Job description

This is a Research assistant position to work with Dr Samuel Evans (Principal Investigator) and is funded by the Experimental Psychological Society.  This research will investigate the auditory imagery abilities of people with aphantasia.

Individuals with aphantasia are unable to generate mental imagery.  To date, research has focused on their deficits in visual imagery.  However, many people with aphantasia also report reduced auditory imagery, for example, a difficulty in summoning to mind the voice of a family member or the tune of a well-known song.  This research project attempts to quantify and characterise auditory imagery deficits in these individuals.

This role is based in Neuroimaging at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IOPPN) at the Denmark Hill Campus.

The main duties of the post holder will be to assist in conducting behavioural research studies.

The post holder will help to design and implement online experiments, to collect and analyse data, and to disseminate findings at conferences and in journal articles.

This post will be offered as a fixed term contract -  3 months.

This is a part-time post - 60% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

•      To design and implement online experiments under the guidance of the Principal Investigator.  

•      To manage participant recruitment and participant payment processes. 

•      To analyse experimental data under the guidance of the Principal Investigator.  

•      To contribute to the dissemination of the experimental findings at conferences and in journal articles. 

•      To contribute to project planning and day-to-day management of the research.  

•      To manage own academic research and administrative activities, within guidelines provided by the Principal Investigator. 

•      To liaise with project partners and collaborators as required. 

•   The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential Criteria

1.      To be studying towards or have completed a BSc in a relevant field of study (e.g. psychology, cognitive neuroscience, speech sciences). 

2.      Evidence of excellent verbal communication skills. 

3.      Evidence of good time management and project management skills. 

4.      Evidence of excellent academic writing skills. 

5.      Evidence of an ability to work independently and to use own initiative, as well as to collaborate with others. 

6.      Evidence of being able to produce high-quality work efficiently and to prioritize workload to meet targets and deadlines. 

7.      Good general computing skills and use of Microsoft Office 365 programs. 

Desired Criteria

1.      Experience of using experiment builders such as Gorilla, Testable or E-Prime. 

2.      Experience of using online participant pools such as Prolific. 

3.      Experience in data analysis using statistical packages such as R or SPSS. 

4.      Knowledge in the areas of speech, auditory perception and/or imagery. 

5.      Experience of programming in languages such as R, MATLAB and/or Python. 

6.      Experience designing and running a psychological or behavioural research project. 

7.      To be studying towards or have completed a Master’s degree in a related area (e.g. psychology, speech sciences, neuroimaging).