[CogSci] Post-Doctoral Researcher/RA post - Using language models to understand people's attitudes

[Dermot Lynott]

Post-Doctoral Researcher / Research Associate
Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Ireland

How does what we read influence what we think? Are you interested in psychology? In Large Language Models, like GloVe, Word2Vec, BERT, ChatGPT?

Maynooth University are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate to join a project funded by Science Foundation Ireland using large language models to investigate how language experience relates to people’s attitudes. The project team includes Dr. Dermot Lynott (Principal Investigator, based in Psychology), and Dr. Diarmuid O’Donoghue (Co-investigator, based in Computer Science). A summary of the project is provided below.

Applicants should have a PhD in Computer Science, Psychology or related discipline OR have a Masters degree and significant relevant experience in terms of data sciences, large language models etc.

The starting date for the position is June 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter, for a fixed-term period ending 30 November 2026 (with the possibility of extension). The post is full-time but we will consider applications for a minimum of 80% FTE. The hours of work are flexible.

Maynooth University is a very distinctive university, a collegial institution focused on science and engineering, humanities, and social sciences, and equally committed to research, teaching and community engagement. Located in Ireland?s only university town, its distinctive features and character owe much to its unique history and heritage. It provides a high-quality educational experience to over 13,500 students on a campus with 18th century roots and 21st century dynamism.

Salary:
Post-doctoral Researcher*: €42,033 – €44,572 per annum (point 1-3)

Closing Date:
23:30hrs (local Irish time) on Sunday, 16 April 2023.

Project Summary
Prejudicial attitudes, such as those relating to age, race, or gender, exert a powerful influence on individuals, and are pervasive throughout society. Recent research suggests that the statistical patterns of how words are used in language may capture such biases, and that the language people are exposed to, via news outlets/social media, may be linked to the entrenchment of such attitudes.  However, many questions remain unanswered, and this project will examine the links between computational models of language, language exposure, and implicit attitudes.  The project will involve conducting evaluations of existing computational models to determine how well they capture people’s attitudes; conducting empirical tests of how different models and training data impact their capacity to predict the differential attitudinal patterns observed in people, and using behavioural studies to test for causal relationships between language exposure and attitude development. Combining state-of-the art modelling work, and behavioural findings, we will also be developing a digital bias toolkit to aid researchers and citizens in identifying and understanding implicit bias in language. This interdisciplinary project will shed new light on how machine-learning models of language can capture information about human attitudes, biases and behaviour, and through publications, presentations and public engagement, increase awareness of such attitudes. There is also the opportunity for short-term industry placements with our project partners.

A full job description and instructions for application can be found on our Online Recruitment Portal<https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/human-resources/vacancies>. Queries about the role can be directed to Dermot Lynott (dermot.lynott at mu.ie<mailto:dermot.lynott at mu.ie><mailto:dermot.lynott at mu.ie>).

Dermot Lynott
Assistant Professor
Maynooth University
Department of Psychology

Email: dermot.lynott at mu.ie<mailto:dermot.lynott at mu.ie>
Web: https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/psychology/our-people/dermot-lynott  <https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/psychology/our-people/dermot-lynott>
ImpactStory: https://impactstory.org/u/0000-0001-7338-0567
Scholar: http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=IkMV2OwAAAAJ&hl=en
How to pronounce my name<http://namedrop.io/dermotlynott>

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