Within transcultural communication, foreigners in China are increasingly acting as localized communicators on social media. Yet, the psychological mechanisms underlying their communication behavior—especially the interplay between cognition and emotion—remain unclear. By integrating the Cognitive-Affective-Conative (CAC) model and the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) model through an affective-appraisal lens, this study examines how perceived cultural quality, perceived cultural value, positive emotion, and cultural identity shape communication intention among foreigners in China. Drawing on 435 valid responses, the findings indicate: (1) cultural communication follows a sequential “cognitive grounding→emotional catalysis →identity transformation” path, with perceived cultural value serving as a key bridge; (2) positive emotion functions not as a direct driver but as a catalyst for identity construction; (3) cultural identity operates as the core mechanism, directly influencing intention and mediating the cognition to action transition. These results challenge linear emotion-behavior assumptions and advance a “cognition-driven, emotion-enabled, identity-transformed” framework to support the shift from cultural dissemination to co‑creation in China’s international communication efforts.

Zhou Jing, Mao Xinyi. How Cultural Value Shapes Communication Behavior: A Chain Mediation Model of Positive Emotion and Cultural Identity. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 2: 25-32. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090204.

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