ESRC DTP Strategic Joint Studentship: From Scarcity to Persistence: Early Environments, Partial Reinforcement and Problematic Gambling

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). One of 15 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, Aston Leicester, Loughborough, De Montfort and Nottingham Trent.

We are now inviting applications for an ESRC Strategic Joint Studentship between the School of Psychology and Vision Science, University of Leicester (where the student will be registered) and Aston University to commence in October 2026.

Project Details

Gambling harms are a major public health issue and are socioeconomically patterned, with people from more deprived backgrounds at higher risk of problem gambling. Decision-making models offer powerful tools for understanding the psychological mechanisms by which socioeconomic environments shape gambling-related choices. This project will examine this with a focus on how features of early childhood environments (e.g., experiences of adversity, scarcity and unpredictability), influence the transition from recreational to problem gambling. The project will build on tasks using the partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE), the phenomenon wherein weakly-reinforced behaviours persist longer after reinforcement ends than strongly-reinforced ones. Recent pilot findings with experimental simulations of socioeconomic circumstances show that participants who begin partial reinforcement tasks “in debt” gamble longer in extinction phases. This project will extend this by exploiting the unique ability of laboratory PREE tasks to examine the precise mechanisms that drive addictive behaviour.

The project will combine formal modelling, experimental simulations of socioeconomic gradients, and self-reported measures of early life environments and psychological traits, to examine a series of interrelated research questions: 

1. When and for which measures of socioeconomic status is the experimental PREE most robust?
2. Which features of early life environments predict and interact with behaviour in this paradigm?
3. Do these findings extend to target populations receiving support for addictive behaviour?

The project will be supervised by Dr Emma Bridger (University of Leicester) and Dr Richard Tunney (Aston University) and will develop the candidate’s advanced quantitative skills in formal mathematical modelling and simulation, experimental design, programming and coding and hierarchical linear modelling. The PhD candidate will design all aspects of the project with input from individuals with lived experience of gambling harm. Candidates should have evidence of a strong academic record in psychology or related discipline. Experience working with minoritized or vulnerable populations and/or programming in Python are desirable skills. The successful candidate will benefit from a supportive supervision team and diverse research expertise across the Health and Wellbeing (with Ageing) Research Group (University of Leicester) and the Applied Health Research Group (Aston University).

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the Strategic Joint Studentship application form available online via the 'Apply' button above. Please upload an anonymised CV and short cover letter as part of the online application process. Shortlisted applicants will also be required to provide transcripts and two references.

Application deadline: Mon 23^rd Feb (12noon/GMT)

Interview date:  Tues 10^th March (Provisional)

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants. For further details, visit: www.mgsdtp.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/.

Informal enquiries about the research or the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences prior to application can be directed to Emma Bridger (eb441@leicester.ac.uk).

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