'As a Child, I Dreamed of Becoming a Detective'

Yadviga Sinyavskaya studies communication technologies, particularly social media. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses testing the social brain theory on real-world data, the merits of Gogol’s Dead Souls, and ways to prevent burnout.

How I Started in Science

Completely by chance. I had always been interested in the social sciences and psychology, but before I began conducting research myself, I had only a vague idea of what scientists actually do. While I was in my bachelor’s programme, I came across a VK post from a laboratory advertising internship openings. At the time, it was called the Laboratory for Internet Studies, and it focused on how people use the internet and how this affects both society and individuals. I applied, was accepted, and that was the beginning of my journey with HSE University—and with science.

I began with small internship tasks and gradually got more involved. Eventually, I became a permanent research assistant and worked on a variety of projects. After completing my master’s programme, I realised that I wanted to pursue a career in science.

The Focus of My Research Now

Over time, the scope of our laboratory’s research expanded, with psychology taking on a more prominent role. My work now lies at the intersection of several fields. On one hand, I’m interested in how people use different communication technologies, especially social media. It may feel as though things have always been this way, but in reality, our information consumption and the ways we form social connections have changed dramatically in just the past 25 years.

I am interested in the psychological foundations of social media use: how people engage with these platforms, why they use them in particular ways, which personality traits shape their behaviour, and what effects arise from interacting with technology—especially its impact on subjective well-being. In my dissertation, I focused specifically on social capital, while in other ongoing projects I examine subjective well-being more broadly.

Speaking about the laboratory as a whole, we work on projects that explore how people encounter information online and how they perceive it, depending on the technological environment, the way the information is presented, and other factors—and how all of this influences their decision-making. At the moment, our main focus is the health domain: we study how people process medical information they find online, including information obtained with the help of AI.

There is a real boom in AI research now, and we have also begun actively exploring how the use of AI affects different areas of human life. This year, I received an RSF grant to study how people perceive AI. It is well known that people tend to anthropomorphise such technologies, attributing human-like qualities to them. However, it remains unclear how this tendency influences people’s trust in information coming from these anthropomorphised sources. My colleagues are conducting experiments in which participants are asked to use various sources—including AI—to verify the accuracy of information. In the future, this research will help develop evidence-based recommendations on how such systems should be designed in order to be genuinely useful.

The Focus of My Research on Social Capital

I was interested in examining it not only through the lens of traditional social capital theories; there are many of them, including those that address its role in sustaining public institutions. I wanted to shift the perspective to the individual level and look at how a person’s social circle is structured and how their social capital—understood as the resources they can access through interactions with their environment—is formed.

When we extend these ideas to the social media environment, it becomes even more interesting. On one hand, social media has dramatically expanded our ability to form social connections. Suddenly, we all found ourselves in a global space where we became much more accessible to one another, and new possibilities opened up. We can see this clearly in the rise of influencers: thanks to social networks, individual users have gained far more influence, and new social mobility pathways have emerged.

But there is a downside. For human personality development, we need both social contact and the ability to cultivate autonomy. On social media, striking a balance between being open and engaging with others, while also maintaining our privacy, becomes particularly challenging.

My dissertation and subsequent research show that extremes are rare—people usually do not either dive headfirst into social networks or completely withdraw. Instead, they gradually develop coping strategies, finding a balance between risks and benefits. My most recent paper specifically examined how people assess these risks when deciding between maintaining privacy and reaping the benefits of social media.

What I Take Pride In

I was excited to pursue my first independent project, which focused on privacy. Of course, looking back, I can see aspects of the dissertation that could have been done differently. Nevertheless, the project remains interesting to me and is quite unique in terms of how these topics are studied on a Russian sample.

When I first joined the laboratory, I was fortunate to participate in several projects that sparked my interest in health psychology. In particular, we studied the largest online community of HIV denialists—a group that, at the time, had received little attention from researchers. The project was led by Peter Meylakhs.

We analysed this topic from multiple angles: how the community functions in terms of social connections, who the main content producers are, who acts as the key broker of attention, and whose content receives the most feedback. Our colleague, Yuri Rykov, was in charge of the network analysis.

There was also a qualitative component, in which we sought to understand why people suddenly join such communities, which, from the official medical perspective, are potentially dangerous, and where the harm is often evident. The project was fascinating because it combined practical relevance, social issues, and research. Our findings revealed weaknesses in the medical system faced by newly diagnosed individuals: from a lack of support at the earliest stages to insufficient ongoing support—at least from non-medical personnel. To my knowledge, the situation has improved significantly since then.

About the Study of Social Signature

At our laboratory, we also conduct research on the psychology of communication. One particularly interesting basic research project, conceptually inspired by my colleague Larisa Mararitsa, focused on social signatures. The goal was to identify stable patterns in each individual’s communication, specifically in terms of how frequently they interact with different people.

We analysed data from people’s VK correspondence, which they had agreed to share with us. Of course, we did not have access to the content, and the data was anonymised. We focused on frequency and other quantitative parameters. Based on our analysis, we observed certain patterns: individual variability was lower than variability between people. However, we did not identify a stable 'social signature' in the strict sense.

We asked participants to provide information about each of their friends and rate them on several parameters. The task proved challenging, so the sample was small—around 50–60 people—but it yielded extremely detailed and unique data on the structure of their social connections. By analysing this data, we aimed to identify stable patterns in communication networks, such as ranking friends according to the degree of emotional closeness. According to Dunbar’s number, a person can maintain roughly 150 stable social connections. Social brain theory explains this by the brain’s limited capacity to process social information, which means that attention is unevenly distributed in favour of those with whom stronger relationships are formed. This is exactly what we observed: the intensity of communication correlated with the level of emotional closeness.

