The School of Psychology and Computer Science invites applications for a PhD (via MPhil) studentship to be based in the Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience (PCN) Group at UCLan (Preston) and at Ashworth Research Centre (ARC) within Ashworth Hospital. The studentship is tenable for three years (subject to satisfactory progress) and will provide an annual tax-free stipend of £16,062 per year as well as current tuition fees at UK/home rate (£4600 per annum). International applicants may apply but will be required to pay the difference in tuition fees (the current rate is £14500 per annum). It is expected the successful applicant will commence in September 2022.
The School is part of the Faculty of Science & Technology and has a thriving community of PhD and MSc students and strong links with regional universities, law enforcement agencies, schools, community groups and NGOs. The PCN and ARC research groups are well resourced, with state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment.
Essential criteria include a BSc in Psychology or a related discipline, strong analytical skills evidenced by experience of a range of quantitative research methods, an excellent understanding of a range of statistical methods, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. The successful candidate will be expected to make a substantial and creative contribution to the thrust of the investigation and to the design of the studies. EU/International applicants require English Language level UKVI IELTS 6.5 with no sub-score less than 6.0 (or acceptable UCLan equivalent qualification). Applicants must meet all essential criteria on the person specification to be considered for interview. Applicants are also required to submit a 500-word summary addressing why this is an important area of academic study, relevant theoretical issues and areas of potential academic and/or practical impact. CVs won’t be considered unless accompanied by an application form
Project Title: Using eye movement methodology to investigate attentional allocation in Psychopathy
Project Description: The proposed PhD will use eye movement recording techniques to investigate attentional allocation in relation eye movement control in psychopathic and comparison populations. Psychopathy is a clinical syndrome characterised by affective deficit and significant antisocial behaviour. Affective and antisocial dysfunctions in psychopathy are associated with impaired encoding and integration of multicomponent visual information. The project will involve multiple experiments adopting a variety of eye movement paradigms (e.g., main sequence, pro/anti-saccade, remote distractor/gap effect tasks, etc.) to understand attentional allocation and oculomotor control in psychopathy. The successful candidate is expected to have significant input into the nature of the experimental programme. The Ph.D. will provide novel theoretical and clinical insight into fundamental aspects of visuo-cognitive function in this special population. The PhD student will be jointly supervised by Prof. Simon P. Liversedge and Dr Simon Chu working within the Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience group at UCLan (Preston) and the Mersey Care NHS Trust funded Ashworth Research Centre.
Further information
Informal project related enquiries can be made to Prof. Simon P. Liversedge ([email protected] ).
For full details go to: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/studentships
Please apply using the following link, quoting reference number DTC013:
https://my.uclan.ac.uk/BANP/bwskalog.P_DispLoginNon
For any other queries, please email [email protected] .
Closing Date: 24th June 2022
Proposed Interview Date: TBC
CURRENT UCLAN RESEARCH STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP