The Institute of Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology & Sports Science at the University of Münster, Germany, is seeking to fill the position of a
Doctoral Research Associate (Wissenschaftliche*r Mitarbeiter*in, salary level E 13 TV-L)
commencing on 01 November 2024. We are offering a fixed-term part-time position (75%) for 3 years (corresponding to the project’s duration) in the Experimental Psychology group (Prof. Dr. Niko Busch). Full-time employees are required to teach 4 hours per week during the semester. We are looking for a dedicated and talented PhD student for an innovative research project that explores the intersection of computer vision and cognitive psychology. Why are some events still remembered after a long time, while others are quickly forgotten? Psychological research has shown that for simple stimuli such as letters or numbers, the memorability of an event is determined by the extent to which its features are distinct from those of other events. In this project, we will investigate whether the memorability of complex photographs is also determined by their distinctiveness. To this end, we will analyse photographs with deep neural network models to objectively quantify their features and analyse their distinctiveness from other images. In this international project, we will address long-standing questions in cognitive psychology in collaboration with our project partners at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague: What makes an image memorable and how do representations in neural networks differ from those in human memory? Furthermore, there is the possibility to participate in the other research topics of our research unit in the field of psychophysics, visual short-term and long-term memory and neuronal oscillations. Further information on the topics, publications and members of our research unit can be found here: https://www.uni-muenster.de/PsyIFP/AEBusch/index.html The extensive research profile as well as the atmosphere and quality of life in the city make the University of Münster an attractive research location. There is an active interdisciplinary network of labs from cognitive science and the neurosciences, in particular the Otto Creutzfeld Centre (http://www.un-imuenster.de/OCCMuenster/)
Your tasks:
- The position is linked to the realisation of a doctoral project.
- Conducting research in the third-party funded project "Typicality in visual scene recognition: A comparison between neural networks and human memories";
- Development, implementation and analysis of the experiments;
- Publication of the results and presentation at conferences;
- Co-operation with the other members and support of the tasks of the working unit;
- Supervision of student theses
Our expectations:
Required are:
- Degree in psychology (Diploma or Master's degree) or a similar subject;
- Interest in research in the cognitive neurosciences, especially in perception, learning, memory, machine learning or computer vision;
- Programming skills, e.g. in Matlab or Python;
- Excellent command of English.
Of advantage are:
- Experience with relevant research techniques such as psychophysics, EEG, eye tracking;
- Knowledge of machine learning, computer vision or artificial intelligence;
- Ability and enjoyment of learning new skills.
Advantages for you:
- Participation in an exciting, international research project and collaboration with an international project team.
- Collegial working atmosphere in the Unit of General Psychology and the opportunity to conduct your own studies beyond the externally funded project.
- State-of-the-art equipped laboratory for psychophysics, eye tracking, as well as stationary and mobile EEG. Further facilities for virtual reality, brain stimulation, MEG and fMRI are available at the Institute and the University Hospital.
- Opportunity to participate in the interdisciplinary graduate program of the Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience: https://www.uni-muenster.de/OCCMuenster/phd/
The University of Münster strongly supports equal opportunity and diversity. We welcome all applicants regardless of sex, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or worldview, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to creating family-friendly working conditions. Part-time options are generally available.
We actively encourage applications by women. Women with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered unless these are outweighed by reasons which necessitate the selection of another candidate.
If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Niko Busch (niko.busch@uni-muenster.de).
In addition to a cover letter, applications should include a brief description of your research interests (max. 1 page), an academic CV, certificates and contact details of two potential references. Please send your application as a PDF by 2024-08-19. to
Universität Münster
Arbeitseinheit Allgemeine Psychologie
Institut für Psychologie
Prof. Niko Busch
Reference number: 2024_06_33
