Prof. Yuan-wei YAO

EDUCATION

• Ph.D. (Psychology), Freie Universität Berlin
• M.Sc. (Psychology), Beijing Normal University
• B.Sc. (Psychology), Beijing Normal University

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Decision-making (especially decision neuroscience/neuroeconomics)
• Behavioral addictions (problematic social media use, internet gaming disorder, etc.)
• Internet psychology (general effects of the internet/new technologies on our cognitions)
• Computational modeling (reinforcement learning model, drift diffusion model, etc.)
• Computational psychiatry

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Liu, L., Pang, Y. X., Song, Z. H., Chen, S. J., Han, Y. Y., & Yao, Y. W*. (2025). Computational mechanisms underlying the impact of Pavlovian bias on instrumental learning in problematic social media users. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 14, 903-913.

Buidze, T., Yao, Y. W., & Gläscher, J. (2025). Expectation violations as an effective alternative to complex mentalizing in novel communication. iScience, 28(7), 112795.

Yao, Y. W., Song, K. R., Schuck, N. W., Li, X., Fang, X. Y., Zhang, J. T., Heekeren, H. R., & Bruckner, R. (2023). The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex is involved in subjective value representation across effort-based and risky decision-making. NeuroImage, 279, 120326.

Yao, Y. W., Zhang, J. T., Fang, X. Y., Liu, L., & Potenza, M. N. (2022). Reward‐related decision‐making deficits in internet gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Addiction, 117, 19-32.

Lopez-Gamundi, P*., Yao, Y. W*., Chong, T. T., Heekeren, H. R., Herrero, E. M., & Pallares, J. M. (2021). The neural basis of effort valuation: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 131, 1275-1287.

Yao, Y. W., Liu, L., Worhunsky, P. D., Lichenstein, S., Ma, S. S., Yang, S., Zhang, J. T., & Yip, S. W. (2020). Is monetary reward processing altered in drug-naïve youth with a behavioral addiction? Findings from internet gaming disorder. NeuroImage: Clinical, 26, 102202.

RESEARCH LABORATORY

Mental health, Internet, Neuroscience & Decision-making (MIND) Lab

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

PhD/MPhil applicants: I am accepting PhD/MPhil students for the 2025-26 application round. In addition to the general requirements, priority will be given to applicants with experience in behavioral experiments and computational modeling. If you are interested in joining us, please send me an email with your CV and a letter of motivation.

• NOTE: Our lab does not have any partnerships with agencies on social media. All admission information will be posted on our official website.

Undergraduate thesis: I am happy to supervise theses for HKU undergraduate students. Please contact me if you are interested.

Contract-based RA: There is no vacancy in our lab at the moment.

RESEARCH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Our lab is accepting research interns (voluntary or credit-based). If you are interested in doing a research internship with us, please contact me.