2.5 Year Post-Doc Department of Political Science, Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University

The Department of Political Science, Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, invites applications for a postdoctoral position offering applicants the opportunity to join the research project “Exemplar Democracy (EXDEM) – Psychological Biases and the Impact of Exemplars on Factual Perceptions and Attributions of Government Responsibility”. The project is led by Associate Professor Lene Aarøe and funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

The postdoctoral position is a full-time fixed-term position for 2.5 years starting on 1 March 2022 or as soon as possible hereafter subject to mutual agreement.

The research project

When reporting about social problems, the media typically use exemplars, i.e., the narrative of a specific person who is personally affected by the issue. In different lines of research, this type of media reporting is also referred to as “human interest frames”, “case reports” and “episodic frames”. While these lines of research use different terminologies, they all emphasize that exposure to exemplars can create an extreme perspective that triggers (1) factual misperceptions in the mass public and (2) biases people’s democratic responsibility attributions of whether the government or the individual is to blame for the problem. The EXDEM project seeks to understand why some types of media exemplars are so powerful in shaping factual misperceptions and responsibility attributions in the mass public, while others are uninfluential. Second, the project seeks to advance knowledge about how the effects of powerful but unrepresentative exemplars can be corrected to combat misinformation in the mass public.

The EXDEM project is theoretically ambitious and will develop a new interdisciplinary theory integrating insights from psychology, communication, cognitive science, and political science to answer the research questions. In doing so the project advances scientific knowledge about the consequences of media exposure as well as the sources of misinformation and biased democratic responsibility attributions in the mass public and develops new best practice guidelines for how to mitigate them. Examples of relevant sources of theoretical inspiration include (but are certainly not limited to) research on cognitive biases and heuristics, emotions, interpersonal communication, and identity.

Methodologically, the project implements a unique cross-national research design combining different types of survey experiments with analyses of people’s real-world reactions to real-world media tweets. The project will develop and implement a series of parallel experiments in the United States, France, and Denmark to study the research questions. Data collection in an additional country can be added to the project depending on the applicant’s empirical interests and background knowledge. The full project description is available upon request.

Job description

The postdoctoral researcher will be employed as part of the EXDEM project team and is expected to engage in collaborative research with Associate Professor Lene Aarøe and other project team members (from Aarhus and beyond). We expect the postdoc to take a leading role in developing, designing, and coordinating studies in one or more countries within the project, to conduct high-quality research within the context of the EXDEM project, and to contribute to publications in top outlets.

Research will primarily be carried out in collaboration with other project members, but there will be some opportunities to pursue independent work within the overall focus of the project. The project offers significant funding for data collection, research assistants, travel, and workshops.

In addition to the outlined research tasks, the position implies modest teaching obligations equivalent to one course per year. If an applicant is interested, a one-year further extension in return for additional teaching might be negotiable, depending on the applicant’s prior teaching experience and the Department’s need for teaching capacity in the relevant years. The Head of Department will decide on any such extension no later than one year after employment. Interested applicants are thus encouraged to describe their potential contributions to teaching obligations in the Department’s BA or MA programs. Salary is according to the Danish pay schedule.

Your qualifications

Applicants are expected to hold – or be close to completing – a PhD in relevant areas in political science, political/social/evolutionary psychology, communication, or cognitive science. In addition to a keen interest in conducting collaborative research in the EXDEM project, the successful candidate must demonstrate ambition and ability to produce high-quality research.

We expect applicants to have strong quantitative skills and excellent command of statistical programming languages (e.g., STATA or R), experience with or a strong interest in experimental designs and a willingness to acquire new methodological skills. Some experience with social media research or automated content analyses is an additional asset but not required. Applicants are expected to have an excellent command of spoken and written English.

Interested applicants should submit an application letter motivating why they are interested in being part of the EXDEM project and how they can contribute to the success of the project, outlining potential ideas for research relevant to the focus of the project (2-3 pages). Selected candidates will be asked to come for an interview and present research ideas.

 

See the full advert here.

