Recently, the research group led by Fei Wang from the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Science at Tsinghua University published a research paper titled "Dissociation of self and mother-related processing in abstinent heroin misusers" in the prestigious psychiatry journal Translational Psychiatry (Impact Factor 6.2, JCR Q1). This study deeply explores the self-prioritization and mother-prioritization effects among Chinese abstinent heroin users, revealing the impact of drug addiction on these key cognitive mechanisms.
Research Background and Findings
Previous research has shown that the brain prioritizes the processing of self-related information, a phenomenon known as the self-prioritization effect, which is crucial for human survival and social adaptation. In East Asian cultures, individuals often incorporate their mothers into their self-concept, thereby exhibiting a mother-prioritization effect. However, the impact of drug addiction on these effects has not been fully studied.
The research team investigated differences in the processing of self- and mother-related information in drug-addicted populations through three experiments:
Experiment 1 (Self-Matching Task): Found that the drug-addicted group exhibited a self-prioritization effect similar to the healthy control group, but their mother-prioritization effect was significantly weakened.
Experiment 2 (Self-Referential Task): Extended these findings to the memory level.
Experiment 3 (Clinical Significance): Revealed a significant correlation between drug addiction indicators and the degree of weakened mother-prioritization effect.
Conclusion and Significance
These findings highlight the necessity of strengthening attention toward cues related to "significant others" during drug rehabilitation. This study provides new insights and strategies for addiction intervention.
Authorship and Support
First Author: Qiongdan Liang (PhD graduate of the Department).
Second Author: Yongfa Zhang (PhD student of the Department).
Corresponding Authors: Associate Professor Fei Wang (Tsinghua University).
Academician Lin Lu (Peking University Sixth Hospital).
Associate Professor Xuebing Huang (Peking University Sixth Hospital).
Support: This study received strong support from the Yunnan No. 5 Compulsory Isolated Detoxification Center.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03594-y
Faculty Profile:
Fei Wang
Title: Associate Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, Department of Psychological and Cognitive Science.
Research Interests: Self-cognition, Cultural thinking, Flow.
