On the origins of data – Information Sampling, Reasoning, and Decision-making by human learners

Expressions of interest are sought from outstanding graduates with a strong academic record including Honours Class I or equivalent for a 4-year PhD scholarship that includes a living allowance of $40,000 AUS per annum (tax-free) and up to $10,000 per annum in project support costs.

Project Description: Learning how to generalize from data is a fundamental inductive task facing any intelligent agent. Psychologists have traditionally focused on how human reasoning depends on similarity. Our work has shown, however, that human reasoning can be remarkably subtle. Using recent developments in computational cognitive modelling, this project will develop new models of human inductive reasoning. Our focus is on how people rely on intuitive theories about the world and other minds, and how such reliance shapes the generalizations we make.

The School of Psychology at UNSW is recognised nationally and internationally for its excellence in research and teaching. It is a leading Australian Psychology department on quality measures such as research publications and competitive grant funding (currently 16th in the world on QS World ranking of Psychology Departments).