Postdoc Fellow for the Geography of Philosophy Project at UCLA

The Geography of Philosophy Project (https://www.geographyofphilosophy.com/) is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to work with Professor Clark Barrett in the UCLA Department of Anthropology, for a period of one year. The start date for the position is October 1, 2021 or as soon as the position is filled.

Submit applications here: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF06748

The Geography of Philosophy project seeks to understand diversity and universality in philosophical concepts around the world—particularly in the concepts of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. We are studying these concepts empirically using a mixed-methods, comparative approach spanning ten countries and multiple languages. Our methods are diverse and include focus groups, structured interviews, surveys, and experimental techniques. The structure of the project is collaborative, involving local research teams in ten countries, and experts from across the social sciences and humanities. The PIs on the project are Clark Barrett (Anthropology, UCLA), Edouard Machery (History and Philosophy of Science, Pitt), and Stephen Stich (Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Rutgers). The project is funded by the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/).

The project is entering its final year of funding, and we are beginning our final wave of data collection. The postdoc position at UCLA will involve analyzing results from these studies, collaborating in designing and running follow-up studies, co-authoring papers and edited volumes, and helping to administer the grant at UCLA. The postdoc will be housed in UCLA’s Department of Anthropology, a large, four-field department with a thriving community of diverse academic interests, including the Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture (http://www.bec.ucla.edu/), the Center for Language, Interaction and Culture (https://clic.ss.ucla.edu/), the Mind, Medicine and Culture group (http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/anthro/mmac/index.html), and connections to many other departments and units across campus.

Our project is explicitly interdisciplinary and experimental, and as such candidates from diverse fields are eligible, including Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics, and Cognitive Science. Candidates with strengths in statistical analysis, design and interpretation of cross-cultural studies, and familiarity with literatures in cross-cultural cognitive science are particularly encouraged.

Informal inquiries from potential applicants are welcome at hclarkbarrett@gmail.com. Feel free to get in touch if you’re curious about the position and have questions about your fit for the position, responsibilities, etc. Formal application materials should include a CV, cover letter with statement of research interests and experience, contact information for three references, and up to three publications. Applications will be considered on a rotating basis until the position is filled. Full advert here.

All qualified applicants will receive full consideration without regard to race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. Women and underrepresented minority applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please circulate this announcement widely. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Prof Bridget Waller Seeking 3-yr Funded PhD Student on Facial Expressivity Project

We are seeking applications for a 3-year full-time PhD student to work on human facial expressivity and social relationships.

The PhD will be supervised by Professor Bridget Waller as part of ERC Consolidator Project FACEDIFF ‘Individual differences in facial expressivity: Social function, facial anatomy and evolutionary origins’. FACEDIFF is a five-year project examining individual differences in facial expressivity and how this is related to social network size and success at social interaction in humans and macaques.
Communicating with others via the face is crucial for navigating our social world. Deficits in facial expression production can have debilitating effects on social interaction. Despite this, we know surprisingly little about individual differences in facial expressivity in the typical population, what causes these differences and whether such differences impact on individual lives. In part, this could be due to an historical focus on the universal nature of facial expression, assigning individual difference to random ‘noise’, rather than an evolutionarily relevant characteristic. The FACEDIFF project will diverge from this classic approach and test the novel hypothesis that individual differences in facial expressivity equip individuals’ differentially to engage with their social environment:expressivity has a benefit (social engagement) but also a cost (over-exposure and thus risk of being cheated by others) and is related to the size and quality of an individual’s social network. FACEDIFF will combine psychological, anatomical and cross-species methods to provide the first thorough interdisciplinary investigation of individual differences.

The advertised position will be situated within the FACEDIFF project with the strand of research focussed on human facial expression, social interaction and social networks. The PhD student will work within a larger interdisciplinary team with an overarching plan to investigate the relationship between variation in facial muscles and the quality of social bonds with others. The successful PhD candidate will conduct laboratory based behavioural experiments at Nottingham Trent University in which pairs of participants (friends or strangers) take part in dyadic and individual tasks (e.g. cold pressor test: emerge their hands in water of varying temperatures to induce mild pain and stress). Behavioural and physiological measures will be recorded. The goal is to monitor how variation in facial muscle-use affects facial communication and emotional recognition during these tasks, and how this affects social dynamics during social interaction.

