Sayuri Hayakawa

Sayuri Hayakawa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Oklahoma State University, where she directs the Language, Cognition, and Behavior Lab. She joined OSU in January 2023 after serving as a Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern University from 2019-2022.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Chicago (2017)
• MA in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Chicago (2009)
• BA in Psychology from Boston University (2008)

Dr. Hayakawa's research focuses on the impact of language and bilingual experience on cognition and behavior. Her work explores how linguistic factors influence judgment and decision making, with particular attention to risk assessment, moral dilemmas, and health-related choices. She investigates how using native versus foreign languages affects cognitive processes including memory, sensory perception, and mental imagery. Her research employs methodologies such as eye-tracking, behavioral experiments, and computational modeling to understand the complex interplay between language and thought.

Analysis of Dr. Hayakawa's recent publications reveals strong thematic consistency across her work, with a central focus on the foreign language effect - how cognitive and emotional processes differ when operating in a non-native language. Her research spans multiple domains including medical decision-making, risk perception, memory, and semantic processing. A distinctive feature of her work is the application of basic cognitive research to real-world contexts, particularly healthcare settings where language differences could significantly impact patient outcomes.

Dr. Hayakawa teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Cognitive Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Previously at Northwestern University, she taught courses on Language and Cognition and Science Communication. Her teaching portfolio also includes experience with MBA-level courses on Negotiation, Leadership, and Management from her time at the University of Chicago.

She directs the Language, Cognition, and Behavior Lab at Oklahoma State University, which appears to focus on the intersection of language processing, cognitive mechanisms, and real-world decision making. The lab likely involves both undergraduate and graduate students in research projects examining how language shapes thought across various contexts.