Global PhD in topic: Exploring the Cognitive-Emotional Dimensions of Human Interaction with Social Deepfakes

University of Bristol (UoB), United Kingdom and Macquarie University, Australia, are pleased to offer a Global PhD opportunity. The studentship is available for home students (as classified by the University of Bristol – further information here). It is anticipated that the studentship will start in January 2025 at the University of Bristol and on 1 July 2025 at Macquarie University.

About the scholarship:

Deepfakes are synthetically generated media such as images and videos created using generative AI. A particularly intriguing subclass is “social deepfakes”, designed to mimic or simulate plausible human features and behaviour (faces, movement, expressive social cues). This social element imbues deepfakes with significant potential for novel (mis)applications, from digital assistants for mental healthcare to spreading misinformation. The effectiveness of social deepfakes relies in part on humans’ specialised perceptual processes fine-tuned to faces and biological motion, and emotional mechanisms for responding to social human-like cues. Despite this, the bulk of research on deepfakes has focused on exploring algorithmic detection methods to establish authenticity. This overlooks the cognitive and emotional processes that dictate how humans perceive, interact with, and are potentially influenced by social deepfakes – effects that may occur implicitly, and persist even with conscious awareness of their artificial nature.

This project will investigate the cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying human interaction with expressive facial deepfakes, including how (a) socioemotional cues embedded in deepfakes contribute to authenticity and socioemotional judgements; (b) how deepfakes impact explicit and implicit socioemotional reactions; and (c) how perceptual mechanisms contribute to authenticity and socioemotional processing of deepfakes. The successful candidate will design and run lab-based and online experiments to answer these questions, combining a range of behavioural and psychophysiological measures (e.g., eye-tracking, face-tracking, EMG, Skin Conductance, and potentially EEG/MEG)

The project will be jointly supervised by Dr Hélio Cuve (Main Supervisor, School of Psychological Science, UoB) and Professor Kevin Brooks (Main Supervisor, School of Psychological Science, MQ) with additional co-supervisors in both institutions (Prof Michael Banissy, UoB; Professor Anina Rich, MQ).

Candidates with degrees in Psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and related fields, are particularly encouraged to apply. While having an MSc is desirable, it is not a requirement. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills, the ability to collaborate effectively, and experience or interest in data-driven methods, programming for research and data analysis for cognitive science (e.g., R, Python, Matlab).

Availability:

The scholarship is available to candidates eligible to undertake a direct entry PhD program at University of Bristol and Macquarie University. Admission and scholarship criteria of both universities must be met.

Funding notes:

The scholarship comprises the equivalent of a full-fees award and stipend for the normal full-fee paying period up to 3.5 years. Scholarship holders will be expected to have submitted their thesis for examination by the end of that period.

Candidates are expected to spend the first 21 months at UoB, followed by 21 months at MQ.

The UoB scholarship contribution will include the following components:

• 42-month tuition fee scholarship for UoB fees (home students only – further information here)
• 21 months EPSRC-funded and 21-months Faculty fee waiver.
• 21-month stipend (at UKRI rates) & £1,000 research training support grant per annum, paid pro-rata for the period spent on campus at UoB.

The MQ scholarship contribution will include the following components:

• 36-month tuition fee scholarship for MQ fees. Note that the student registers to the Dual PhD Psych (Macquarie) at UoB first, for 3.5 years. They register to the equivalent Global PhD (cotutelle) at MQ after 6 months, for a 3-year period, keeping the programme end dates the same at each institution.
• 21-month stipend scholarship at an annual rate of AUD $38,500 (tax exempt, 2025 rate), paid pro-rata for the period spent on campus at MQ.
• Airfare allowance for flights between the UK and Sydney up to AUD $4,000.

Unless otherwise specified, the scholarships do not cover:

• Any continuation, extension, or resubmission period/fees.
• A research training grant or another equivalent award for research expenses.
• Support for travel, immigration, health insurance and related charges between the partner institutions.

How to apply:

Prospective candidates should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Global PhD in Psychology project via email, directly to the both supervisors

· Dr. Hélio Cuve: [email protected]

· Professor Kevin Brooks: [email protected]

Please use the subject line: Global PhD in Psychology.

Your EOI email must include:

· CV (including references)

· Academic transcripts

· Statement (maximum 500 words) describing your fit for the project.

Full application:

· Successful candidates will need to submit a formal application to both institutions (including a research proposal aligned with the project’s scope and a personal statement). Deadline 26th August 2024.

· When making your application, please use the programme title Psychology (PhD) (Macquarie), indicate the supervisor name and the project title on the form. Ensure you provide all supporting documents as per the programme admissions statement.

· Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview on the 4th September 2024.

· All relevant entry and immigration requirements for both institutions must be met.