【Speaker】Qing Hu，Professor of Information Systems, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College – The City University of New York

【Topic】NeuroIS: The Next Frontier of Information Systems Research

【Time】Friday, April 13, 10:30-11:30

【Venue】Room 453, Weilun Building, Tsinghua SEM

【Language】English

【Organizer】Department of Management Science and Engineering

【Abstract】NeuroIS, defined as using cognitive neuroscience theories, methods, and tools for conducting information systems research, offers unique theoretical and methodological advantages that extend the reach and elevate the rigor of IS research involving human subjects. By scientifically measuring brain activities of human subjects performing various tasks under highly controlled conditions, NeuroIS helps overcome some major challenges that have plagued behavioral IS research: low fidelity data, unrepeatable results, and non-falsifiable conclusions. In this presentation, I argue that NeuroIS research offers significant potential in three paradigms of IS research: the behavioral science approach, the design science approach, and the economic science approach. I highlight the key research challenges in each of these paradigms and illustrate how the NeuroIS approach has provided new insights on managing information security. In a series of studies conducted by my teams on how self-control and moral judgment impact individual intention in information security settings, we developed a research paradigm for studying information security problems based on cognitive neuroscience and criminological theories, and we conducted laboratory experiments using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tools. We find that individuals with different levels of self-control and moral maturity respond to information security scenarios with significant differences in neurocircuitry activation levels and locations associated with different human cognitive and emotional processes. These findings have significant implications in understanding human behavior and establishing effective information security management practices.