Yu-Lan Cheng

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About

Yu-Lan Cheng is a pioneering researcher in the emerging field of human-robot interaction and cognitive psychology, with a particular focus on the social dynamics of memory. Her most cited work, "Unavoidable social contagion of false memory from robots to humans" (2023, 7 citations), represents a landmark contribution to understanding how artificial agents can shape human cognition. In this groundbreaking study, Cheng demonstrated that social robots are as influential as humans in implanting false memories, with 77% of participants adopting misinformation provided by a robot—despite the information being emotionally neutral and not inherently memorable. This finding challenges assumptions about human resistance to machine influence and has profound implications for robotics design, AI ethics, and eyewitness testimony reliability. Cheng's research bridges social psychology and human-robot interaction, revealing the subtle yet powerful ways technology can alter our most personal cognitive processes. Her work has been recognized for its methodological rigor and real-world relevance, positioning her as a leading voice on the psychological consequences of increasingly social AI systems.