Two heads are often, but not always better than one. To achieve our goals we frequently need to rely on other people to fill in gaps in our own knowledge. Doing so successfully requires evaluating the credibility of other knowers — we need to know which people are good information sources, under which circumstances, how to make sense of the information they provide, when it would be preferable to integrate across multiple sources and how to weigh each one. How people determine these, ad hoc or over time, is not well understood.
The present project will bridge across sociological, cognitive, computational, and neural levels of explanation within an integrated novel theoretical framework to characterise how people evaluate, select between, and integrate across information sources.
The project will zoom in on the computational and dynamic neural mechanisms that underlie the learning and use of knowledge about others, and how they shape decision-making. This will be achieved by combining computational models of learning and decision-making with EEG and eye-tracking recordings in novel paradigms.
The student will receive training in and perform research using computational modelling, EEG and eye-tracking, and advanced quantitative analyses of the various types of data. The project will be based at the Centre for Human Brain Health at the University of Birmingham, a cutting-edge research facility affiliated with the School of Psychology.
How to apply
If you are interested in this PhD project, please contact the main supervisor (Romy Froemer, [Email Address Removed]). To apply, please send:
- Application form available online [here]
- CV
- Academic transcripts
- Names and contact details of two referees
Nominated candidates will be interviewed on Thursday June 22 or Friday June 23.
For informal inquiries contact Dr. Romy Froemer.
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