signalling in
animals: identifying positive affect and its consequences
School of Psychology, University of Sussex
Supervisor: Prof Karen McComb (University of Sussex)
and Dr Leanne Proops (University of Sussex)
Emotional
signalling is a crucial but poorly understood aspect of animal social
behaviour, mediating important social interactions and contributing to an
individual’s ability to form social relationships and reproduce successfully.
One aspect of emotional signalling in animals that has received surprisingly
little attention is the way in which positive emotions are expressed and the
consequences of this signalling both for the individual itself and its
conspecifics. Displaying positive emotions may contribute to building an
individual’s own resilience as well as enhancing its ability to form social
bonds – a possibility that has not been investigated in animals. Moreover, it
is now recognised that animal welfare should be assessed not simply by the
absence of negative emotions, but also by the presence of positive ones, so a
systematic study of how positive emotions are expressed in a range of species
would have considerable applied value. The PhD student would use techniques
developed in our lab for quantifying animal facial expressions (and
vocalisations) in order to identify cues that are consistently associated with
positive emotional experiences. They would also explore the relationship
between signals with positive emotional valence and physiological and
behavioural measures of coping behaviour. Work on domestic horses would provide
a starting point for this study, but the project would look at parallels in
cues used to signal positive emotion across a range of different mammal species
and their relationship to individual coping mechanisms and social behaviour.
Applications should
be made by Friday 30th January 2015. The award of the studentship
will be based on a competitive process. If awarded, it would be a full-time
studentship (funded for a duration of three years) covering tuition fee, and a
maintenance allowance. The maintenance allowance is currently £13,863 per
annum. There is an expectation to contribute to teaching on a paid basis.
Eligibility
requirements for potential candidates:
· This award will
only pay fees at the Home/EU rate. The maintenance allowance is currently
£13,863 per annum.
· Candidates
must have, or expect to obtain, a First or a high Upper Second Class Honours
undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, and/or a Master's degree in
Psychology or a related discipline.
Guidance for
applicants:
Please send your initial
enquires by email for the attention of 'Postgraduate Coordinator' to: psychology@sussex.ac.uk
If you wish to discuss the
details of this PhD project further please contact Prof Karen McComb (karenm@sussex.ac.uk)
Applications should be
submitted to the University of Sussex online postgraduate application system (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/2015entry)
by Friday 30th January 2015.
Please submit your online
application together with:
· A research
statement that briefly outlines our current state of knowledge, hypotheses that
could be addressed, and an outline of potential methods. Your answer should not
exceed 2 pages including references, be set at minimum 10 font type with
margins a minimum of 1cm.
· A
teaching-related statement that addresses the normal expectation that you
contribute to teaching of statistics and research methods (up to 300 words).
An up to date CV
· A current
degree transcript(s) with full details of performance on all completed courses
Two academic references
The proposed source of funding
should be specified as 'GTA’.