Background:
Yena is a doctoral student working with Howard Nusbaum. She received her BA (Honors) in Psychology from the University of UChicago in 2021. She joined the Behavioral Science PhD program at Booth in 2021. 

Research Interests:

Yena is interested in the psychology of self-improvement. As creatures of habit, people often struggle with revising old ways of thinking and doing, no matter how beneficial change may be. Thus, how can we inspire people to fulfill their potential? What is the role of honest communication in encouraging others to improve going forward, especially after facing failure? Using qualitative and experimental methods, both in-lab and out in the field, Yena studies the social-cognitive factors underlying aspirations to improve oneself.