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Silent forces: How normative ecologies reshape super-attractors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2026

Wen Zhang Open the ORCID record for Wen Zhang [Opens in a new window] ,
Xuechen Ding Open the ORCID record for Xuechen Ding [Opens in a new window]  and
Yan Mu Open the ORCID record for Yan Mu [Opens in a new window]
Wen Zhang
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China zhangwen@psych.ac.cn muy@psych.ac.cn Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Xuechen Ding*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China dingxuechen@shnu.edu.cn Laboratory for Educational Big Data and Policymaking, Ministry of Education, P. R. China, Shanghai, China
Yan Mu*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China zhangwen@psych.ac.cn muy@psych.ac.cn Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
*
*Corresponding author.
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Singh explains how cultural convergence is driven by super-attractors through subjective selection, but this account underestimates how social norms shape which psychological goals are maintained or suppressed. We clarify that social norms filter subjective selection by guiding what individuals regard as effective or desirable behaviors and by redefining their goals, thereby embedding subjective selection within the multilevel normative ecosystem.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e312
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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