Candidates with prior experience conducting experimental research in humans, and those with a strong interest in social, behavioural or comparative/evolutionary psychology are preferred. Training and support in some specific research skills such as social network analysis and FACS (Facial Action Coding System) will be provided, but the successful candidate will need to have a demonstrable interest in standard quantitative approaches to experimental data.

Enquiries
Please contact Professor Bridget Waller via email (bridget.waller@ntu.ac.uk) for informal discussions in advance of applying. Also, please see www.FACEDIFF.co.uk for more information about the overarching project. Any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Qualifications
Entrants must have an excellent academic record, with an undergraduate degree in psychology, behavioural science or related field. A master’s degree in a relevant field (or equivalent research experience) would be preferred, and experience of experimental social research with humans is essential.

Funding
The PhD will be funded by European Research Council Consolidator Grant FACEDIFF ‘Individual differences in facial expressivity: Social function, facial anatomy and evolutionary origins’ awarded to Bridget Waller. Funding will be provided for tuition fees, stipend for three years andresearch/conference expenses. Ideal start date October 2021, but this is negotiable.

How to apply
Please apply via the following link* (application deadline – 09/07/2021, expiry time 11:59 pm):
*Please include a short proposal for the PhD outlining how you would tackle theresearch questions posed in the brief. Your proposal should focus on the goals and general methodology rather than precise details. The word limit stated in the application page is 1500 words which should include your reference list and timeline.

Interview details
Interviews will take place from w/c 19th July 2021

ECR Funded 2-yr Post-Doc at Peace Research Institute Oslo

The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) invites applications for a two-year, full-time Postdoc position in human coalitional aggression within the project Adapted to War (AWAR), funded by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant).

The position provides an opportunity to work in a leading international research institute, located in Norway’s capital city, as part of an interdisciplinary project on human aggression.

Summary of AWAR

Have humans evolved psychological adaptations to coalitional aggression or small-scale war? This question has generated major scientific debate involving anthropologists, archaeologists, economists, primatologists, psychologists, and political scientists. If humans are adapted to war, then human psychology must be equipped with specialized adaptations designed for the effective navigation of war: planning, executing, and defending against coalitional attacks. AWAR probes the existence of such adaptations. It focuses, specifically, on coalitional formidability assessment mechanisms, which likely helped ancestral humans to avoid costly fights. AWAR also explores contemporary implications of coalitional formidability assessment mechanisms: if they indeed exist, do they shape our attitudes and behavior today, particularly in the context of modern political violence (e.g., violent protests or civil conflicts)?

The Postdoc’s role in the team

The project’s core team will consist of Postdoc 1 (psychologist/cognitive scientist; expected expertise: evolutionary psychology and information-processing/computational models), Postdoc 2 (psychologist/cognitive scientist; expected expertise: cognitive experiments), and Principal Investigator (PI), Henrikas Bartusevičius (political scientist; expertise: the psychology of political violence).

This vacancy concerns Postdoc 1, whose responsibilities will be as follows:

  • Collaborating with PI in theorizing an information-processing/computational model of a psychological mechanisms regulating coalitional aggression (i.e., the coalitional formidability assessment mechanism);
  • Collaborating with Postdoc 2 and PI in designing experiments to probe the existence and design features of the theorized coalitional formidability assessment mechanism;
  • Contributing to conducting and analyzing cognitive lab experiments;
  • Writing journal articles in collaboration with Postdoc 2 and PI.

