{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T06:09:17Z","timestamp":1789711757669,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This cross-sectional study explored the psychological pathways underlying the establishment of intimate relationships based on Self-Determination Theory and Egocentric Categorization Theory, with a focus on the core role of self-investment and examining the chain mediating effect of self-inclusion of others and the self-other link.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A sample of 369 Chinese students was recruited using convenience sampling technique. Common method variance (CMV) was tested using Harman\u2019s single-factor test and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). A regression-based mediation analysis using Hayes\u2019 PROCESS macro was applied to analyze the relationships among self-investment, self-inclusion of others, the self-other link, and intimate relationships.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Significant positive correlations were found among self-investment, self-inclusion of others, the self-other link, and intimate relationships (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.01). A mediation analysis revealed three indirect paths through which self-investment was associated with intimate relationships: self-investment \u2192 self-inclusion of others \u2192 intimate relationships (31.82%), self-investment \u2192 self-other link \u2192 intimate relationships (18%), and self-investment \u2192 self-inclusion of others \u2192 self-other link \u2192 intimate relationships (27.27%).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study reveals the internal mechanism by which self-investment influences the establishment of intimate relationships through a two-stage chain path of \u201ccognitive inclusion-emotional connection,\u201d providing theoretical basis and practical significance among Chinese students.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1741886","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T05:39:10Z","timestamp":1789709950000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["How does self-investment influence intimate relationships? Examining the mediating role of the self-other link"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xiangli","family":"Guan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Teacher Education, Yuxi Normal University","place":["Yuxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yaqi","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Teacher Education, Yuxi Normal University","place":["Yuxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jingjing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Teacher Education, Yuxi Normal University","place":["Yuxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xuejiao","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Teacher Education, Yuxi Normal University","place":["Yuxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sha","family":"Shen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Educational Science and Technology, Northwest Minzu University","place":["Lanzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yue","family":"Yuan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Education, Yunnan Minzu University","place":["Kunming, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mary C.","family":"Jobe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University","place":["Washington, DC, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Md Zahir","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University","place":["Jinhua, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114557","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2024.114557","article-title":"Why do people interact and buy in the Metaverse? 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