Summer RA positions available at the Harvard Music Lab

The Music Lab is the newest lab in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. We study the basic science of music in an effort to understand how and why humans produce and perceive music at all ages and across cultures. We are recruiting undergraduate research assistants in the fields of cognitive science, evolutionary biology, music theory, ethnomusicology, anthropology, linguistics, or computer science to spend their summer with us!

Summer RAs will be working on studies investigating universals in music perception and music production, people’s use of music in daily life, acoustics of music production in informal settings, studies of the impact of infant-directed song on infant affect and behavior, and long-term effects of the use of music in the home on parent and infant health. You can learn more about us and read our papers at themusiclab.org.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of example summer projects that summer RAs will help to run:

1. Expanding our diverse collection of audio recordings for the Natural History of Song Project. Ideal for students with interests in ethnomusicology, anthropology, music theory, and exploration of non-western music.

2. In-lab studies exploring the degree to which music can function as a tool for parents to use when their infants are upset. This project will utilize a variety of research technologies, including wearable devices to track real-time physiological data from infants, motion tracking, emotion recognition, pupillometry, and more. Ideal for students interested in getting hands-on research experience running infant subjects in a developmental laboratory.

3. Crowd-sourced online studies about music categorization and perception using both traditional study pools of online workers and “citizen science” approaches. Ideal for students with interests in programming surveys, designing stimuli, and working with large, data sets from online participants.

4. Studies examining the possibility of links between synchronous activity (music or otherwise) and cooperation, prosociality, and interpersonal affinity. Ideal for students interested in social cognition and developing robust, replicable methods for online data collection.

5. Mobile app-based data collection from parents of infants and young children concerning infant/child temperament, parenting behaviors, and their relations to one another. Ideal for students interested in developing technical skills (e.g., SQL, JavaScript), developing methods for ecological momentary assessment, and applications of psychological research to health outcomes.

To apply, please fill out this google form: https://goo.gl/forms/iUR2mOltZieAxjZq1. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Academic credit or stipends may be available. Please send us your questions at musiclab+summer@g.harvard.edu.

Summer RA positions available at the Harvard Music Lab

The Music Lab is the newest lab in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. We study the basic science of music in an effort to understand how and why humans produce and perceive music at all ages and across cultures. We are recruiting undergraduate research assistants in the fields of cognitive science, evolutionary biology, music theory, ethnomusicology, anthropology, linguistics, or computer science to spend their summer with us!

Summer RAs will be working on studies investigating universals in music perception and music production, people’s use of music in daily life, acoustics of music production in informal settings, studies of the impact of infant-directed song on infant affect and behavior, and long-term effects of the use of music in the home on parent and infant health. You can learn more about us and read our papers at themusiclab.org.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of example summer projects that summer RAs will help to run:

1. Expanding our diverse collection of audio recordings for the Natural History of Song Project. Ideal for students with interests in ethnomusicology, anthropology, music theory, and exploration of non-western music.

2. In-lab studies exploring the degree to which music can function as a tool for parents to use when their infants are upset. This project will utilize a variety of research technologies, including wearable devices to track real-time physiological data from infants, motion tracking, emotion recognition, pupillometry, and more. Ideal for students interested in getting hands-on research experience running infant subjects in a developmental laboratory.

3. Crowd-sourced online studies about music categorization and perception using both traditional study pools of online workers and “citizen science” approaches. Ideal for students with interests in programming surveys, designing stimuli, and working with large, data sets from online participants.

4. Studies examining the possibility of links between synchronous activity (music or otherwise) and cooperation, prosociality, and interpersonal affinity. Ideal for students interested in social cognition and developing robust, replicable methods for online data collection.

5. Mobile app-based data collection from parents of infants and young children concerning infant/child temperament, parenting behaviors, and their relations to one another. Ideal for students interested in developing technical skills (e.g., SQL, JavaScript), developing methods for ecological momentary assessment, and applications of psychological research to health outcomes.

To apply, please fill out this google form: https://goo.gl/forms/iUR2mOltZieAxjZq1. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Academic credit or stipends may be available. Please send us your questions at musiclab+summer@g.harvard.edu.

Yale Computation and Cognitive Development Lab Summer Internship 2018

Yale University Computation and Cognitive Development Lab

Summer Internship 2018

The Computation and Cognitive Development Lab (CCDL), run by Dr. Julian Jara-Ettinger, studies the cognitive building blocks of our ability to make sense of and navigate the social and physical world. Previous and current research in the lab has examined topics such as children’s understanding of fairness, luck, and knowledge. More information about our research can be found at http://www.compdevlab.com

We are seeking undergraduate interns to participate first hand in our research studies. Summer interns will have the chance to take part in all aspects of the research process, and will help recruit and test participants ages three to eight, learn to design and run studies, and code and analyze results. In addition, interns will have the chance to attend lab meetings, participate in reading groups, and join graduate students, interns, and other researchers in the Yale psychology department for social activities including bowling, trivia nights, and dinners.

Interns will work 30-40 hours per week. This internship is best suited for students interested in or studying developmental or cognitive psychology, or cognitive sciences. Students are encouraged to apply for funding from their home institution, but internal funding is available on a need basis. The internship will run from early June through the end of July.

If you are interested in applying, please fill out the application form found here, and submit the application, a CV/Resumé, and a copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine) as a PDF with subject line “[YOUR LAST NAME] CCDL Internship 2018″ to madison.flowers@yale.edu. Additionally, please have one letter of recommendation sent directly from the recommender to the lab manager at madison.flowers@yale.edu. We will begin reviewing applications in mid-February.

Michigan Summer Program in Cognition & Early Development (MSPICED)

Join us at the Michigan Summer Program in Cognition & Early Development (MSPICED)

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Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

We are seeking motivated students to participate first hand in developmental psychological research. Our research aims to understand the cognitive and social foundation of young children’s behavior, including how children think about the minds of others, how they cooperate, and how language shapes their thinking.

Our summer internship programs lasts 10 weeks, from June 4 to August 10, 2018. You will be paired with a graduate student or postdoctoral mentor to work on cutting-edge research. You will gain experience and exposure to a variety of research activities, including: conducting experimental studies with children; data analysis using advanced video coding technology and statistical software; recruiting and scheduling child participants and their families; and aiding in the development of research design.

In addition to participating in research, you will participate in weekly lab meetings and reading groups. This will give you a chance to learn more about current developments in psychological research and provide feedback on ongoing projects. You will learn how to give a poster presentation and how to summarize research findings in writing. We will include sessions on professional development, such as paths towards graduate school and advice on how to write research statements.

This is a cooperation of three laboratories by Dr. Susan Gelman, Dr. Felix Warneken, and Dr. Henry Wellman.

Interested applicants can find more information about our internship program here and fill out an online application form. Please do so no later than the deadline of February 15, 2018.

An interest in psychology and working with children is essential, and previous experience is a plus. We offer half-time (20 hours a week) and full-time internships (30-40 hours a week). Some funding is available, especially for qualified underrepresented students. Applicants who come from an educational, cultural, or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study in their discipline in the United States or at the University of Michigan, should identify as such on the application form.

For questions, please send us an email at MSPICED-admin@umich.edu