The application must be submitted in English via online application system no later than 1 June 2021. The application must include:

  1. An application letter (1–2 pages) addressing the required and desired qualifications as listed above. Please briefly describe your relevant experience and qualifications for each of the 9 qualifications listed above (if you do not have experience/qualifications pertaining to one or more of the qualifications listed above, just say so).
  2. A statement (1–2 pages) on how your qualifications will contribute to implementing WP1 (in particular) and WP2 of the project.
  3. One or two papers that you consider as your best work. This work, preferably but not mandatorily, should demonstrate the qualifications as listed above. Single- or first-authored work carries greater weight. You are welcome to submit unpublished manuscripts, as long as you consider them as demonstrating the highest quality of your research and the qualifications listed above.
  4. A CV in English, which must include a list of publications.
  5. Scanned copies of original transcripts/certificates from higher education, in one PDF file.

The project offers a degree of flexibility with respect to candidates’ research during the project. Therefore, the applicants are welcome, but are not required, to suggest (in Attachment 2) research ideas that could be integrated into WP1 and WP2 of AWAR.

Read the full advert here.

Early Career Writing Group for Evolutionary Scientists — Sign up!

Early Career Writing Group!

A virtual writing group is being organized by Stacey Makhanova for early career evolutionary psychologists and evolutionary scientists more broadly who want some external motivation to get writing done and an opportunity to network (and commiserate) with people in similar career stages. For this group, “early career” means assistant professors, post-docs, and graduate students at the dissertation stage.

If you are interested, see the Google Doc for details and to add your contact info to the email list

The Kinsey Institute is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, Bloomington, is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Founded in 1947, the Kinsey Institute is the world’s premier sexological research institute, and is committed to building and supporting a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community of students and scholars.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work on collaborative research in the laboratory of Dr. Justin Garcia and Dr. Amanda Gesselman, on projects related to the romantic and sexual behaviors of singles, and/or the use of technology in romantic and sexual contexts. This position is funded for 2-years, subject to a positive performance review after the first year.

This is a 12-month position, and includes an annual stipend of $52,000, and up to $10,000 per year in research and professional development expenses (e.g., workshops, conferences, travel), health benefits effective the first day of employment including coverage for the employee and a spouse, office and laboratory space at The Kinsey Institute, and administrative support.
The position will begin in August 2021; for best consideration apply by April 25, 2021.

Position Requirements:
Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to be in residence for the year and participate fully in the intellectual life of the Kinsey Institute. Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent and be no more than five years past the PhD.
Candidates must demonstrate methodological facility in behavioral sciences, have expertise in sexual and/or relationship science, and display a clear commitment to collaborative and interdisciplinary research. The candidate should have experience with quantitative statistical and analytic techniques. Familiarity with longitudinal quantitative analyses is preferred but not required. The Postdoctoral Fellow will have no formal teaching responsibilities but may be asked to deliver a guest lecture based on their research program.

A complete application includes a cover letter, curriculum vita, writing sample, and contact information for three references. Interested candidates should review the application requirements and submit their application at: http://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/10648. Questions regarding the position can be sent to: Dr. Justin Garcia (jusrgarc@indiana.edu) and Dr. Amanda Gesselman (agesselm@indiana.edu), 150 S Woodlawn Ave, Lindley Hall 405, Bloomington, IN 47405.

Indiana University is an equal employment and Affirmative Action Employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. Indiana University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities, including employment and admission, as required by Title IX. Questions or complaints regarding Title IX may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or the university Title IX Coordinator. See Indiana University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

Three-Year Post-Doc in Evolutionary Political Psychology at Aarhus University, Denmark

3-YEAR POST DOC POSITIONS IN EVOLUTIONARY POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY

Applications are open for a 3-year Post-doctoral Fellowships in Social/Political Psychology and Experimental Philosophy at Aarhus University, Denmark. The deadline is February 1st, 2021.

The Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination (CEPDISC) is a Danish National Research Foundation-funded centre of excellence housed at the world-leading Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark. It is currently advertising five post-doctoral positions, many of which look for expertise in social/political/evolutionary psychology, and which can be found at the following two links:

Positions on Work Packages 5, 7:https://international.au.dk/about/profile/vacant-positions/job/two-postdoc-positions-at-the-centre-for-the-experimental-philosophical-study-of-discrimination/
Positions on Work Packages 2, 8, and 9:
https://international.au.dk/about/profile/vacant-positions/job/three-postdoc-positions-at-the-centre-for-the-experimental-philosophical-study-of-discrimination/

Professor Lotte Thomsen is heading up Work Package 7 (‘Experimental studies of the sources of prejudice and discrimination’) in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, and we would be happy to answer questions from those interested in that role.

