Cross-Cultural Reception of Early Classical Chinese Poetry and Mental Health Research on Sinologists
Chuanlu YangAbstract
Objective
This study investigates psychological reception mechanisms of early classical Chinese poetry in cross-cultural dissemination, and explores mental health risks faced by Sinology researchers—particularly hermeneutic anxiety from translational demands, cultural distance, and academic pressures. It assesses the "poetry education" tradition's potential as a cultural resource for modern psychological intervention.
Subjects and Methods
Subjects are examined at two levels: (1) dissemination and reception in East Asia and the West; and (2) current Sinology researchers (Chinese, East Asian, Western). Methods integrate reception psychology, cognitive load theory, and affective disorder models. Qualitative analyses of historical documents and researchers' self-reports compare psychological response patterns across cultural groups.
Results
Findings reveal: (1) The reception history of early classical poetry is a process of value-based active reception and cognitive restructuring, with poetic expressions providing pre-modern mechanisms for emotional catharsis and regulation. The "stimulation, contemplation, communion, and expression of grievances" tradition contributes to socio-emotional integration. (2) Cross-cultural resonance stems from alignment between poetry's emotional structures and universal cognitive schemas and emotional regulation needs.
Conclusion
The "poetry education" tradition can serve as a cultural resource for modern psychological intervention. Psychological mechanisms—cognitive dissonance, emotional identification, and meaning construction—provide historical evidence for literary classics' therapeutic function. Differentiated mental health consequences across cultures suggest academic support systems should address cognitive tendencies and affective disorders. This study promotes interdisciplinary dialogue among literary classics research, cross-cultural psychology, and mental health promotion. Future research should track developmental trajectories in this area.
Acknowledgments
This paper was supported by the Gansu Province research funding project “A Study of Vietnamese Shijing Texts and Their Influence” (project approval no. 2023KYZZ-B002).
Corresponding Author
Chuanlu Yang, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.