February 2026 Spotlight – Dr. Yulong Tang

Director of the Institute of Applied Psychology at College of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology 

Q: Who was an important mentor to you in this work, or an influential particular study in the field or in a related field?

A: Since my master's program at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University under the guidance of Professor Fen Xu, I have conducted a series of studies on children's social cognitive development, with a particular focus on the development of trust judgment abilities based on face in young children. Over these three years, I established a solid foundation in child experimental psychology and developed a profound interest in the social cognitive development of young children. During my doctoral studies at the Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, under the mentorship of Professor Hong Zou, I began to explore issues related to the development of children's emotional competence. In my third year of the doctoral program, I spent a year as a visiting student at Professor Paul Harris's lab at Harvard University. Under Paul's guidance, I integrated emotions and trust to examine the characteristics of trust judgment in young children under emotional influences, as well as the development of emotional understanding abilities in Chinese children. My three mentors, at different stages of my growth, provided me with diverse guidance that has been immensely beneficial and will continue to influence me throughout my career. Therefore, I would recommend that students engage in as much international exchange as possible and experience the styles of different laboratories, as this will enable us to view child development from a broader perspective.

Q: A short paragraph describing a particular recent finding, current study, or recent publication and what makes you excited about it. 

A: I am currently studying gossip among children, and one recent publication which published in British Journal of Developmental Psychology explores preschoolers’ spontaneous verification of gossip. We gave 5- and 6-year-olds gossip about cartoon characters and asked whether they would verify it by actively re-watching the relevant episodes. We found that older children were more likely to verify gossip than younger children. The relationship and valence also mattered: when gossip targeted children’s favorite characters, they were more likely to verify negative as compared to positive gossip. I’m excited about this work because it shifts the focus from whether children trust gossip to what they do next, specifically verification. It indicates that children are active truth-seekers rather than passive recipients of information, suggesting that education should focus not only on recognizing what is true or false but also on how to gather evidence and test claims.

Q: Your reflections on your interactions with the Asian Caucus would be highly appreciated. Please feel free to share your thoughts, whether it's a simple message for the Caucus community or more.

A: I deeply appreciate that the Asian Caucus has gathered a large number of Asian researchers and provided a wealth of useful information, both in scientific research and job position. Currently, I serve as the Director of the Institute of Applied Psychology at College of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology. As an early-career scholar, I am well aware that it is extremely challenging for a researcher in developmental psychology to embark on their career. I am more than willing to offer some support and share information with young scholars who are planning to seek employment in mainland China.

Q: Any upcoming talks or presentations we should know about?

A: I am planning to participate in the CDS and ISSBD in 2026 with my students. I will present the relevant research conducted by our research group on the development of children's cognition of gossip and trust judgment.

For more information about Dr. Yulong Tang:

https://homepage.zjut.edu.cn/tangyulong_en/