Contact:
Professor Lotte Thomsen
lotte.thomsen@ps.au.dk
Assistant Professor Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington
J.A.Sheehy-Skeffington@lse.ac.uk

Post-Doc Position at Washington State University

Dr. Anne Pisor is looking for a postdoc to co-lead a three-year project with co-PI Dr. Monique Borgerhoff Mulder and NGO Mwambao Coastal Community Network. The project is focused on whether between-community social relationships impact resource management — specifically, managing fisheries on the Tanzanian coast. The postdoc will be based in the Human Sociality Lab (www.pisor-lab.com) in Pullman, WA, but will also spend time on site in Tanzania.

Fieldwork, leadership, language, and R skills desired. PhD in any field. Initial 12 month appointment with possibility for renewal for up to two additional years pending satisfactory performance.

Priority review of applications begins Feb 15. Anticipated start date is June 1.

Apply here.

MindCORE Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars

MindCORE (Mind Center for Outreach, Research, and Education) seeks to recruit outstanding postdoctoral researchers for our Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars. Housed within the School of Arts & Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, MindCORE is an interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence and behavior.

 

Designed for individuals who have recently obtained a PhD degree in psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy or other cognitive science discipline, the MindCORE Fellowship is a springboard for young researchers as they establish their own research program. Fellows are also encouraged to pursue collaborative research with faculty working across disciplines at Penn.

 

Benefits

Fellows receive a competitive salary, relocation allowance, health insurance plus a modest research budget. Fellows also benefit from access to the greater community of academics including visiting scholars plus leading research facilities equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation all on an urban campus in a vibrant city. Fellows are invited to join regular working group meetings within their field plus career development workshops aimed at young researchers, and will be provided with a mentoring committee. Funding is provided in one year terms renewable for up to three years.

 

Eligibility & Application

–          Applicants must have formally completed all requirements of the PhD degree and provide a copy of their diploma at the time of appointment. Candidates must submit 1-2 page research statement that identifies at least three MindCORE faculty at Penn (https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/people/faculty-and-associates/) with whom the applicant would be interested in collaborating, along with a CV and contact information for two referees.

–          Submitted documents should be saved with candidate’s Lastname_Firstname.PDF in one PDF file in this order: research statement, CV, referees (name, affiliation, email address). Complete applications should be submitted through the form on our website: https://web.sas.upenn.edu/mindcore/post-doctoral-research-fellowship/. Questions can be emailed to pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu

–          Applications due January 14, 2021.

 

Selection

All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee and are judged on the following criteria:

–          Scientific excellence

–          Scientific match and interdisciplinarity

–          Career potential

 

MindCORE awards ~2 post-doctoral Fellowships per year. Positions may start as early as July 1, 2021.

 

See here for MindCORE Postdoc Fellows – FAQ

 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class. Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

Part-Time Statistical and Data Consultant Position at UCLA

The Geography of Philosophy Project (https://www.geographyofphilosophy.com/), funded by the John Templeton Foundation, seeks a part-time statistical and data analysis consultant for a period of one year, with the possibility of a renewal for an additional year and a half. The consultant would help to develop and run statistical models of cross-cultural survey data, and assist with analysis and write-up of results for project publications. The position includes co-authorship on all publications contributed to, as well as a consulting fee. Estimated workload is between 5 and 10 hours per week. The position is open at any level post-PhD. A record of modeling experience in quantitative social science, life sciences, or statistics required. Applicants please send current CV, sample publications, and a cover letter with names of three references to co-PI Professor Clark Barrett at hclarkbarrett@gmail.com. Informal inquiries also welcome. Candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of our research team are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.