Job description
A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in cognitive psychology is available at RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion and the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo.RITMO is a Centre of Excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway. This interdisciplinary centre focuses on rhythm as a structuring mechanism for the temporal dimensions of human life. Methods from musicology, psychology, neuroscience, and informatics are combined to study rhythm as a fundamental property that shapes and underpins human cognition, behavior and cultural expressions.
All RITMO researchers are co-located and work in a unique interdisciplinary constellation, with world-leading competence in musicology, psychology and informatics. It is expected that all members of the centre contribute to the general activities and collaborations within RITMO. The researchers have access to state-of-the-art facilities in sound/video recording, motion capture, eye tracking, physiological measurements, various types of brain imaging and electroencephalography (EEG, fMRI), and rapid prototyping and robotics laboratories.
The doctoral fellow will work on an empirical project investigating musical abilities related to rhythm, their underlying genetic structure, and their relationship to personality. The project title is Musical abilites: A twin study.
The project description can be obtained by contacting professor Bruno Laeng bruno.laeng@psykologi.uio.no.
Methodologically, the project will rely on behavioral genetics, specifically the use of the twin method, as well as experimental behavioral methods, pupillometry, and psychometrics. The candidate is to submit a project outline (3-5 pages). Project outlines addressing the following topics are encouraged: Measurement and structure of musical abilities and preferences ; Relations between rhythmic abilities, motor control, and mental effort ; Hedonics or aesthetic responses (e.g., chills) to rhythm in music and across modalities and their relationship to personality traits, wellbeing, health and context.
The research fellow must take part in the Faculty of Social Sciences’ approved PhD program and is expected to complete the project within the fellowship period.The appointment is for a duration of three years, starting 1 September 2020. A fourth year can be considered with the addition of 25 % teaching requirements, depending on the competence of the applicant and the needs of the Department of Psychology. The fellowship period may be reduced if the candidate has previously been employed in a research fellowship position.