Scott is a researcher in the behavioural sciences with a passion for research methods, data science, and statistics. As a post-doctoral researcher in Jim Everett’s group, Scott will be expanding his research breadth by studying the moral psychology of people’s interactions with artificial intelligence (AI), to better understand whether, when, and how people trust AI agents to make moral decisions. I caught up with Scott to find out more.
What did you study as an undergraduate and what inspired you to choose that subject?
I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Bristol. The degree there was fantastic because we were taught about such a wide array of topics in the field. I was inspired to choose psychology because I am fascinated by people: what motivates us, unites us, and divides us.
After studying psychology for your undergraduate degree, what made you choose your PhD topic?
In 2018, I moved to New Zealand to complete my PhD at the University of Auckland. I worked with Professor Quentin Atkinson on the evolutionary foundations of political ideology. During my doctorate, we developed and tested a theoretical framework for understanding political ideology as a response to challenges that have faced humans throughout our evolution as a group-living species.
Did you have a teacher at school, college or university that inspired you and if so, how?
My psychology teacher at A-Level (shout out to Amit!) was really inspiring for me. He could see that I was keenly interested in the topic and so personally recommended several books for me to read outside of class time. Without his guidance at that early stage, I probably wouldn’t be working as a behavioural scientist today.
What have been the highlights of your research work so far?
One thing that stands out about my research trajectory so far is that I have worked on a broad array of topics, including politics, cooperation, religion, social norms, cultural evolution, behavioural economics, and even animal cognition. I am proud of the diversity of this body of work, which I think is largely due to the many fantastic collaborations that I have developed over the years.
Why did you choose to shift the focus of your research on to studying how we can trust AI?
AI has arrived and it is not going away. We, as a society, have to learn to live alongside AI agents as best we can and ensure that the technology continues to align with our goals and values. I decided to focus my research on AI as I believe that an evidence-based approach to AI ethics and safety will play a key role over the coming years.
What are the next steps for your research project?
The first steps of this research project will be to get to know the project team and dive into the (huge) literature on the psychology and ethics of AI. We will then get kickstarted with design, pre-registration, and data collection for our first experiments.
How do you unwind from the pressures of a research career?
Outside of my work as a behavioural scientist, I’m a passionate musician. I have been playing the drums for the better part of two decades with bands of different styles, from rock and metal to folk and experimental. Nothing beats the feeling of playing music live!
What one piece of advice would you give to a new student about to study psychology?
One piece of advice that I wish I had received earlier is: question everything that you read! Psychology is still a very young science with a lot to learn. Progress is being made inside the field but it’s slow going, with failed replications of key psychological studies being published every day. I wouldn’t want to dissuade the student from studying psychology though; the youth of the field means that there’s plenty of room for contributions to be made from bright minds. But it’s worth going into the field with a critical lens.