About

I’m a Master’s student in Psychology at Wake Forest University, working with Dr. Mike Furr.

My research centers on the psychology of human-AI interaction and how the increasing presence of AI changes human cognition, emotion, and social behavior. My interests fall into three areas:

• The psychological effects of LLM-human relationships on users (e.g., attachment, self-disclosure, wellbeing)
• Whether (or when) AI companionship substitutes for or complements human-human connection
• How AI changes cognition and judgment, including sycophancy, cognitive offloading, and effects on belief formation

Across all three, I’m interested in individual differences as moderators: what types of people are most likely to interact with AI (i.e., individual differences in the antecedent), and who benefits or is most at risk from such interactions (i.e., individual differences in the consequences).

Additionally, I’m interested in pluralism, and how individuals can interact across deep worldview differences and understand each other’s views better. I’m currently involved in developing a scale for “relational pluralism,” which assesses individual orientation toward engaging across differences with the motivation to increase mutual understanding.

Education

M.S. in Psychology, Wake Forest University (expected May 2027)
Advisor: Dr. Mike Furr

B.A. in Psychology, Economics, and Music, Baylor University (May 2025)
summa cum laude

Current Research

I’m currently working on projects examining:

• How well people can predict behaviors compared to LLMs
• Developing a relational pluralism scale to assess orientation toward engaging across worldview differences

Feel free to reach out via email (haleylam0704@gmail.com) or connect with me on LinkedIn!