{"id":5236,"date":"2023-03-20T17:43:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T17:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/psychology\/?p=5236"},"modified":"2023-04-04T09:30:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T08:30:30","slug":"leverhulme-studentship-the-cognitive-constraints-on-childrens-ability-to-manage-a-conversation-topic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/psychology\/2023\/03\/20\/leverhulme-studentship-the-cognitive-constraints-on-childrens-ability-to-manage-a-conversation-topic\/","title":{"rendered":"Leverhulme Studentship- “The cognitive constraints on children’s ability to manage a conversation topic”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD studentship in the School of Psychology at the University of Kent, funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Principal Investigator: Dr Kirsten Abbot-Smith; Co-Investigators: Dr Danielle Matthews, Dr Michael Forrester, Prof Susan Leekam). The studentship commences in September 2023.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Funding<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This studentship is suitable for applicants who have or will completed a Master\u2019s degree or equivalent to high merit or distinction level in either Psychology, Psycholinguistics, Cognitive Science or Human Communication Sciences by September 2023.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The studentship award covers for a period of three years a) your tuition fees at the \u2018Home (UK) Student\u2019 rate (i.e. if you are a UK student, you will not pay fees) and\u00a0 b) additionally provides you with a tax-free stipend (approx. \u00a317,668 per annum <\/span>(based on 2022-23 rates)<\/span> for maintenance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research Project<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The studentship, starting in\u202f<\/span>September 2023<\/span><\/b>, will be part of the Leverhulme-funded grant project titled \u201cThe cognitive constraints on children\u2019s ability to manage a conversation topic\u201d which aims to determine how the cognitive constraints of\u202f<\/span>interest intensity<\/span><\/i>,\u202f<\/span>cognitive flexibility<\/span><\/i>\u202f(switching),\u202f<\/span>autistic traits<\/span><\/i>\u202fand\u202f<\/span>core language processing efficiency<\/span><\/i>\u202fimpact conversation topic management in children.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The studentship will primarily focus on how children manage topic-switching and task-switching and how this relates to behaviours commonly classed in the category of \u2018Repetitive Behaviours and Restricted Interests\u2019 (RRBIs). \u202fInitially, the applicant would collect and \/ or analyse data on how primary-school-aged children deal with the following: a) switching conversation topics, b) topic-switching by others c) special interests, d) performance on measures of cognitive flexibility and e) parent-rated difficulties with changes to routine.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the pre-defined studies to be conducted in year 1, the PhD student will gain independence in years 2 and 3 by developing and running his \/ her own further experiments to examine the how children respond to topic-switching and \/ or how they manage topic transition themselves. In addition, the student will also further analyse RRBIs and will explore relationships between language-related RRBIs (e.g. topic perseveration) and non-language RRBIs. The student will be closely supervised to ensure that planned experiments are appropriately designed and fit with the core objectives of the project.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, the PhD will require (a) designing experimental studies, (b) collecting data in schools and \/ or via Zoom, (c) analysing data, and (d) supporting the project investigators and the project\u2019s post-doctoral research assistants in their data collection and analysis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The applicant for the studentship will be involved in the dissemination of the project findings (conference presentations, publications).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The student will work closely with and be supervised by\u202f<\/span>Dr Kirsten Abbot-Smith<\/span><\/a>\u202fthroughout the research process (developing methods, data collection, analysis) and will work in close collaboration with Co-Investigator Dr Danielle Matthews (University of Sheffield). The student will also work closely with the post-doctoral research associate, Dr Katie Carpenter, during the first half of the studentship. There will be monthly contact with CIs Dr Michael Forrester and Prof Susan Leekam via reading groups, as well as written comments on the student\u2019s draft work.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The student will be enrolled in the\u202f<\/span>School of Psychology\u2019s PhD programme<\/span><\/a>\u202fwhere he\/she will join a circa 50- strong community of PhD students. The school\u2019s PhD programme forms part of an ESRC-funded doctoral training programme and includes monthly progress reports as well as training in advanced statistical methods and other transferable skills. The PhD student will participate in formal statistical training, the length of which will depend on his\/ her prior statistical training and understanding. The PhD student will prepare at least three peer-reviewed journal publications on which s\/he is first author. The student will be part of the\u202f<\/span>Kent Child Development Unit<\/span><\/a>\u202fat the School of Psychology located on the Canterbury campus of the University of Kent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eligibility<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The competition is open to applicants of all student fee paying statuses; however, this studentship covers fees at the Home (i.e. UK) rate only. This means that EU and International students are required to make up the difference in fees. Because the planned studies involve conversing with primary-school-aged children, applicants will need to speak British English at a level of native-like fluency and will need to be able to understand with ease British regional accents as spoken by children. Applicants will also need to have substantial experience interacting with primary-school-aged children. Applicants will need to have a natural empathy for these participants and an ability to make conversational interactions enjoyable even for shy children.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note that current Kent PhD students are not eligible for this award.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All\u202f<\/span>completed<\/span><\/b>\u202fapplications received by\u202f<\/span>17.00 (UK time) on Sunday 4<\/span><\/b>th<\/span><\/b> June 2023\u202f<\/span><\/b>will be considered.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Completed applications must comprise all of the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n