Aleksandra Szymków-Sudziarska

SWPS University is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join a project on self-interest and perceived fairness in algorithmic and human decision-making . The position is embedded in a research team working on the psychological foundations of moral judgment and fairness, with a strong emphasis on open science and rigorous experimental design. The successful candidate will work on a multi-study behavioral research program that examines how people evaluate fairness in decisions made by algorithms and humans. The project focuses on the psychological mechanisms behind self-interest bias, including factors such as psychological distance, perspective-taking, and perceived competence, and on ways to reduce this bias in high-stakes contexts such as recruitment, healthcare, and education. The role is highly research-intensive and includes designing and conducting experimental studies, developing theory-driven research paradigms, managing the full research process, implementing studies on online platforms, ensuring data quality, running advanced statistical analyses, and contributing to a coherent publication program. The postdoc will collaborate closely with the project leader while working with a high degree of scientific independence, and will also support the development of PhD students in the team. The advertised project sits at the intersection of moral psychology, decision-making, and human–AI interaction, with the broader aim of understanding and increasing trust in algorithmic decision-making. The position also involves conference presentations and dissemination activities within an active research environment at SWPS University. More information about the research environment is available on the Egocentric Morality Lab website.