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PhD Opportunities 2013

The School invites applications from suitably qualified individuals to study for a PhD in the School of Psychology beginning September 2013. The School considers applications in all areas that fall within the interests of its staff. A full range of the School’s research interests can be found on our Staff Profile pages.

Potential applicants must contact their proposed Supervisor before submitting an application.

 

The School has secured funding for full-time PhD studentships on each of the following topics:

The role of sensory integration in balance control over the lifespan: Effects of cognitive resources and brain function

(Supervisor: Dr Mihalis Doumas)

How do we keep our balance, and how does balance function differ between young and older adults? Standing balance, or postural control, is achieved using three sources of sensory information: vision, vestibular information about gravity and proprioceptive information about where our limbs are. Our brain does not use just one of these sources, but uses a combination of all three by giving different importance (or weight) to each one depending on its reliability.

When environmental conditions change, for example when walking into a dark room and vision is no longer available this process (called “sensory reweighting”) quickly causes an increase in vestibular and proprioceptive weights allowing for quick postural adjustments. Recent studies show that sensory reweighting is slower in older adults, and causes high instability in this age group. Thus, it may be an overlooked cause of fall accidents. However the behavioural and neural factors affecting sensory reweighting have received little attention by previous studies.

The first goal of this project is to investigate the way different environmental conditions and cognitive resources affect sensory reweighting in young and older adults. The second goal is to characterize the involvement of two brain areas in postural control and sensory reweighting, namely the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS).

The Development of Regret and Remorse

(Supervisor: Prof Teresa McCormack)

Regret is widely considered to be a mechanism by which we learn to make better decisions in the future than we have made in the past. It is a counterfactual emotion, in that it involves thinking about what might have been, and it develops relatively late because of the cognitive skills it requires. Professor McCormack has recently been awarded ESRC funding to examine the development of regret, based on her initial research that shows that children become better at learning from their mistakes once they are capable of experiencing regret. However, empirical studies in this area have invariably involved situations in which children make purely self-interested choices. The proposed PhD will complement the ESRC project by focusing, for the first time, on the development of regret within situations that involve moral choices. We hope to unpack the relationships between the development of regret and moral decision-making, and to consider whether a developmental distinction should be made between regret and remorse. Our empirical work will be informed by (and in turn inform) philosophical work on the nature of moral emotions and how the ability to experience such emotions connects with the acquisition of a sense of moral responsibility.

Applying theory-based interventions to encourage successful intergroup contact through Shared Education Programme in Northern Ireland

(Supervisor: Prof Rhiannon Turner)

An extensive body of research supports the idea that positive intergroup contact reduces prejudice (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). However, one difficulty with applying contact as an intervention is that those involved must be motivated to engage in contact, willing to seek out contact when the opportunities arise and enter encounters with a positive frame of mind, if contact is to be beneficial (Crisp & Turner, 2012). In reality, these encounters often arouse anxiety and suspicion. Recently, however, extended contact (learning about other people’s positive experience of intergroup contact) and imagined contact (forming a mental image of a positive encounter with an outgroup member) have been shown to reduce the anxiety associated with face-to-face contact and ensure that subsequent intergroup encounters are perceived more positively, with knock-on benefits for intergroup relations (Turner, ESRC grant). An ideal context in which to develop and apply these interventions in an applied setting is the Shared Education Programme in Northern Irish Schools, currently being evaluated by Hughes (Atlantic Philanthropy). Both techniques would be developed for a school setting and then implemented (compared to a control condition) prior to children from Catholic and Protestant Schools engaging in Shared Education, and a battery of measures, including perceptions of the contact, intergroup anxiety, and intergroup attitudes would be examined longitudinally time in order to identify whether these interventions can be usefully applied in this context. The proposed studentship will feed into a forthcoming grant application to the ERC investigating how to change intergroup behaviour in post-conflict societies.

Laterality (Handedness) in Animals

(Supervisors: Dr Deborah Wells and Prof Peter Hepper)

Lateralized behaviour has been studied as an observable measure of cerebral functional asymmetry for numerous years. The most prominent manifestation of lateralized behaviour in humans is that of handedness (i.e., the predominant use of one hand), with approximately 90% of the human population using their right hand for most activities. Until recently, it was assumed that handedness was unique to humans. It is now known, however, that many animals show a significant preference to use one side of their body more than the other, and motor laterality has been reported, most notably in primates and birds.  Our own research has extended observations of laterality to other species, e.g., California sea lions, cats and dogs, suggesting it is a fundamental feature of vertebrates.

Lateralised behaviour is of interest because of the link between it and the differential functioning of the two hemispheres.  This has enabled lateralised behaviour to be used as an observable measure of cerebral functional asymmetry.  Recently it has been suggested that lateralised behaviour may be linked to animal welfare.  However many questions regarding lateralised behaviour in animals remain, for example:

What is the underlying mediation of lateralised behaviour?

