Humans possess an unparalleled capacity to learn socially from others with extraordinary fidelity. This capacity has given rise to complex, cumulative culture. And cumulative culture, in turn, has been essential for the success humans have enjoyed in recent evolutionary history. Unsurprisingly, then, social learning receives centre-stage attention in evolutionary anthropology and related evolutionary sciences. Important, but unanswered questions include: What social learning strategies do people employ in everyday life? Moreover, do individuals differ in the social learning strategies they use? And if they do, what explains those differences, both at the proximate and the ultimate level? Does strategy-use, for example, differ as a function of learners’ demographics, their life-history strategies, basic personality traits, the cultural context, or historical/generational trends?
With funding from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant), our interdisciplinary research group at the Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim seeks to elucidate these and other fundamental questions on the nature of social learning in collaboration with Dr. Alex Mesoudi (Human Behaviour and Cultural Evolution Group, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus), Dr. Wilhelm Hofmann (Chair of Social Psychology, University of Bochum), and Dr. Daniel Haun (Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Plack Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology).
Your tasks include:
- Collaboration with members of the ERC project on social learning,especially social learning in everyday life via experience sampling methodology (together with Dr. Haun and Dr. Hofmann) and personality differences in the use of social learning strategies (together with Dr. Cenni and Dr. Mesoudi).
- Teaching seminars (in English or German language) in the area of social and/or personality psychology (broadly defined!). The successful job candidate can chose the topics for teaching themselves. Examples are courses on “social learning,” “cultural evolution,” “sociobiology,” “evolutionary social psychology/anthropology,” “(behavioural) genetics of social behaviour,” or “evolutionary genetics of personality.”
- (Co-)Supervision of theses at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD level
Your profile:
- PhD in evolutionary anthropology or related evolutionary sciences, such as behavioural ecology, evolutionary biology, or evolutionary psychology.
- Keen interests in social learning, experience sampling methodology/ ambulatory assessment, and personality and, ideally, expertise in (some of) those areas.
What we offer:
- A 3-year temporary position with the option for extension to 6 years, in accordance with German law (WissZeitVG).
- Interdisciplinary and international research environment, involving scholars from the University of Mannheim (Germany), the University of Exeter (England), the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), the University of Bochum (Germany), and the Max Plack Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Germany).
- Substantial funds from the European Research Council and the University of Mannheim to carry out highest quality research.
- Possibility to acquire a “habilitation” (German 2nd doctorate), if desired by the successful candidate.
Application deadline (extended): 2024-04-15.