Graduate Teaching Assistant (Measuring behaviour during real and synthetic social interactions across cultures)

Fixed term for 3 years

University of the Year 2014/2015 – Times Higher Education Awards

Research proposals are invited in the areas below:

Measuring behaviour during real and synthetic social interactions across cultures

Emotions and social intelligence play an important role in our social interactions, and shape our expressions and reactions. We are often unaware of how our non-verbal behaviour and physical reactions disclose our feelings and shape the response of our interlocutors.

As part of the digital revolution we are experiencing a change in the manner in which social interaction take place, being those often non-collocated and technology mediated. In addition we are experiencing a globalization of cultures and increased diversity that puts at test our unconscious biases. Having the ability to deal with these differences is an essential skill in work and in our everyday life.

This PhD research will develop a novel computer-based solution for measuring emotional reactions and behaviour during real and simulated social interactions with diversity, and drive the reaction of a simulated human in order to train people in dealing with diversity.

Novel vision and physiological monitoring and artificial intelligence techniques will be applied to understand the human interlocutors and tailor the reactions of the diverse simulate human. The system effectiveness will be tested with real users and the interactions evaluated.

In particular the project will encompass the following areas of research: virtual reality, vision, affective and social psychology research, in which the supervisory team has a vast experience.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Daniela Romano (Department of Computing) at romanod@edgehill.ac.uk

References

Al-Saleh, M. and Romano, D.M. (2015). Culturally Appropriate Behavior in Virtual Agents. AIIDE 2015, 11th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment, United States of America, Santa Cruz, 14-18 November 2015.

Beattie, G. (2013).Our Racist Heart? An Exploration of Unconscious Prejudice in Everyday Life. Routledge: London.

J. Howard, I. D. Gilchrist, T. Troscianko, A. Behera and D. C. Hogg (2011). ask relevance predicts gaze in videos of real moving scenes. Experimental Brain Research, 214(1), pp 131-137

How to apply

Applicants must complete the online application form, attaching one document containing:

• A ‘Research Proposal’ which should not exceed 2,000 words


• A full academic curriculum vitae

Applicants should normally have/be about to obtain, a Masters qualification in a relevant subject.

Selection Criteria:

Selection will be based on the following:

• Your curriculum vitae


• The synergy between your qualifications, research experience and declared research interest


• The quality of the research proposal


• Performance at interview


• Supervisory capacity in the declared area of research


• Previous tutoring/teaching experience and related subject based qualifications


• The strategic and developmental needs of the faculty

The Recruitment Process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview and asked to give a presentation related to their proposal. Successful candidates at interview will be put forward to a final selection panel which will make the decision on the award of the studentships. Candidates will not have to attend the final panel.

The closing date for all studentships is Sunday 10 April 2016

Interviews will be held between Tuesday 3 May and Wednesday 11 May 2016