Research Assistant x 2

You will assist in carrying out research on the beneficial cognitive, affective and behavioural effects of appreciating art and aesthetic objects (e.g., during museum visits), under the supervision of Professor Simone Schnall. The research is conducted within the project "Higher Values: Aesthetic Experiences, Transcendence, and Prosociality" funded by the Templeton Religion Trust. 

You will have a strong background in conducting experimental psychology research and should be knowledgeable about how to carry out data collections, both in-person or using platforms such as Qualtrics, Gorilla and Prolific, and statistical analysis using SPSS and/or R. 

You will be based in Cambridge, in-person in office for a minimum of 3 days per week. 

The key responsibilities are related to carrying out empirical studies, and the tasks to support such data collections, and are as follows: Conducting reviews of scientific literature relevant to empirical studies (typically covering topics in social psychology, moral psychology, and the psychology of art); designing studies, in collaboration with the Principal Investigator; building databases of stimuli; preparing study materials; collecting data in online, field, and laboratory studies; data-entry tasks; statistical analyses of the data collected; writing up the research findings in journal articles; organising and running an interdisciplinary workshop with policy makers and other stakeholders; supervising final-year undergraduate projects related to the project, and assisting the PI with administrative duties. You will also be expected to carry out any additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post. 

You will need to hold an undergraduate degree in psychology by the start date of the post. You should have a strong interest in social psychology, particularly moral psychology, and/or the psychology of art. You will have previous experience in rigorously conducting online, lab-based, or field studies using highly controlled research designs, and paradigms typically used in experimental psychology. Quantitative skills, including an ability to process and analyse data, using SPSS and/or R, will be essential, as is the ability to use stimulus presentation software such as PsychoPy, Qualtrics, and/or Gorilla and participant panels such as Prolific. You will need to have strong interpersonal and written skills, including the ability to work effectively and sensitively with researchers from different disciplines, stakeholders in the arts and museums sector, and research participants. You will also need to have excellent organisation and time-management skills and be conscientious and detail-oriented. 

Fixed-term: Funds for this post are available until 18 January 2027. 

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

Informal queries may be sent to:

• Professor Simone Schnall (ss877@cam.ac.uk) for queries about the role and relevant skills.
• hr-team@psychol.cam.ac.uk for queries about the application process. 

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Cover Letter detailing how you meet the criteria in the person specification in the Upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please quote reference PJ47617 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy. 

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. 

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. 

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