Summer Undergraduate Research Internship
Gopnik Cognitive Development Lab
University of California, Berkeley
Description:
The Gopnik Cognitive Development Lab at UC Berkeley led by Dr. Alison Gopnik explores how children create intuitive theories about the world, other people, and themselves. Learn more about how children come to understand the causal structure of their physical and social environment (i.e., how certain events make other events occur). Current projects investigate the role of children’s causal learning in imitation, trait attribution, pretense, explanation, pedagogy, and even free will. More information about the lab can be found at www.alisongopnik.com. The internship will run from May 15th until August 16th (dates are flexible depending on when your spring semester ends and fall semester begins). We are accepting applications now through Friday, April 5th. Please note that this internship is unpaid. Interns will be expected to work 15-20 hours per week including weekends.
Responsibilities:
- Work closely with a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow assisting them on all aspects of the research process.
- Help with experimental and stimuli design, recruit participants and collect data, analyze data, and literature reviews.
- Meet regularly with their mentors to discuss the theoretical motivations of the studies they are working on as well as the findings of other empirical papers both related to the studies in the lab and important to the field in general.
- Meet with mentors more casually to ask them questions about their experience in the field and to receive guidance on their own future plans.
- Give a talk or present a poster on the work they did throughout the summer.
- Dedicated and motivated undergraduate students.
- Interested in pursuing a graduate degree in developmental psychology or a related field.
- Prior research experience is appreciated though not required.
- Experience working with children either formally or informally is essential.
Please e-mail the following information to Sophie Bridgers, Lab Manager at (gopnikinternship@gmail.com), with the subject line “Summer Internship.”
- A brief cover letter explaining your interest in the internship, experience working with children, relevant coursework, and research experience (if you have prior experience).
- Resume highlighting your experience working with children and your research experience (if you have prior experience).
- Unofficial Transcript
- Name, title/position, and contact information of a person who would be willing to be a reference
- Tentative weekly availability for the summer detailing the hours you will generally be available Mon. – Sun. (please do not include unavailable hours).
