Scarlett Syme
Tutor in Psychology / PhD Student

Profile

Biography

• MSci Experimental, Cognitive & Social Psychology at the University of York 2016-2021
• Community Enrichment Student at the Alan Turing Institute, 2022-2023

Career

• Tutor in Psychology at the University of York, 2024
• PhD in Psychology at the University of York, 2021-Present

Departmental roles

• Research Support Assistant to Dr Tom Hartley, 2023
• Research Assistant to Prof. Rob Jenkins 2017-2019

Research

Overview

The cues that evoke consciousness perception in non-humans

Projects

My PhD aims to investigate the cues in non-humans, especially artificial intelligence and robots, that evoke a perception of consciousness and mind in human observers. This has included work that extends into the existential risks surrounding artificial superintelligence, and the development of behavioural measures for consciousness and mind perception.

Grants

• Alan Turing Institute Community Enrichment Award

Collaborators

• Rob Jenkins (Supervisor)

Teaching

Undergraduate

GTA Teaching and Marking

• Brain and Behaviour,
• Perception and Cognition,
• Language and Development,
• Social, Abnormal and Individual Differences,
• and Research Methods

Publications

External activities

Overview

• Associate Fellow of Advance Higher Education
• Invited seminar at University of Edinburgh, 2023
• Moral Psychology of AI Conference at the University of Kent, 2023
• Global Priorities Institute Conference at the University of Oxford, 2023