Staff profile

Yuewen Wu is a PhD student in Social Psychology at Durham University. She holds two MSc degrees, both with Distinction, from University College London (UCL)—one in Human-Computer Interaction and the other in Social Cognition: Research & Application. Yuewen's academic journey also includes a First-Class Honours BSc in Psychology from UCL. With a solid foundation in psychological research and data analysis, her work is centered on understanding societal reactions to prosocial behaviors, particularly focusing on the phenomenon of do-gooder derogation and how individuals confront discrimination.

Yuewen has extensive research experience, having worked as a research assistant at UCL's Social Cognition Lab, where she contributed to projects on social comparison, creativity, and loneliness. She is particularly passionate about exploring how societal perceptions of moral actions shape responses to those who take a stand against injustice, such as confronting sexism and racism. Beyond her academic work, Yuewen has also applied her analytical skills as a UX designer, providing her with a unique interdisciplinary perspective in her psychological research.

Her current research investigates how the motives behind prosocial actions, social comparison dynamics, and group memberships influence the societal backlash faced by individuals who confront discrimination. This work aims to uncover the mechanisms that demotivate people from engaging in prosocial behaviors and offer strategies to promote more supportive responses to those who challenge injustice.

Supervisors

Dr Maja Kutlaca

Dr Vladimir Ponizovskiy

Dr Trevor James

Research groups

Quantitative Social Psychology

• Do-gooder derogation
• Confronting discrimination
• Moral and prosocial behaviour
• Social comparison and group dynamics
• Societal backlash to prosocial actions
• Intergroup relations and moral courage