“How becomes believable”
My research focuses on cognition of the human experience, particularly our understanding of what’s true/real. I am interested in how the mechanism of identity influences people’s experience of reality. I am also interested in how and why some research separates intuition from conscious reasoning, and if people are using similar mechanisms to make both relevant and real through embodied experiences and construction of identity, set within broader cultural and social narratives often shaped by systems of power and knowledge.
Drawing insights from cognitive psychology, linguistics, and anthropology, I seek to improve our models of studying the mind, while critically examining assumptions such as the human drive to make sense of experience and the role of power in truth-making and identity formation.
Education & Professional Development
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As an Echols Scholar at UVA, I’ve had the unique opportunity to design an interdisciplinary foundation combining cognitive science, public policy, and anthropology. As a distinguished major candidate, my primary focus within cognitive science lies in the psychology and linguistics tracks, where I’ve explored key areas such as language and identity, power and ethics, and decision-making processes.
At the Batten School of Public Policy and Leadership, I honed strong analytical skills in quantitative research, Python programming, statistics, policy analysis, and negotiation, equipping me to approach complex societal issues with precision and rigor.
My passion for anthropology stems from a deep intellectual curiosity to immerse myself in diverse human experiences. This curiosity drives me to critically engage with the ideas presented to me, while ensuring my research is reflective, questioning assumptions, and mindful of generalizability.
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During school year, I work as a Research Assistant at 2 labs and a Lead fundraiser at University of Virginia advancement. Cold-calling is a great practice for most failure one could possibly face in a social setting:) I lead a team of 32 student fundraisers at Cavalier Connect, and we raised over $10,000 in donations within the past fiscal year. I diversify our strategy based on data from salesforce CRM and our intuitive creative campaigns to appeal alumni's support.
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-Citizen Leader Fellow (Associated with UVA's Contemplative Sciences Center)
-Democracy Student Dialogue Fellow (Associated with the Karsh Institute of Democracy)
-International student fellow (Associated with UVA's International Residential College)
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Culture, History, Identity, and Policy (CHIP) Lab
The CHIP Lab explores how cultural and historical contexts influence identity, collective memory, and policy decision-making. The lab investigates topics such as gun ownership, power dynamics, and how collective memories of race-related historical events shape perceptions of contemporary policies. This interdisciplinary research draws from cognitive psychology and philosophy to examine how temporal distance and memory accuracy impact individuals' understanding of historically significant events.Judgment and Decision Experimental (JADE) Lab
The JADE Lab focuses on behavioral experiments examining negotiation, decision-making, and how perceptions of power and status influence behavior. Current projects explore areas such as stereotype threat, power dynamics, and the impact of AI on negotiation outcomes. The lab combines experimental and survey-based research to uncover how individuals make decisions under various social and cognitive conditions.
Labs & Research
Culture, History, Identity, and Policy (CHIP) Lab
The CHIP Lab explores how cultural and historical contexts influence identity, collective memory, and policy decision-making.
Thanks to the mentor, peers, and friends who supported my intellectual exploration and being part of my life.
Judgment and Decision Experimental (JADE) Lab
The JADE Lab focuses on behavioral experiments examining negotiation, decision-making, and how perceptions of power and status influence behavior.
At the CHIP Lab, I focus on conducting literature reviews and developing theoretical frameworks around the construction and recall of collective memories, particularly related to racial history. I contribute to research on how temporal distance influences memory accuracy and shapes perceptions of significant historical events. This work allows me to explore how memory and reasoning affect decision-making and belief formation, aligning with my broader interests in identity and behavioral science.
At the JADE Lab, I oversee literature reviews, design, and pilot study materials, and manage data collection across multiple research projects. I am currently contributing to studies focused on stereotype threat, perceptions of power and status, and the role of AI in negotiations. My responsibilities include coding qualitative data, conducting quantitative analyses, and assisting in the preparation of research findings for publication. This role has enhanced my expertise in experimental design, data analysis, and collaborative research, further refining my ability to contribute effectively in a professional research environment.
What’s on my mind:
Belief & Cognition
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"Born to hear God?"- Faith as a Psychological Process
The Psychological and Cultural basis of religious experience/ the empirical evidence behind Religious belief.
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Is God essential to the experience of transendence?
Explore the phenomenology of transcendence, and assess whether such experiences rely on specific metaphysical constructs or are part of broader cognitive processes that can be experienced in secular or non-religious contexts.
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"Justification" of faith?
Is belief grounded? Does faith require a psychological process of reasoning and conscious consideration to commit? Should we ask why others believe in things that we consider radically "insane"? Where do sciences say?
Medical Anthropology & Cognitive Psychology
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Traditional Chinese Medicine (Published)
This project is a collaborative effort with international scholars aimed at engaging young students in the exploration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories, practices, and mysteries. Our author team has utilized our writing in international tutoring settings, and I distributed free printed copies as tutoring material for English in Shandong.
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Ritual Suicide-Sati
Why would someone choose to die for reasons that others believe to be irrational? What is the "true" story?
Cognitive Linguistics & Culture
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Talking with God
Why do people talk with God? What language do they use? What does God sound like, and what kind of linguistic lexicon is employed in the divine conversation?
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Verse, Prayer, Language structure in Rituals
How does chanting, verses, songs being an integral part of religious ritual affect our experiences? Does language provide people a structural framework to cultivate their faiths?
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Linguistic play--the cultural and political significance of implicit, "insider" jokes in China
Not laughing at a joke means you lack the capacity to be part of the group who share the "humor." This paper examines the social context, motivation, and feedback on the concept of ZHI SANG MA HUAI, a form of implicit joke.
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Scarcity & Choice
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Understanding the Salience of Faith
What contexts motivate individuals to adopt faith-based behaviors that fundamentally shape their worldview?
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Cognitive Shift
How do conditions of adversity lead some individuals to adopt extreme forms of faith, and how do resource and emotional scarcity contribute to this evolution?
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Fostering change
How religious engagement can be leveraged to address complex societal issues, fostering resilience and ethical behavior in communities facing adversity?
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Irrationality
How do we identify causal relationship between human cognitive response & behavior? How to mediate the effect of context?
Rationality and Reasoning
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Science and the need of Justification
Is reasoning the ultimate way for us to get closer to "truth"? What did we need? Science or a symbolic bridge?
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Ritual Suicide-Sati
Why would someone choose to die for reasons that others believe to be irrational? What is the "true" story?
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Problems with what's Real and what's true
Regardless it being intuitive/spiritual or logical/scientific- it still, requires ME as a living body to interpret and make the meaning of such a symbol come true. No matter what function that symbol occupy-spiritual, scientific, etc.
Affiliations
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University of Virginia
Echols Scholar, Undergraduate Student
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Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy
Student, Researcher
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Contemplative Sciences Center
Citizen Leadership Fellow
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Karsh Institute of Democracy
Student Member, Democracy Dialogue Fellow
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University of Chicago
Research Student
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Shandong's Bureau of Economy and Education
Tutor, Ethnographer
