For non-UCLA students
We are looking for intellectually curious, dedicated students who are passionate about conducting rigorous empirical and/or computational research on topics at the intersection of decision-making in social dilemmas, artificial intelligence, and moral learning.
We’re offering a remote, unpaid opportunity for undergraduate or master’s students to complete a major research project and potentially publish their results, with weekly support and guidance from Dr. Lieder and the Rational Altruism Lab. If your program allows it, you may use this opportunity to fulfill the requirements of your thesis or dissertation (e.g., an Honors Thesis, Bachelor’s Thesis, or Master’s Thesis).
Students from all universities and academic backgrounds are welcome to apply. Our research is multidisciplinary, integrating methods from cognitive science, psychology, computer science (especially AI, machine learning, and human-computer interaction), economics, moral philosophy, education, computational social science, anthropology, and related fields.
You will be able to choose from a list of promising research projects on the following topics:
- Computational models of moral decision-making in social dilemmas
These projects involve deriving resource-rational models of the heuristics people use when their self-interest is in tension with the welfare of others. - Moral learning and moral circle expansion
This line of research uses behavioral experiments and computational modeling to understand how human morality is shaped by learning from experience. - Promoting prosocial decision-making through systematic moral reflection
These projects develop and evaluate digital interventions that help people learn moral lessons from the consequences of their past decisions. We are currently testing an online survey that asks Socratic questions and plan to develop a chatbot based on it. - Moral advice from AI
These projects investigate the impact of seeking advice from large language models (e.g., ChatGPT) on how people resolve social dilemmas.
The available projects range in structure and scope: some are well-defined, others more exploratory; some are primarily empirical, others mainly computational. Some will be well-suited for bachelor’s students, while others may be more appropriate for master’s students. You will have the opportunity to take ownership of your project, and we will support you in completing it and publishing the results.
Expectations
Participants are expected to:
- Work at least 20 hours per week on their project for at least 6 months, depending on their university’s thesis timeline
- Take responsibility for achieving their project milestones
- Write up their results as a conference submission or journal article
- Follow the Rational Altruism Lab’s lab principles and standard operating procedures
How to Apply
To apply, please complete the application form by August 15.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete a brief work test to demonstrate relevant skills.The position can begin in Fall 2025 or later, depending on your availability and program requirements.