HSS-210-24-R - Research Assistant

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School of Psychology
Location:  Canterbury
Salary:  £28,762 to £33,314 per annum
Grade:  Grade 6 Research Assistant
Post Type:  Full Time
Contract Type: Fixed Term - 24 Months
Release Date:  Friday 19 January 2024
Closing Date:  23.59 hours GMT on Sunday 11 February 2024  (unless otherwise stated)
Reference:  HSS-210-24-R

The University of Kent’s School of Psychology is seeking to hire a Research Assistant with experience in conducting experimental psychology research on face or person perception with adult participants. 

The role will involve data collection, analysis and dissemination for experiments conducted in virtual reality for the Economic and Social Research Council grant “High-fidelity Avatars for Behaviour and Cognition Research”, under the direction of Professor Markus Bindemann (University of Kent) and Professor Mike Burton (University of York). With this project, we aim to develop and validate methods that enable researchers in the social sciences to adapt virtual reality technology for experimentation.

As a Research Assistant you will be required to assist with study design, preparing experimental materials, conducting the proposed research, and will provide some support for statistical analysis and writing up the results for publication in academic journals. The research itself focuses on experiments that examine the perception of avatars’ faces, gaze-following and the classification of emotional expression. Thus, a good understanding of these topics and experience of conducting relevant research are desirable. 

As a Research Assistant you will:

• Assist with study design
• Create experiments and conduct data collection
• Assist in analysing data in a transparent and reproducible way
• Contribute to the write up of research work for publication and disseminate the project’s findings 

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A BSc degree or equivalent qualification or experience in psychology or an allied subject
• Experience of conducting and analysing experimental psychology research
• Experience of conducting research with adult participants 
• Skilled in using software packages for statistical analyses (e.g. R, Jamovi, JASP, SPSS) 

The School of Psychology  overlooks Canterbury with a view of the cathedral. It is a leading centre of research and education with a commitment to scientific excellence, a concern for tackling problems of contemporary relevance and a commitment to have positive impact.

Please see the links below to view the full Job Description and to apply for this post. For further information regarding the application process please contact The People Services Team on [email protected] quoting ref number HSS-210-24-R.

Please note that we prioritise applications from current University of Kent redeployees. We will let you know if this post is to be filled by a redeployee as, in this instance, your application will unfortunately not be taken forward.

Applications must be made via the University’s online application system; CVs or details sent directly to the department or via email cannot be considered.

The University of Kent values diversity and promotes equality at all levels.