CHENG Chi-Ying
Associate Professor of Psychology; Area Coordinator, Psychology
Professor Cheng Chi-Ying is an Associate Professor of Psychology and IRB Chair at Singapore Management University. She received her PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research examines how individuals negotiate their multiple social identities and reap the benefit of intra-personal diversity from various types of identity integration. Her research investigates identity integration of multiple self, cultural, racial, gender, and professional identities. The program of her identity integration research demonstrates the cognitive mechanisms underlying individuals’ identity management strategies as well as outcomes of identity integration including creativity. Recently, she initiated a new line of research in Singaporeans’ Kiasu (Fear of Losing Out, FoLO) mindset. Specifically, she investigates how Kiasu (FoLO) mindset as an indigenous Singaporean psychological construct influences Singaporeans’ well-being and performance. Professor Cheng’s work has been published in top-tier journals both in Psychology and Management including Psychological Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Social Psychological and Personality Science, Leadership Quarterly and Journal of Organizational Behavior. She is the Lee Kong Chian Fellow in 2022-23. She has served as Associate Editor of the Asian Journal of Social Psychology and the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Business Studies. Her areas of teaching include self and identity, personality and individual differences, cultural psychology, I/O psychology, and business negotiation.
Qualifications
- PhD in Organizational Psychology, University of Michigan, 2005
- MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, National Taiwan University, 1997
- BS in Psychology, National Taiwan University, 1994
Research Interests
- Biculturalism and Cultural Identity Integration
- Multiculturalism and Creativity
- Cultural Diversity and Team Performance
- Cross-cultural Negotiation
- Gender and Professional Identity Integration
Research Advisor/Co-Research Advisor to
Course(s) Taught in SMU
- Industrial and Organisational Psychology
- Psychology of Individual Differences
- Psychology of the Self
- Psychology Study Mission
- Cultural Psychology
Research Areas and Areas of Expertise
Strategic Priorities
HighlightsInternationally recognized for advancing understanding of how identity integration and multicultural experiences drive creativity, innovation, and leadership effectiveness; combines rigorous empirical research with practical relevance for organizational and societal contexts; frequent keynote speaker and contributor to major conferences; recipient of multiple best paper awards; influential in shaping discourse on gender and diversity in professional environments.
Focused research areas include Bicultural and gender-professional identity integration; multicultural experience and creativity; psychological mechanisms underlying creativity and innovation; effects of self-construals on conflict resolution and well-being; cultural influences on leadership and negotiation; diversity and team performance.
- Co-Principal Investigator, Singapore MOE AcRF Tier 2 Grant for How to Persuade the "Crowd" to Support Your Entrepreneurial Venture (2018-23)
- Co-Principal Investigator, Singapore MOE-SSR Thematic Grant for Women in Innovation: Understanding the barriers and opportunities in Singapore (2018-21)
- Principal Investigator, SMU internal grant for Dual Self-Construals and Its Impact on Work and Family, Singapore Management University (2017-19)
- Principal Investigator, SMU internal grant for Female Professionals' Gender-Professional Identity Integration and Organizational Outcomes Project, Singapore Management University (2015-16)
- Principal Investigator, SMU internal grant for Dual-Culture Experience and Individual Creativity Project, Singapore Management University (2013-15)
Showing up to 6 latest publications from the past 5 years.
- T Huang, X Dai, CY Cheng, AKY LeungCurrent Psychology 45 (3), 231, 2026
- K Tan, CY Cheng, GJ Lai, D HoInternational Journal of Psychology 61 (1), e70149, 2026
- YJ Chua, NM Majeed, VYQ Lua, CY Cheng, A HartantoPsychological Reports 128 (4), 2439-2462, 2025
- X Dai, D Lee, CY ChengInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations 105, 102135, 2025
- X Dai, AK Leung, CY ChengAcademy of Management Proceedings 2025 (1), 10485, 2025
- CN Tan, M Han, RYJ Chua, CY ChengAcademy of Management Proceedings 2025 (1), 13139, 2025
Professor Cheng Chi-Ying is an Associate Professor of Psychology and IRB Chair at Singapore Management University. She received her PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research examines how individuals negotiate their multiple social identities and reap the benefit of intra-personal diversity from various types of identity integration. Her research investigates identity integration of multiple self, cultural, racial, gender, and professional identities. The program of her identity integration research demonstrates the cognitive mechanisms underlying individuals’ identity management strategies as well as outcomes of identity integration including creativity. Recently, she initiated a new line of research in Singaporeans’ Kiasu (Fear of Losing Out, FoLO) mindset. Specifically, she investigates how Kiasu (FoLO) mindset as an indigenous Singaporean psychological construct influences Singaporeans’ well-being and performance. Professor Cheng’s work has been published in top-tier journals both in Psychology and Management including Psychological Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Social Psychological and Personality Science, Leadership Quarterly and Journal of Organizational Behavior. She is the Lee Kong Chian Fellow in 2022-23. She has served as Associate Editor of the Asian Journal of Social Psychology and the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Business Studies. Her areas of teaching include self and identity, personality and individual differences, cultural psychology, I/O psychology, and business negotiation.
Qualifications
- PhD in Organizational Psychology, University of Michigan, 2005
- MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, National Taiwan University, 1997
- BS in Psychology, National Taiwan University, 1994
Research Interests
- Biculturalism and Cultural Identity Integration
- Multiculturalism and Creativity
- Cultural Diversity and Team Performance
- Cross-cultural Negotiation
- Gender and Professional Identity Integration
Research Advisor/Co-Research Advisor to
Course(s) Taught in SMU
- Industrial and Organisational Psychology
- Psychology of Individual Differences
- Psychology of the Self
- Psychology Study Mission
- Cultural Psychology