PhD studentships on social networks, stereotypes, and social inequalities in London

Two fully funded four-year PhD studentships (including home or international fees) are available as part of the ERC Starting Grant titled Applied stereotypes, social networks, and self-fulfilling prophecies: How stereotypes reinforce social inequalities, led by Dr. Zsófia Boda. The PhD students will be based at the Quantitative Social Science centre within the Social Research Institute, which is part of the Institute of Education at UCL. The project aims to develop the concept of applied stereotypes - the way we apply our stereotypes to other people - and empirically investigate how applied stereotypes of peers affect the educational outcomes and well-being of pupils.

Background

Stereotypes are commonly held beliefs about social groups. These are often specific and context-dependent (e.g., English people enjoy talking about the weather). However, there are two general and more-or-less universal dimensions of stereotypes: warmth (kind, trustworthy, generous) and competence (knowledgeable, confident, clever), along which all relevant groups (including ethnic groups, genders, and social classes) are judged. Minority groups are typically seen as less warm, less competent, or both, than the dominant group. This may lead to lower expectations towards minority members, making it more difficult for them to achieve to the same degree, developing aspirations as high, and forming social networks as effectively as those in majority groups. Stereotypes thus have the potential to conserve social inequalities. However, the exact mechanisms, and how these can be counteracted, are not fully understood.

The central idea of this project is that a stereotype will affect individuals’ outcomes (and ultimately, social inequalities) because, and if, the stereotype is applied to these individuals by others. Scrutinising how stereotypes are applied and how people can avoid harmful stereotypes being applied to them will help us better understand why some minority members succeed against the odds.

Stereotype application processes have received significant attention by social psychologists, but most studies examine these indirectly. Our project will directly measure applied stereotypes - how one specific person perceives another person. For instance, Pupil A may view Pupil B as very clever, whereas Pupil C may not view Pupil B as particularly clever. By distinguishing between the judgements of different perceivers of the same person, the project treats applied stereotypes as dyadic relationships. This way, we can focus on entire classrooms of pupils as networks of such person-to-person judgements, and analyse who sees whom as warm and competent, and how these perceptions are connected across the network, applying methods of social network analysis.

About the role

Aims and activities

The PhD students will help achieve the two main empirical aims of the project:

• to explore to what extent warmth and competence stereotypes about groups are applied to specific people, by whom, and what moderates this, and
• to investigate how applied stereotypes affect various pupil outcomes through self-fulfilling prophecies.

You will examine research questions such as:

• Are students from different backgrounds perceived systematically differently by their peers?
• What is the role of friendships and other peer relations in applied stereotypes?
• How do perceptions of warmth and competence spread through the network?
• How do applied stereotypes influence students’ well-being, motivation, or academic performance?

The specific questions you will work on will depend on your own disciplinary background, research interests, and research expertise. We are excited for you to bring your own research ideas into the project.

To answer these questions, you will rely on advanced quantitative methods; for most analyses, you will apply longitudinal models for social network analysis (stochastic actor-oriented models). You will receive training in social network analysis, and your supervisor and the senior project team will provide hands-on assistance throughout your PhD.

As part of the team, you will also contribute to designing, organising and administering a panel data collection in English secondary schools, as part of which we will measure applied stereotypes for the first time. This will include help in measurement development, questionnaire design, sample selection, communication with schools, and coding and cleaning the data. You will prepare academic manuscripts both as a leading and a contributing author.

About you

This PhD project will suit highly motivated students with a background in social science, broadly defined. The most important requirement is a strong interest in social inequalities, education, and social networks in general, and the specific substantive focus of the project in particular.

Applicants are preferred to have, or be about to receive, a first-class master’s degree (or equivalent) in sociology, psychology, education, or any related field. Good quantitative skills (e.g. ability to confidently apply linear or logistic regression models) are essential; skills in social network analysis would be an advantage but are not essential. A willingness to engage in interdisciplinary research is essential. Experience in R is desirable; the willingness to learn R for statistical analysis is essential. Excellent organisational, interpersonal, and time management skills, together with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, are essential. Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English are essential.

You will need to meet standard UCL entry requirements, including English language requirements:

What we offer

These are fully funded PhD studentships. Both home and international applicants are eligible. Applications for a 1 October 2026 start will be considered on a rolling basis.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our faculty holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.