UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications has earned the Alumni Association Dissertation Award, which annually provides funding and recognition to exceptional full-time Penn State doctoral students.
Maggie Liao’s dissertation focuses on the psychological effects of human interaction behind different communication technologies such as emerging AI applications, social media, mobile devices and virtual reality.
Her research aims to gain a deeper understanding of different technological affordances on persuasion and cognitive information processing with a focus on the psychological well-being and trust of the user. Her research explores how users think and use technology.
“I’m extremely honored to receive this award. It really validates the importance of this research and all the hard work I’ve put into it,” said Liao, who earned her bachelor’s degree in media studies at Hong Kong Baptist University in Beijing before completing her master’s degree at Penn State. “I focus mainly on how users perceive trust and genuineness from technology and the implications of overly trusting technology such as AI. Many times, users make decisions and trust technology when they maybe shouldn’t.”
Liao, who will be joining the University of Georgia as an assistant professor of advertising in the fall, has focused largely on AI conversations with users. Her research has found that computers are social actors that mimic social patterns and interpersonal norms. For example, one study she conducted found users felt that AI was paying more effort to them when it remembered their name. However, AI pulls names from a stored database and does not put more effort into recalling a name as humans do when socializing.
Furthermore, Liao has found that many times users make decisions and trust technology for superficial reasons that may not be warranted. Heuristic cues, snap judgments and the bandwagon affect all influence users trust in technology and their online decisions.
Liao hopes her research will help users be mindful of their technological use and will help companies design socially responsible technology. Currently, there are efforts to require layered consulting in addition to AI verification.
The Alumni Association Dissertation Award is considered among the most prestigious available to Penn State graduate students and recognizes outstanding achievement in scholarship and professional accomplishment. To be eligible, students must have completed all coursework, language requirements and the comprehensive examination. Students must be nominated by their doctoral program and forwarded to a selection committee. Upon selection, they receive a certificate and medal.