Phd Scholarship - The Persuasive Impact of Technology: Tool for Manipulation or Foundation for Change

PhD Scholarship:  The Persuasive Impact of Technology: Tool for Manipulation
or Foundation for Change

Primary Supervisor: Dr Diego Garaialde - (opens in a new window)diego.garaialde@ucd.ie

Project Description

The ubiquity of technology has increased the rate of human-computer interaction (HCI) to greater and greater levels. Capitalising on this technology, software developers are able to create tools for positive behaviour change, from gamified habit tracking platforms to AI personal trainers. Even when behaviour change is not the goal of developers and designers, the final structure of an online interface can have an enormous impact on users. Over the years many techniques have been developed that attempt to use interface design to guide large numbers of people towards behaviours that are beneficial for society, such as organ donation and or better financial planning. By understanding certain biases in human

decision-making, these techniques, commonly known as “nudging”, are able to influence rates of behaviour without removing choicefrom the individual.

Meanwhile, some online service providers have employed similar approaches to guide users towards behaviours that benefit the company, designing interfaces with harmful choice architectures that push users away from autonomous or informed choices (also known as dark patterns or deceptive design practices). As interactions with technology, which are mostly done through digital interfaces, impact human decision-making in ways that are not always obvious to the user, designers need to consider both explicit and implicit factors when developing their online platforms. This requires a deep knowledge of both user-centred design and psychological theory. HCI researchers are uniquely positioned to meet this need, able to critically engage with the literature across multiple disciplines in order to provide theory-driven insights and practical recommendations that remain user centred.

The project aims to explore the impact of persuasive interface design on user decision-making and behaviour, either to study and develop new, more effective technology-driven behaviour change interventions, or to understand and counteract current and future deceptive practices. A key feature of the project is that the chosen PhD candidate will have the opportunity to shape the research direction based on their own interests. Aligning with the expertise of the supervisor, the work should have a strong focus on using theory to guide or understand design decisions, providing mechanistic explanations of the observed outcomes.

Responsibilities

The candidate will be expected to write and successfully defend a PhD thesis and meet the degree requirements set by UCD toadvance through the PhD programme. The candidate will be expected to produce research outputs related to their PhD project and present findings at relevant academic conferences. They will collaborate closely with their supervisors to co-author and lead publications, contributing to both individual and team research objectives. By the end of the program, the candidate should aim to produce first-authored and co-authored papers in high-quality journals or conferences, demonstrating a significant contribution to their field of study.

The student will have the opportunity to travel to UCD’s China campus in Beijing as a teaching assistant accompanying the supervisor for a period of around 90 days. A generous subsistence allowance and a travel budget for China will be provided by UCD. All PhD candidates will be expected to complete some demonstration and/or teaching assistant hours in the school as part oftheir career development.

Hybrid working arrangements are possible. The candidate will be based in UCD’s School of Computer Science.

Scholarship

The scholarship includes a 4-year tax-free stipend (euro 25,000 annually), registration fee, a travel budget for international travel toconferences (euro 3,000 ), and a new computer. In addition, all doctoral candidates will do some demonstration and/or teachingassistant hours in the School as part of their career development. These teaching activities are also an additional source of income for PhD candidates.

How to Apply

Mandatory requirements

• A 1 grade (or equivalent) in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Psychology, or similar discipline.
• Non-native English speakers require at least IELTS 5 (with at least 6 in all components) or equivalent (further details on equivalence of tests are available HERE ). 

Desirable requirements

• MSc degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Psychology, or similar
• Research and/or industry experience commensurate with the stage of your
• Excellent quantitative research skills and experience with relevant statistical analyses.
• Self-motivation and strong interest in user-centred
• Experience in conducting research in technology-assisted behaviour change, persuasive design, or habit formation.
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal 

Applicants are invited to send CV, cover letter, transcripts, contact details of two referees, a writing sample (published paper, chapterin thesis, etc.) and a one page

project proposal (max 1000 words) outlining the focus, methodology, outcomes, and impact proposed for this research, sent to (opens in a new window)diego.garaialde@ucd.ie. Any questions about the post can be sent to the same email address.

Deadline: 08/09/2025

The shortlisted candidate will be called for an interview in September. The successful candidate is expected to start in January 2026.