How does language help young infants learn about structure in the world? Does word learning shape their categorisation skills?
While recent research has provided plenty of insight into these questions, much of what we know relies on lab-based procedures. The aim of this project will be to take research out of the lab and ask whether language can play an even more important role in real-life scenarios, where infants encounter much more diverse, cluttered and less structured scenes than in ‘standard’ tests of infant category learning. The project will use a mixture of behavioural and neuroimaging methods. Head-mounted eye tracking will for instance be used to examine infants’ attention during learning in naturalistic scenarios, and EEG will provide insight into learning and mental representations, for instance using multivariate pattern analysis techniques. Training in these methods and techniques will form part of the PhD programme. Depending on the candidate’s interests, a focus on computational modelling is also an option, e.g. the simulation of learning processes using deep learning / neural networks. The candidate will work closely with a group of researchers in this area at the Developmental Dynamics Lab at UEA, which provides state-of-the-art facilities for developmental science. As one of the current projects of the group, led by Teodora Gliga, investigates categorisation in hearing vs. deaf infants there may also be opportunities to be involved in ongoing research in this field.
When applying for this project, please select that you are applying with your own research proposal, selecting Psychology as the subject area and including the project title within the 'Research Title and Summary' section of the application. If you have any questions about the application process, please email us.