Is handedness present in other species?

How does handedness develop?

How does lateralised behaviour link to welfare?

This PhD will allow the exploration of lateralised behaviour in animals with a focus on the above questions.

Wells, D.L. 2003. Lateralised behaviour in the domestic dog, Canis familiaris. Behavioural Processes, 61, 27-35.

Wells, D.L., Irwin, R.M. & Hepper, P.G. 2006.  Lateralised swimming behaviour in the California sea lion.  Behavioural Processes, 73, 121-123.

Wells, D.L., & Millsopp, S. 2009. Lateralised behaviour in the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus. Animal Behaviour, 78, 537-541.

Wells, D.L., & Millsopp, S. 2012. The ontogenesis of lateralised behaviour in the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus. J Comparative Psychology, 126, 23-30.

 

The School has secured additional PhD funding which will be allocated to a full-time PhD studentship on one of the following topics:

Eye-hand coordination in space and time

(Supervisor: Dr Joost C. Dessing)

To catch a ball, our movements must be accurate in both space (i.e., where to move) and time (i.e., when to get there). How the brain ensures accurate movements in space has been widely studied, but how timing accuracy is simultaneously ensured has largely been ignored. Such knowledge is important, for instance for rehabilitation strategies for movement disorders. This project will therefore examine the neural basis of eye-hand coordination in space and time, using cutting edge behavioural tests of current theories. We will first develop and test a new ‘catching’ task in which timing and positioning can be systematically examined together and in isolation. This task is then used to study whether the catching movements are aimed at a predicted future target position. Brain activity will be disrupted in this task using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), to examine the role of several brain areas in this process. In a final study, we will assess how motor cortical excitability just prior to movement initiation (measured using TMS) varies with the upcoming movement’s duration. This will provide insight into whether the duration of catching movements is specified prior to movement initiation.

How do autistic people think?

(Supervisor: Dr Kinga Morsanyi)

There are several well-known theories about how individuals with autism think. These popular theories, such as the theory of mind deficit hypothesis, the executive dysfunction hypothesis or the weak central coherence account have dominated the field in the past decades. As a consequence, researchers tend to rely on broad generalizations, such as “autistic people are unaffected by context” or “they are poor at judging others’ mental states” or “they have restricted interests”. The dominance of these theories has led to a situation where researchers tend to use the same tasks again and again, or they do not study higher order cognition in autism at all. As a consequence, we know a lot about very little. The purpose of this project is to use novel tasks to investigate thinking and reasoning in autism in order to better understand the unique strengths and weaknesses which characterize these individuals. A specific hypothesis that we aim to test is that what is special about autism is a strong reliance on immediate environmental input (i.e., bottom-up processing), with a reduced ability to develop expectations on the basis of prior knowledge (i.e, top-down processing). This means that when autistic people are presented with a novel situation, they will experience surprise less often than other people, and at the same time they will be less likely to have strong intuitions about how they should respond in this situation, unless all the necessary information is directly available, or very strongly cued by directly available information. These investigations could lead to a better understanding of autistic cognition, and, at the same time, could have important implications for education.      

New Musical Interfaces for Movement Performance Enhancement

(Supervisor: Dr Mathew Rodger)

Music has great potential for movement rehabilitation, as not only does it involve development of fine-grained movement control to play an instrument; it is also engaging and enjoyable for the user, which is known to be important for the success of an intervention. Recent research indicates that traditional learning of musical skills can contribute to motor rehabilitation in stroke victims. Traditional instruments are not for everyone, but so-called ‘New Interfaces for Musical Expression’ (NIMEs), which transform everyday actions into sound, have a potentially much wider appeal. That is a little studied idea, which this project will take forward by designing and implementing simple NIMEs to be used for training and improving movement performance in clinical populations (e.g. Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease) and investigating the best practices for their use. Drawing on current research into the learning of embodied skills, we will devise and experimentally test strategies to encourage the learning of basic musical performance skills. Changes in movement performance will be measured using the new state-of-the-art motion capture facility, the Movement Innovation Lab, in the School of Psychology. Results from these studies will inform the design of a new musical interface prototype, using the existing expertise at SARC, to help users re-acquire movement skills in an effective and engaging way. An intended outcome of this project is the development of novel tools for movement rehabilitation, with commercial potential. Additionally, this research will inform current work at SARC studying skill acquisition and training methods for musicians performing with newly developed digital instruments.

 

This funded topic is a joint project between the School of Psychology and the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

Communicating risk and benefits of Stratified Medicine

(Supervisors: Professor Frank Kee, Dr Jonathan Rolison and Dr Aidan Feeney)

Details are on the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences website.

When applying for a project, please choose 'Medicine' as your subject area/School.

The closing date for applications for this topic is 25th January 2013.

 

The School does not currently have funding for the following topics, but applications are welcomed as these may attract funding at a later date:

Some staff have indicated specific areas where they are interested in supervising PhD projects and these are listed below. However staff are happy to supervise projects in any of their areas of interest and potential students are encouraged to visit individual staff pages to explore possible research topics.

Tuning to the rhythmic regularities of language

(Supervisor: Dr Tim Fosker)

A fundamental transition in the processing of speech occurs within the first six months of life. At birth infants predominately respond to the rhythmic changes in speech (prosodic characteristics), before shifting their focus to the single sounds in words (phonemic characteristics). Little is known about the changes in perception that result in the transition from a prosodic to phonemic mode of processing. This project proposes to investigate the neural changes in perception as infants make this transition. This project will use EEG to examine neural correlates of encoding different rates of auditory and visual rhythms. There may be an opportunity to visit another research lab for training in infant EEG.

The group dynamics of police legitimacy and justice perceptions

(Supervisor: Dr Sam Pehrson)

The studentship will tie in with a project funded by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister that is currently being undertaken by Dr Pehrson and Dr Bryan. It examines the relationship between young people’s experiences of interacting with police officers and their perceptions of legitimacy as a function of the forms of social inclusion or exclusion that are instantiated and communicated through certain kinds of police contact. It will develop social psychological theory in the area of legitimacy, drawing on insights from the social identity perspective on group dynamics and intergroup relations. As such, it provides an ideal opportunity for building links between psychology and the new Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice.

Existing relationships with the Department for Justice, Policing Board and Police Ombudsman (who participate in a steering group for the OFMDFM project) offer the possibility for policy-makers to feed into the work, and constitute a network that can be utilised to achieve impact.

Effects of aging on risk taking behaviors

(Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Rolison)

Older adults are called to make risky and vital decisions, including decisions that concern their finance and health. Whether to invest in risky but potentially rewarding financial options and whether to opt for a risky but beneficial medical treatment, are among the risky choices faced by older adults. At the same time, medical decisions have become increasingly complex, and the recent financial crisis has further highlighted the need to make wise financial decisions. While research data is relatively scarce with regard to older adults’ decision making and risk taking behavior, we do know that old age is associated with a decline in working memory and other cognitive resources that are linked to both decision making and risk taking. The few studies that have addressed risk taking differences with age indicate that age differences may depend on the methodology used to measure risk taking. Age differences appear to increase when risk taking tasks have an emotional component, and reduce if older adults are provided the actual risks and payoffs involved. Understanding when and why risk taking differences emerge with age is crucial if we are (a) to develop a general theory of aging in the risk domains, and (b) develop initiatives for improving the risky decisions of older adults. The PhD student will develop a research project to examine the conditions under which age differences in risk taking emerge. This will involve assessing the risk taking behavior of younger and older adults across a variety of risk taking tasks. The student will also address individual differences relevant to risk taking, including working memory capacity and numeracy, with the aim of developing a comprehensive theory of the effects of aging on risk taking behavior.

Community Identity and Service Uptake: The role of community identity stigmatisation in inhibiting service uptake

(Supervisor: Dr Clifford Stevenson)

Although community identity is theorised to be a key element in collective well-being and engagement with services, the impact of the stigmatisation of community identity upon service usage has been largely overlooked. Previous social psychological research has shown that if residents believe that service providers and the general public hold negative views of their community (stigma consciousness), this can lead to disengagement from statutory and voluntary services as well as from civic engagement. The present PhD study aims to build upon this work by examining how service-use encounters are shaped by and give rise to stigma, disengagement and social exclusion. Interviews with service-providers and users will be firstly be used to explore the ways in which groups view a disadvantaged community’s identity. Ethnographic methods will be used to unpack the micro-level interactions as members of different communities use their local public services, with particular attention to the ways in which their identities are displayed and managed as well as how misunderstandings emerge and are managed by the different parties. From this, a survey of the views and experiences of both service providers and users will be finally developed to model the different identity-related factors each group consider to be important in service use encounters and how these predict reported experience. The results will shed light on the mechanisms whereby stigmatisation perpetuates social exclusion and the ways in which services can overcome these barriers to uptake.

The political psychology of international relations in US politics under Obama

(Supervisor: Dr Lesley Storey)

It is widely accepted that International Relations in US politics has undergone 2 major shifts. The initial shift followed the 9/11 attacks and the “Axis of Evil” speech. Obama’s presidency is widely held to have resulted in a more subtle shift in emphasis and tone in Foreign Policy.

The proposed research will use mixed methods to explore the political psychology of leadership in one of the countries included in the “Axis of Evil”.

This research will add to our understanding of different forms of political leadership and consider the consequences for international relations in an increasingly polarised world.