e0248334. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248334 (Essential Science Indicators (ESI) Top 1% Highly cited paper)

Peng, C., Mao, Y*., Pagliaro, S., Roberts, S., & Livi, S. (2020). A group's physical attractiveness is greater than the average attractiveness of its members: An evidence from China. Healthcare, 8, 344. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8030344

Mao, Y., Yang, R*., Bonaiuto, M., Ma, J., & Harmat, L. (2020). Can flow alleviate anxiety? The role of academic self-efficacy and self-esteem in building psychological sustainability and resilience. Sustainability, 12(7), 2987.

Bonaiuto, M., Mao, Y*., Roberts, S., Psalti, A., Ariccio, S., Ganucci Cancellieri, U., Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2016). Optimal experience and personal growth: Flow and the consolidation of place identity. Frontiers in Psychology, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01654

Mao, Y., Roberts, S., Pagliaro, S., Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Bonaiuto, M*. (2016). Optimal experience and optimal identity: A multinational study of the associations between flow and social identity. Frontiers in Psychology, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00067

Peng, W., Babiloni, C., Mao, Y., & Hu, Y*. (2015). Subjective pain perception mediated by alpha rhythms. Biological Psychology, doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.05.004

Mao, Y., Fornara, F., Manca, S., Bonnes, M., & Bonaiuto, M*. (2015). Perceived residential environment quality indicators and neighbourhood attachment: A confirmation study on a Chinese sample in Chongqing. PsyCh Journal, doi: 10.1002/pchj.90

Peng, W., Hu, Y., Mao, Y., & Babiloni, C*. (2015). Widespread cortical α-ERD companying visual oddball target stimuli is frequency but non-modality specific. Behavioural Brain Research, doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.04.051

Bonaiuto, M*., Fornara, F., Alves, S., Ferreira, I., Mao, Y., Moffat, E., Piccinin, G., & Rahimi, L. (2015). Urban environment and well-being: Cross-cultural studies on perceived residential environment quality indicators (PREQIs). Cognitive Processing, doi: 10.1007/s10339-015-0691-z

Mao, Y*., Roberts, S., Bonaiuto, M. (2016). Optimal experience and optimal identity: A multinational examination at the personal identity level. In L. Harmat, F. Andersen, F. Ullén, & J. Wright (Ed.), Flow Experience: Empirical Research and Applications. Springer, Switzerland. ISBN: 978-3-319-28632-7

International congress/conference:

Mao, Y. (2022). The Application of Flow for Human Flourishing and Well-being. Oral presentation at the 10th Cross-Cultural Research, Collaboration and Exchange Program, Hangzhou, China. July 1-3.

Kang, X., Mao, Y*., & Bonaiuto, M. (2021). Flow, organizational identification and place identity in the university environment: A positive environmental psychology perspective. Oral presentation at the 10th EFRN Conference (online virtual conference), Lübeck, Germany. Nov 26-27.

Mao, Y. (2019). Psychophysiological Flow and Identity Experience. Oral presentation at the 6th International Conference on Positive Psychology and Well-being (6th CPPWb), Kunming, China, June 1-3.

Mao, Y. (2015). Do What You Love to Do: The Shaping of Optimal Identity from Optimal Experience. Oral presentation at the 14th European Congress of Psychology (ECP14). Milan, Italy. July 7-10.

Mao, Y., Csikszentmihalyi, M., Roberts, S., & Bonaiuto, M. (2015). Optimal Experience and Personal Growth: flow and the development of social identity. Poster presentation at the 4th World Congress on Positive Psychology (WCPP4). Florida, U.S. June 25-28.

Mao, Y., Csikszentmihalyi, M., Roberts, S., & Bonaiuto, M. (2014). Optimal Experience and Personal Growth: flow and the development of identity. Poster presentation at the 7th European Conference on Positive Psychology (ECPP7). Amsterdam, Netherlands. July 1-4.

Bonaiuto, M., Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Mao, Y. (2014). You are what you do: Flow experience and identity definition. Symposium for the 10th European Spring Conference on Social Psychology (ESCSP10). St. Moritz, Switzerland. March 16-23.

Bonaiuto, M., Fornara, F., Bonnes, M., Alves, S., Johansson, M., & Mao, Y. (2014). Perceived qualities of urban neighborhoods that promote inhabitants’ walking. Symposium for the 28th International Conference of Applied Psychology (ICAP28): Creating Environments that Support Healthy Physical Activity. Paris, France. July 8-13.