research associate: rebalancing human and algorithmic decision making

The role

This position is based within the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol, which is part of an interdisciplinary and international project on Rebalancing Human and Algorithmic Decision Making. The project involves nodes in Berlin, Boston, and Bristol. At Bristol, the project involves a collaboration between Professor Stephan Lewandowsky in Psychology and Professor Awais Rashid and his colleagues in the School of Engineering. The successful candidate will be an expert in text modelling and large-scale computational-stylometry analyses, and will ideally also have expertise in behavioural experimentation and broad-brush knowledge of psychology.

What will you be doing?

The project seeks to develop tools that can alert users when they are subject to manipulative targeting online. There has been much recent concern about “micro-targeting” of political persuasive messages on social media, which can undermine or unduly influence political decision making. To protect users against furtive manipulation, the project seeks to develop tools that can warn users when they encounter text online that matches their personality so well that it could represent a targeted persuasion effort. Development of the tool requires extensive text modelling to identify the stylometric features that people of different personality types prefer or find persuasive, thus identifying vulnerabilities that can be exploited by advertisers online.
 
The project involves mainly text modelling of users’ written output and their text consumption pattern but will also involve a behavioural component that relates those analyses to people’s personalities.

You should apply if

You have a track record of excellence in large-scale computational stylometry analyses and text modeling;
You understand the implications of online targeting;
You have strong research project management skills;
You can build strong, effective relationships with a range of people from different sectors and levels of seniority;
You have excellent communication skills and can clearly articulate verbally and in writing;
You are proactive, mindful of competing priorities, and can drive activity forward in a sustainable manner.
 
For informal enquiries please contact Professor Stephan Lewandowsky via email: (Stephan.Lewandowsky@bristol.ac.uk).

Additional information

Contract type: Open-ended with fixed funding for 4 years
Work pattern: Full-time
Grade: J
Salary: £38,017 - £42,792 per annum
School/Unit: Psychological Sciences
This advert will close at 23:59 GMT on Thursday 4th March 2021.



We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBT+ and BAME communities, to join us.  « Return to the search results