PhD position

Deadline: All electronic applications received by October 6th, 2024 will be considered.
Contact: Dr. Christoph Völter (Christoph.Voelter@vetmeduni.ac.at)
Institute: Unit of Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary
Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna)
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PhD student position on infants’ and dogs’ causal perception using eye tracking

We are seeking qualified applicants for a fully funded three-year doctoral project on dogs’ and infants’ causal perception, particularly focusing on the question whether dogs and 6-16-month-old human infants have the same expectations of basic physical object interactions. The PhD position is based within the unit of Comparative Cognition at the Messerli Research Institute
(https://www.vetmeduni.ac.at/en/messerli), in collaboration with Jonathan Kominsky and Gergely Csibra, Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University
(https://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/).
 

Background:
Humans and dogs both evolved in a world that obeys Newtonian physical laws: Objects only move when something causes them to move. That “something” can be a collision with another object, or in the case of living beings, some kind of internal force. In fact, one of the ways humans and dogs might detect whether something is alive is by whether it moves in a way that physics only allows if the object can move on its own. In this project, we are testing whether dogs and infants pay more attention to or are surprised by events where objects move in a way that is impossible based on collisions alone. We also investigate whether infants and dogs expect objects that move on their own to have goals and intentions, whether they choose to approach or avoid these objects, and how humans and dogs might differ in their understanding of these events despite evolving in the same Newtonian world. To this end, we are using eye-trackers with both infants and dogs to measure both eye movements and pupil dilation, as the pupils of both species dilate when they are surprised or excited.
 

Project:
The PhD position is part of a new research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) “Infants and dogs' perception of causality and animacy” and led by Jonathan Kominsky and Christoph Völter. Within the project, we will employ eye tracking technology in combination with behavioural experiments to investigate infants’ and dogs' cognitive abilities. Using eye-tracking technology and high-definition video demonstrations or computer animations, we will monitor where infants and dogs focus their attention in various scenarios. This includes situations in which objects move in a way that would be impossible based on collisions alone. Our approach will adhere to open science principles including preregistered study designs supported by power analysis.
The dog research will take place mainly at the Clever Dog Lab on the campus of the Vetmeduni Vienna. In the Clever Dog Lab, we study the behaviour and cognition of companion dogs that visit us with their caregivers. The lab consists of six testing rooms, each equipped with an adjustable multicamera system, optimized for all kinds of behavioural studies. The infant research will be conducted at the Kinder Kognition (KiKo) lab of the Cognitive Development Center (Central European University in Vienna). The CEU offers the state-of-the-art facilities for experimental research with infants, toddlers and children with labs equipped with computers, tablets, cameras, and eye-tracking devices.
 

Requirements:
We seek highly motivated candidates with a M.Sc. degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Biology or a related subject. Applicants must have experience in designing and conducting scientific experiments, expertise in conducting statistical analyses (preferentially in R), and excellent communication skills (in spoken and written English). Programming skills (R, Matlab, Python, etc.), experience with video editing or creating animations (e.g., in Blender) and experience in working with human infants and / or nonhuman animals, in particular dogs, is desirable.

Applications:
Please address questions and completed applications electronically to Dr. Christoph Völter (Christoph.Voelter@vetmeduni.ac.at). Applications should include:
1. Cover letter describing how you meet the requirements, including details of past research projects and relevant experience (not more than 2 pages)
2. Curriculum vitae, including the names and contact details of two professional references
3. Copies of relevant university degree certificates (transcript of records)
All electronic applications received by October 6th, 2024 will be considered. Preferred start date is November/December 2024 but a later start date might be possible.
We look forward to receiving your application.