PhD Researcher · Hong Kong

Language, minds,
and intelligent partners.

I study how people understand language and social partners, focusing on human–AI interaction, psycholinguistics, and cognitive neuroscience.

Member of the Language Processing Lab, CUHK.

Xiaohui Rao preparing an EEG cap in the laboratoryXiaohui Rao in graduation gown at the Bilingual Cognition and Development LabXiaohui Rao delivering a research presentation
1 / 3

Awards & Scholarships

Awards & Scholarships

National Scholarship

2021–2022 · RMB 10,000

President's Scholarship

2021–2022 · RMB 10,000

Postgraduate Scholarships

2024–2028 · HKD 900,000

PhD International Mobility for Partnerships and Collaborations Award

2026–2027 · HKD 50,000

Research

Understanding communication across people and machines.

Human–AI interaction

How beliefs about an AI partner shape language processing, humor, and social connection.

Language & cognition

Sentence processing, irony, ambiguity resolution, and inhibitory control in bilingual speakers.

Methods

EEG, fNIRS, hyperscanning, behavioural experiments, RSA, and machine learning.

Education

Training

2024–2028 · PhD in Linguistics
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2023–2024 · MA in Linguistics
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2019–2023 · BA in Linguistics
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou

Publications

Publications

  1. Rao, X., Wu, H., & Cai, Z. G. (2025). Comprehending semantic and syntactic anomalies in text attributed to an LLM versus a human: An ERP study. Applied Psycholinguistics, 46(e51), 1–27.
  2. Wu, H., Rao, X., & Cai, Z. G. (2025). Probabilistic adaptation of language comprehension for individual speakers: Evidence from neural oscillations. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 20(1), nsaf085.
  3. Rao, X., Wu, H., & Cai, Z. G. (2026). Neural Dynamics of AI-attributed Irony Reveal a Partial Intentional Stance. Accepted at Communications Psychology.
  4. Rao, X., Wu, H., & Cai, Z. G. (2025). A funny companion: Distinct neural responses to perceived AI-versus human-generated humor. Under review.
  5. Rao, X., Li, H., Lin, X., & Liang, L. (2024). The role of inhibitory control in garden-path sentence processing: A Chinese-English bilingual perspective. Under review.
  6. Rao, X., Ren, L., Yang, K., & Liang, L. (2023). Usage tendency and acceptance matter: Evidence from self-paced reading and ERP data for irony processing. Under review.
  7. Liang, L., Rao, X., & Zhou, J. (2022). The Development of Chinese-English Bilingual Children’s L2 Syntactic Processing Ability and the Role of Inhibitory Control. Modern Foreign Languages.
  8. Rao, X. (2022). Book Review: Billy Clark, Pragmatics: The Basics. Discourse Studies.

Conference presentations

Conference presentations

  1. Rao, X., Wu, H., & Cai, Z. G. (2024). Comprehending semantic and syntactic anomalies in text attributed to an LLM versus a human: An ERP study. Architectures and Mechanisms for Language Processing Asia (AMLaP Asia), Singapore.
  2. Rao, X., & Liang, L. (2022). Why people process irony differently: Usage likelihood and usage acceptance matter. The 10th National Neurocognitive Linguistics Conference, China.
  3. Rao, X., Lin, X., Li, H., Wang, L., Lin, M., & Liang, L. (2022). The lingering misinterpretation in L2 garden-path sentence comprehension: The moderating effect of inhibitory control. The 10th National Neurocognitive Linguistics Conference, China.

Academic service

Peer review

Ad hoc reviewer for Journal of Psycholinguistic Research and Language, Cognition and Neuroscience.

Visiting research

Upcoming visit

I will be a visiting researcher at the University of Edinburgh from January to August 2027, hosted by Professor Holly Branigan.

Funded research

Current projects

Personalized LLMs in communication

General Research Fund (14601525), 2026–2028.

Rational interlocutor modelling

General Research Fund (14600220), 2021–2023.