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.

Now recruiting: 2 studiesTake part →
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 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.

Saturday 17 Oct 2026
Upcoming event

Visit our lab on CUHK Information Day

Come and see where our research happens! On Information Day our lab opens its doors to everyone. Lab members will show you around, share the projects we are working on and answer your questions. Snacks and souvenirs are waiting for you.

Open lab 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–16:00 · Room 326C, 3/F, Sino Building, CUHK

Psychology Info Day programme →
New paper First page of the article When environmental harm becomes cultural harm, Journal of Environmental Psychology 115 (2026) 103224, by Xiaoyu Dai, Hio Hei Hong, Minning Yang, Kelvin Chan, Pan Hu and Angela K.-y. Leung
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, Pan 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 →