Representatives of Lingnan University and Shandong Normal University sign the MoU and co-organise a psychology seminar.
Front-row signatories:
From left: Prof Wang Dawei, Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Applied Psychology at Shandong Normal University; Prof Siu Oi-ling, Director of the Wofoo Joseph Lee Consulting and Counselling Psychology Research Centre at Lingnan University.
Back-row witnesses:
From left: Prof Si Jiwei, Professor at the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Applied Psychology, Shandong Normal University; Prof William Hayward, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Lam Woo & Co Ltd Chair Professor of Psychology at Lingnan University.
The Shandong Normal University delegation visits two laboratories in the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University that combine AI with advanced brain technologies.
From left: Prof Si Jiwei, Professor at the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Applied Psychology, Prof Jie (Jay) Xu, Director of the Lingnan University Cognitive Science Research Centre and Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology, Prof Wang Dawei, Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Applied Psychology at Shandong Normal University.
The ceremony opened with remarks from Prof William Hayward, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Lam Woo & Co Ltd Chair Professor of Psychology at Lingnan University; Prof Siu Oi-ling, Director of the Wofoo Joseph Lee Consulting and Counselling Psychology Research Centre and Chair Professor of the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University; and Prof Wang Dawei, Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Applied Psychology at Shandong Normal University. Academics from both universities and research postgraduate students from Lingnan took part in the joint seminar, chaired by Prof Wang Huatian, Research Assistant Professor of Lingnan’s Department of Psychology.
In his opening remarks, Prof William Hayward explained that by integrating psychology with cutting-edge technologies such as AI and neuroscience, researchers can analyse human cognition, emotion, and behaviour from multiple dimensions to better understand the psychological and neural mechanisms driving decisions. He added that interdisciplinary collaboration between Lingnan University and Chinese Mainland institutions brings together respective research expertise, talent, and resources that increase both the breadth and depth of research while providing extra opportunities for collaboration and academic exchange among the students and faculty in the Hong Kong SAR and the Chinese Mainland.
Prof Wang Dawei examined the psychological mechanisms behind people's tendency to act on impulse when making decisions. He explained that emotional fluctuations, the circumstances at the time of decision-making, and individual differences can all influence impulsive decision-making. To help reduce impulsive behaviour, he suggested practical approaches including emotional regulation and exercises that encourage people to imagine positive future experiences, which can help guide more rational thinking. He also shared research combining this type of mental imagery training with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), an advanced brain stimulation technology, offering a new direction for understanding human decision-making and behavioural control.
Prof Jie (Jay) Xu, Director of the Lingnan University Cognitive Science Research Centre (CSRC) and Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology, described an engaging study on human behaviour and trust in technology, which examined whether advice from AI is as persuasive as advice from humans when people have to choose between helping others and considering their own interests. Across multiple experiments, the research team found that, when participants faced a choice over whether to help others and human and AI advice differed, participants were significantly more likely to follow human advice than AI advice if it encouraged them to help others. When the advice concerned pursuing their own interests, however, the influence of human and AI advice was broadly similar. The findings suggest that people's trust in AI can vary according to the situation, offering a new perspective on the psychology of human decision-making.
The delegation, which also included Prof Si Jiwei, Professor of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Applied Psychology at Shandong Normal University, visited the Lingnan campus and two laboratories in the Department of Psychology that combine AI with advanced brain technologies during an afternoon tour.
The two universities held an applied psychology forum at Shandong Normal University in May this year. Following the forum, the two sides signed the MoU to establish a three-year framework for collaboration in applied psychology and related interdisciplinary areas, covering joint research, staff and student exchanges, and postgraduate training. Both sides hope that their combined strengths and complementary resources will promote interdisciplinary research and talent development integrating advanced technologies and psychology, as well as to create a platform for academic development and exchange for teachers and students in the two regions.
