Table 1_Social interactions and affective neuroscience personality traits among Chinese educators: a randomized intervention study on wellbeing.docx

Background Teacher wellbeing is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of instructional quality and professional sustainability. However, evidence-based interventions grounded in neurobiological models of emotion remain limited in educational contexts. Drawing on Affective Neuroscience Theory (ANT), which conceptualizes primary emotional systems such as SEEKING, CARING, and PLAYING as foundational to adaptive functioning, this study examines whether brief, well-structured interventions can modulate trait-level emotional functioning and relate to occupational and social outcomes among teachers. Here, we focus on ANT-defined trait-like primary emotional systems rather than broader applied constructs (e.g., emotional intelligence), and we interpret changes as shifts in trait-level affective functioning. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 182 Chinese secondary school teachers assigned to a four-week social interaction stress management program, a four-week communication skills training program, or a no-intervention control group. The two interventions followed a parallel structure but targeted distinct affective pathways. Primary emotional traits were assessed using the Chinese Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales, and work engagement and satisfaction with social interactions were measured with validated self-report instruments. Mixed-design ANOVAs were used to evaluate changes from pre-intervention to post-intervention and to a three-month follow-up. Results Compared with the control group, both intervention groups showed greater increases in positive primary emotional systems (SEEKING, CARING, and PLAYING) and reductions in negative affective systems (FEAR and SADNESS, and to a lesser extent ANGER), with changes generally more pronounced in the stress management condition. Modest improvements in work engagement and satisfaction with social interactions were also observed in the intervention groups. Most emotional and occupational changes were maintained at the three-month ...