I am Lingyu Meng, a master's student of Systems Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield.
My research interest focuses on social neuroscience, particularly in investigating the following topics over the next 5 years:
- Cooperation and Competition
- Social Identity and Group Dynamics
- Social Economic Status and Power
Human ability to construct large-scale cooperation is a notable trait, yielding multiple rewards and enhancing group productivity and resilience. However, competition is an undeniable aspect of life, motivating individuals to strive for higher grades, salaries, funding, or positions. To understand the role of cooperation and competition in modern life, I am eager to explore the following questions:
- Why and how do humans and other species form cooperation?
- How do individuals perceive and negotiate cooperation and competition?
- What factors influence the intention and behavior of cooperation or competition?
- What interventions can promote cooperation or benign competition?
- How do individuals reach agreements during conflicts?
Social identities shape individuals over time, influencing their behavior and attitudes. Group formation for shared goals or identities can lead to either more prosocial behavior toward in-group members or more antisocial behavior toward out-group members. To understand the role of social identity and group dynamics, I am interested in exploring the following questions:
- What are the neural underpinnings of social identity?
- How do identity or political viewpoints shape perception?
- When and how do individuals dehumanize others?
- What factors may promote or mitigate xenophobia?
- How do individuals reach crowd wisdom or succumb to mob mentality?
- How are group decisions made?
- When and how do individuals polarize?
Economic inequality persists, with privileged individuals possessing not only a higher quality of life but also the power to influence others. Additionally, authority can emerge without direct interest relationships. To understand how economic or other factors confer privilege, I am intrigued by the following questions:
- What are the neural consequences of social status?
- How do individuals construct social status?
- What factors can alleviate the disadvantages of lower social status?
- What is the neural mechanism of obedience?
To address the questions above, I aim to employ multiple methods, including but not limited to:
- Economic games
- Neuroimaging
- Computational modeling
- Computational social science
- Brain stimulation
Economists have developed various games for modeling human interactions, such as Prisoner's Dilemma, Public Goods Games, and Ultimatum Games. I am familiar with these dilemmas and believe their utilization can yield high-quality research outcomes in social decision-making.
As the primary method for human neuroscience research, neuroimaging is a natural choice. I have experience with iEEG data and look forward to utilizing methods such as sEEG, fMRI, fNIRS, and single-unit recording in the future, as long as they are suitable for addressing my research questions.
I believe precise description is crucial for scientific progress. Computational modeling allows for accurate, elegant, and standardized promotion of research in the field of social psychology and neuroscience.
Utilizing modern tools and data is essential for gaining higher ecological validity in research. With the popularization of social media, ignoring online interactions is unwise.
Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques give us a unique opportunity to investigate the causal relationship between brain regions and cognitive processes. I have read some papers about tACS, tDCS, and TMS, and I would be pleased to have the opportunity to use them, along with other stimulation techniques like tFUS and DBS.
I am applying for PhD programs and also interested in RA positions. If you are a PI, please feel free to contact me! Here is my CV
I am also a proponent of science communication. If you are a student or non-technical individual, you are welcome to contact me for discussions about my research and proposals or potential collaboration opportunities!
You can send an email to l.y._meng@outlook.com to contact me.