What I Would Like to Have

More time for my work. I also hope to one day feel that I have truly contributed to a better understanding of the subject I study—but this can be difficult to measure in the social sciences. Additionally, I would like to have access to rich and interesting datasets. For instance, large social networks and online services have their own analytics teams and far greater access to data on human behaviour than most social scientists do.

If I Hadn't Become a Scientist

I would still be working in analytics and would definitely be involved in communication. I really enjoy analysing data—it's an adventure in itself, and there is always a thrill in seeing whether your hypothesis holds up.

There was a time when I considered becoming a practicing psychologist—I even trained for it. But ultimately, I chose the scientific path. It is more diverse and brings together many more skills and types of work: you have to be a writer and a thinker, collect data, and work with your hands.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a detective, like in psychological thrillers. I was always fascinated by the idea of uncovering the essence of internal processes, the motivations behind actions, and ultimately how the mind works—why we are the way we are. In a way, that’s exactly what I am doing now.

Who I Would Like to Meet

Barry Wellman, whose work is directly related to the topic of my dissertation. His research focuses on the theory of information society and on how technology has transformed all areas of our lives.

I also would have liked to meet John Bowlby, the founder of attachment theory. I have a deep interest in psychotherapy and personality development. Although this isn’t the main focus of my research, I constantly read, watch, and think about it. Bowlby articulated how our early experiences shape personality development and influence the relationships we form in adulthood, highlighting the crucial role of significant figures present in childhood.

A Typical Day for Me

It’s a story of how, while sitting in a chair at the laboratory all day, I can live many different lives at once, depending on what’s on the agenda. Sometimes I need to analyse data, talk with a student about their thesis or term paper, handle routine tasks, or devote time to writing an article—there is always one in progress. But from the outside, it simply looks like I come to the laboratory every day and sit at my computer.

Whether I Have Experienced Burnout

This is a highly relevant issue for academic staff, and it is especially important to pay attention to it when you are just starting out in science. I believe the periods when I experienced burnout were mostly during that early stage.

You find yourself in a situation where you constantly have to handle many tasks you haven’t yet mastered, multitask, and develop skills in multiple areas simultaneously. If you’re a perfectionist, this becomes even more stressful. Eventually, you may realise that you have exhausted all your resources and more, and now your body demands a week on the couch. There were times when, instead of enjoying leisure activities or meeting with friends, I would simply lie down exhausted and try to recover.

Over time, you start looking for ways to cope, plan your days more carefully, and learn to take better care of yourself. You also slow down and ease the demands on your work pace, realising that no one can do everything at once. Gradually, you become aware of your limits and take precautions to avoid reaching the edge and falling over—but this usually comes with experience.

My Interests besides Science

I love music. As a child, I attended music school, played the flute, and sang in a choir. Recently, I realised that singing or listening to music brings me great happiness and a sense of contentment. I would like to continue practicing music—just for myself, once I find a suitable way to do so. To start, I decided to bring my parents’ piano to my home.

What I Have Been Reading and Watching Lately

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. In seventh grade, I read The Fair at Sorochyntsi by Gogol and decided I would never read anything by him again. I was obviously too young for his writing; it was difficult for me to understand. Recently, I travelled to Suzdal, a town in central Russia, for the weekend. The apartment where we stayed had Dead Souls, so I began reading it and realised it is a witty satire full of brilliant humour.

I also follow psychological podcasts and videos by practicing psychologists. For example, I enjoy the content that Russian psychologist Yaroslava Ryndina shares on social media. Today, psychologists are actively promoting themselves online, and there are quite a few of them. Overall, it is encouraging to see the growing popularity of this field, although sometimes the content can be confusing. Psychologists themselves are increasingly aware that psychological material can be difficult for unprepared audiences, and I appreciate the effort invested into raising awareness and educating the public on these topics.

Advice for Aspiring Scientists

I was truly fortunate to find myself in an inspiring environment, which likely guided me toward a scientific career. When deciding whether to pursue science, first take a close look at the people around you: who they are and what they do.

At a young age, it can be difficult to clearly identify your interests, but you can usually sense the general direction. It’s important to follow your inner impulses and curiosity. And, of course, find a mentor who can guide you—a supervisor you trust and enjoy working with.

Don’t forget about the risk of burnout, the need to take care of yourself, and the fact that your resources are limited. Try to find balance in your life from the very beginning. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight—it is a cumulative process. I have seen many students experience high stress over the pressure to achieve. It’s better not to overthink it. Just read more and stay genuinely curious.

Studying is a time for exploration, when you are not yet constrained by obligations or full-time work. If you can, be active, absorb as much as possible, take care of yourself, pursue your interests, and spend time with good people.

My Favourite Place in St Petersburg

I love Kolomna, a neighbourhood with beautiful old architecture that hasn’t been overly polished like the Summer Garden, which now looks neat but makes me nostalgic for the old Summer Garden with its statues and lawns. That’s why I truly appreciate places in St Petersburg where you can still feel the atmosphere of the old city, and I believe Kolomna is one of them. It is also a hub for the music world: the conservatory, several Mariinsky Theatre buildings, and a choral school are all located there. You can hardly walk down a street without seeing a musician.

Text by Polina Surnina