MC³ LabCUHK Psychology

Motivated Cognition × Culture × Creativity LaboratoryDepartment of Psychology · The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hi, we're the MC³ Lab.

We study how our mindsets make sense of personal and societal challenges, and how complex, contradictory issues can become opportunities for people and society to thrive.

MC³ Lab logo: a cube with an atom, a brain network and a lightbulb around the letters MC³
In Angela's words

Our research story

Cartoon portrait of Prof. Angela Ka-yee LEUNG
Prof. Angela Ka-yee LEUNG Lab Director Meet the team →

In my research, I focus largely on the interface of culture and psychology.

Recent research advances in culture and psychology have enriched our understanding of culture’s influence on individuals in many important ways. My research brings new insights by revealing how individuals actively participate in cultural processes in their own culture and when they navigate between cultures.

As an active agent, individuals recruit cultural schemas and scripts when they construct the meanings of a social situation; they sample and cognitively juxtapose ideas from multiple cultures to generate creative solutions and to navigate the intercultural landscape; and they are motivated by their mindsets and implicit beliefs to appraise and approach their goals.

Recently, I seek to bring this research to the next level by examining important societal challenges or issues, such as paradox management, work-motherhood enrichment, the psychology of climate change mitigation and adaptation, lay beliefs of busyness, and cosmopolitanism and globalization.

Guided by these research directions, I have developed a coherent program of research studies, some of which move beyond disciplinary boundaries to bridge different fields in psychology.

What's new

Lab news

New papers, talks, awards and people, updated monthly.

Now recruiting In-service teachers: join our 10-minute online survey on teachers’ creativity for a chance to win HK$200. Take part → Now recruiting University students: tell us how you use AI in your studies in a 10-minute online survey, with a chance to win HK$120. Take part →
New paper Journal of Environmental Psychology 2026 · Article 103224
2026 · New paper

When environmental harm becomes cultural harm

Dr. Xiaoyu Dai leads this new paper in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, with Hio Hei Hong, Minning Yang, Kelvin Chan, P. Hu and Prof. Angela Leung. It looks at how environmental identity and national-cultural identity together shape how people respond when culturally meaningful landscapes are threatened.

Read the paper →Go to Publications →
Prof. Angela Ka-yee LEUNG
Best Psychology Scientists in China Research.com ranking
2026 · Award

Prof. Angela Leung named one of Research.com’s Best Psychology Scientists in China 2026

Research.com’s annual ranking recognises leading psychology researchers in China based on their publication and citation record.

See the ranking on Research.com →