We are looking for a PhD candidate to join a new research project led by Dr. Zeph van Berlo (PI), Dr. Marijn Meijers, and Prof. Dr. Edith Smit titled
The ‘less is more’ illusion: Understanding the potential of diminished reality for driving sustainable consumption behavior. The project is embedded in the Amsterdam School of Communication Research at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. This 4-year, fully-funded PhD project explores how a novel, innovative digital tool (i.e., diminished reality) can aid people with making sustainable decisions in daily life.
Environmental crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are rapidly worsening, necessitating immediate action to mitigate their impact. While collective action and regulatory governance is needed, consumers also wield significant power in addressing these issues. A pivotal step is making more sustainable food choices, as a substantial percentage of CO2 emissions is tied to food consumption. Many individuals express a willingness to opt for more sustainable food options. However, the overwhelming array of food choices in everyday environments, like supermarkets, discerning eco-friendly products becomes a complex task. Consequently, this overload complicates decision-making and hampers people's ability to shop in an environmentally responsible manner, even when they have the intention to do so. This presents a significant barrier to making (sustainable) purchasing decisions.
A novel and unexplored tool in this regard is diminished reality. Diminished reality is a type of augmented reality that aims to selectively remove or reduce certain elements from a real-world environment, usually in real-time, to create a perceptual illusion of objects disappearing or becoming less prominent. This innovative approach holds promise for promoting sustainable consumption by selectively removing or reducing unsustainable food options, making the sustainable food options potentially more salient.
The proposed project represents a comprehensive effort to harness diminished reality for the promotion of sustainable decision-making. By investigating the potential of diminished reality in controlled experiments, exploring its underlying mechanism, and testing practical applications in real-world contexts, this research seeks to address the global challenge of sustainable consumption and foster a more sustainable future.
What are you going to do? You will be working on the overarching question: How can diminished reality aid sustainable decision-making in individuals’ daily lives? In addition to this overarching question, you will explore the underlying mechanism of this effect.
The project you will be working on comprises of four distinct subprojects, each contributing to a comprehensive understanding of how diminished reality can promote sustainable decision-making. The four subprojects aim:
- To explore how people experience different types of diminished reality (SP1);
- To examine the relationship between diminished reality and saliency (SP2);
- To study whether diminished reality can effectively be used by consumers to facilitate sustainable consumption behaviour (SP3);
- To determine the underlying mechanisms of diminished reality (SP4).
The scientific approach of this project is marked by its multifaceted methodology and includes a qualitative study, an eye-tracking study, an experimental field study, and an experimental lab study. Through these diverse research methods, the project aims to collect both qualitative and quantitative data, ensuring robust findings and a comprehensive understanding of the workings of diminished reality.
Tasks during your PhD - Develop, conduct, and publish research on the workings of diminished reality in the context of sustainable decision-making. Complete a PhD dissertation consisting of research articles within the appointment period;
- Contribute to the public debate and organize outreach activities of the project;
- Contribute to the overall project in terms of events, research meetings, activities;
- Collaborate with other researchers involved in this or similar projects (e.g., other PhD candidates, postdocs, international colleagues);
- Present your work at national and international conferences;
- Contribute to the vibrant academic life in Amsterdam by attending workshops, meetings, and lectures;
- Contribute to teaching activities at Bachelor’s level for up to 10% of your time.
What we are looking for The candidate for this position has a (research) master’s degree in communication science, marketing, media studies, or closely related social or behavioural science field. The candidate has a strong affinity with the topic, excels in research methods, and enjoys working together in a team.