aarons@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Aaron Sloman) (06/18/91)
PhD Research Studentship at Birmingham University
Computer Modelling of Cognition/Motivation/Emotions
A charitable organization is providing a small grant for a three year
PhD research studentship to be held in the School of Computer Science at
Birmingham University, whither I shall be moving next month. The student
will be expected to join an ongoing project in this area.
Funding:
The studentship will only cover fees for UK and European Community
students plus a "maintenance" grant at approximately the level of the UK
Science and Engineering Research Council studentships.
Fees: UK/EEC residents 2104 pounds annually for 1991/2
Others 6625 pounds
Non UK/EC residents will have to pay the difference between UK and
overseas fees themselves. (The difference arises because part of the
cost of UK/EC students is paid for directly by the government.)
The standard annual maintenance grant is currently 4125 pounds. There
are no separate funds for travel to Birmingham.
Research Framework:
The student will work in a group with at least two other research
students investigating issues concerned with: the production and
processing of motives, their relationship with attention and other
cognitive processes; and the production of emotional and other affective
states as a result of new percepts, new motives, new thoughts, etc. The
project is based on the idea that neurological, physiological and
behavioural aspects of emotions and other affective states and processes
have generally been over-emphasised and that the primary significance of
affective states is cognitive and computational. The general framework
for this research is outlined in the following papers.
A.Sloman and Monica Croucher,
`Why robots will have emotions', in
Proceedings 7th International Joint Conference on Artificial
Intelligence, Vancouver, 1981,
also available as Cognitive Science Research Paper 176, Sussex
University from Berry Harper (email berry@cogs.sussex.ac.uk)
A. Sloman,
`Motives Mechanisms Emotions' in
Cognition and Emotion, vol 1,no 3, pp.217-234 1987,
reprinted in M.A. Boden (ed)
The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
"Oxford Readings in Philosophy" Series
Oxford University Press, pp 231-247 1990.
(Also available as Cognitive Science Research Paper No 62,
Sussex University.)
A. Sloman
`Prolegomena to a theory of communication and affect'
To appear in
Ortony, A., Slack, J., and Stock, O. (Eds.)
A.I. and Cognitive Science Perspectives on Communication.
Heidelberg, Germany: Springer, 1991.
(Also available as Cognitive Science Research Paper No 194
University of Sussex)
Some of the ideas are inspired by
H.A. Simon, H.A.: `Motivational and Emotional Controls of Cognition'
in Models of Thought, Yale University Press, (1979) pp29-38
Useful background reading:
Ortony, A., Clore, G.L., Collins, A.:
The Cognitive Structure of the Emotions,
New York, Cambridge University Press (1988)
The aim of this project is not detailed accurate modelling of human
mental processes, which would be far too difficult at present, but
exploration of general design principles for resource-limited
intelligent agents with multiple sources of motivation in a fast
changing, partly unpredictable world.
It is expected that the student would collaborate in computer simulation
studies requiring the design and implementation of simplified models of
cognitive architectures able to support interactions between perceptual
processes, reasoning, planning, plan-execution, diversion of attention,
asynchronous generation of new motives, etc. The project will be based
on workstations or terminals connected to a Sun SPARCServer 670 in the
School of Computer Science. There are close links with the School of
Psychology, through the Cognitive Science Research Centre.
Part of the project will be studying philosophical or psychological
literature on motivation and emotions and assessing it from the design
standpoint.
Prerequisites:
Applicants should have some experience of software design and
development, preferably using AI programming languages. A relevant
background in psychology or philosophy would be an additional asset.
Applicants should have at least a first class or upper second class
degree or equivalent, e.g. high grades in an MSc degree.
Of the two existing research students on the project, one has a first
degree in Computer Science and one a first degree in Psychology. One of
the supervisors works in AI and Philosophy, one in Psychology.
How to apply:
Please send a CV giving the following information.
1. Full name:
2. Date of birth:
3. Nationality:
4. Postal Address:
5. Phone number(s):
6. Email address:
7. Educational qualifications, including degree class:
8. Any relevant experience:
9. Publications, if any:
10. Names and addresses of two or three referees
(Include phone number and email address if possible)
11. Outline how you see yourself able to fit into the project
described above. What would you particularly like to do? What
could you contribute to a project of this sort? (Don't worry about
the fact that you don't yet know exactly what the others involved
are likely to be doing. The successful candidate will have an
opportunity to help shape the goals of the project.)
12. Shortlisted applicants may be requested to provide a copy of
a recent paper or essay. If you wish you may send one without
waiting to be asked.
Where to send it:
Applications should be addressed to:
Professor Aaron Sloman
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
The University of Sussex
Brighton, BN1 9QH
England
Email: aarons@cogs.sussex.ac.uk or aarons@cogs.uucp
Address after 18th July:
School of Computer Science
The University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT
England
(Email at the above address will be forwarded)
CLOSING DATE:
28TH JUNE 1991. A DECISION WILL BE TAKEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER
Apologies for short notice.