Speaker：Dr. Dongning Ren, Associate Professor, Maastricht University

Time： 10:00 -12:00 a.m. Dec. 12, 2025

Venue：Building Wangkezhen, Room1113

Host：Prof. Tonglin Jiang

Abstract

Psychology holds substantial untapped potential for informing polices. In this talk, I demonstrate how causal inference methods can strengthen research practices in psychological science and enhance their policy relevance. Using questions about human psychology in the age of AI as illustrative examples, I show how adopting a causal inference framework can help produce generalizable and actionable causal insights, and ultimately bridge the gap between psychological research and real-world policy applications.

Bio

Dongning Ren is an associate professor of social psychology in the Netherlands. Her work focuses on social connection and disconnection, as well as the use of causal inference methods to strengthen the policy relevance of psychological science. Her work has appeared in journals such as Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, PNAS, Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, and Organizational Research Methods. She’s currently leading an ERC grant, one of Europe’s most prestigious awards. She has also been recognized as an APS Rising Star.

2025-12-09