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Postdoctoral position in 'Logics for higher-order social cognition', Groningen (The Netherlands)

Post-doc position: Logics for higher-order social cognition
http://www.academictransfer.com/employer/RUG/vacancy/5429/lang/en/

Postdoc position Logics for higher-order social cognition (1,0 fte)

     Location	Groningen
     Education	University Graduate
     Hours	38.0 hours per week
     Salary	maximum EUR 2612
     End procedure	1 September 2010
     Job number	210249

Job description

The postdoc position is available in the Multi-agent Systems Group in the 
Institute of Artificial Intelligence (ALICE) at the University of 
Groningen. The candidate will join the five-year Vici project of Prof. 
Rineke Verbrugge, comprising six researchers.

The Vici project 'Cognitive systems in interaction: Logical and 
computational models of higher-order social cognition'.

Software agents are capable of recursion in their social reasoning: A 
thinks about what B knows, about what B thinks that A knows, and so on. 
However, humans lose track of such reasoning after only two or three 
levels. If software agents work together with human team-mates, they need 
to take into account the limits of their social cognition. In the Vici 
project, we investigate children's development and adults' limitations in 
applying higher-order reasoning, using a close-knit combination of 
empirical research and formal modelling. Whereas first-order social 
cognition has been intensely investigated, higher-order social cognition 
is far less well-understood. This Vici project aims to apply improved 
understanding of higher-order social reasoning to design realistic logics, 
ready for implementation in systems supporting mixed human-computer teams.

The postdoc project: How logical can higher-order social cognition be?

The usual dynamic epistemic logics are built on the idealized assumption 
that participants in intelligent interaction are logically omniscient, in 
particular, they can correctly reason about higher-order mental states of 
others. Recently, however, there has been a call for more realistic 
resource-bounded logics. The postdoc designs resource-bounded logics for 
reasoning about other agents. Results from the experimental studies and 
cognitive models (by other participants in the Vici project) about 
processing bottlenecks in complex higher-order attributions are used to 
tailor the logics to human cognitive capabilities. One combined system may 
model several types of reasoners with different resource bounds, tuned by 
parameters such as inferential capabilities, reflective capabilities, and 
revision policies. Then, the postdoc extends these parametrized 
resource-bounded logics with a realistic component representing team 
reasoning, incorporating dynamic aspects such as effects of communication. 
Finally, the postdoc operationalizes the logics and investigates their 
computational properties, such as complexity of model checking. 
Requirements We seek an energetic postdoc candidate to carry out this 
fundamental research project at the forefront of the interdisciplinary 
combination of cognitive science, logic, and artificial intelligence. The 
candidate has a PhD degree in logic, artificial intelligence, cognitive 
science, mathematics or computer science, with a strong interest and 
proven skills in logic. Good analytical skills and a positive attitude 
towards interdisciplinary work are required. Objective of the 3 years 
position is the production of a number of research articles in 
peer-reviewed scientific journals. Teaching duties of 10% of the time are 
foreseen, for example, supervision of master's theses. In exceptional 
cases, the position may be filled as a PhD position by a Master of Logic, 
for a period up to 4 years. Conditions of employment The University of 
Groningen offers a salary dependent on qualifications and work experience 
of € 2,379 gross per month up to a maximum of € 3,755 (scale 10) gross per 
month for a full-time job. This position is defined according to the UFO 
function profile 'researcher'. The Institute of Artificial Intelligence 
and Cognitive Engineering (ALICE) at the University of Groningen provides 
a stimulating research environment, with good facilities and high quality 
training and teaching.

Start date: Autumn 2010.

Application

We would like to receive letters in English language, including a personal 
motivation, a curriculum vitae, and the names and addresses of three 
referees (including telephone number and e-mail address).

Please, also send an electronic copy of your application to: 
L.C.Verbrugge@rug.nl