We seek a Postdoctoral researcher for the project "Understanding the Emergence and Maintenance of Cross-modal Convergence in Dialogue". Mutual understanding in dialogue requires convergence on mental representations of meaning between interlocutors. Such convergence emerges over time through the close coordination of interlocutors in real-time, and through building common ground by means of gesturing and speaking. Earlier conversational research has identified mechanisms of common ground building. However, it remains unclear how and when speakers converge when referents are signaled through naturalistic multimodal behaviors (i.e., speech and gesture). The project aims to advance the status quo by investigating the dynamics of multimodal referential processes and, ultimately, by developing a computational model powered by machine learning that captures multimodal referential convergence in dialogue.

The postdoc will be part of the Language in Interaction Consortium. S/he will be based at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), University of Amsterdam, but also be closely linked to the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen. The post-doc will work in close consultation with Prof Raquel Fernandez (lead), Prof Asli Ozuyrek, Prof Ivan Toni, Dr. Judith Holler, Dr. Wim Pouw. 

For details and how to apply, please see the full announcement at University of Amsterdam.