About the position
Worcester College, Oxford
Graduate Scholarship in Cyberbullying
Worcester College is pleased to offer a fully-funded scholarship for a doctoral student to work full-time on a project investigating recidivism in online multi-player game environments. The scholarship is open to a home or overseas student and is funded for 3 years from October 2027.
The emphasis of the project is on devising evidence-based strategies for reducing repeat anti-social behaviour that can be tested by experimentation in simulated environments. The ideal candidate would have a first degree in Psychology, be familiar with online multiplayer platforms and game creation and communication systems such as Minecraft and Discord, have strong programming skills, be proficient in experimental design, statistical data analysis (especially R), be familiar with the broader literature on bullying, harassment, and recidivism, and be familiar with the principles of associative learning.
The research will be conducted in the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, supervised by Dr Paul Azzopardi, and co-supervised by Professor Lucy Bowes.
Prospective applicants should consult Dr Azzopardi (paul.azzopardi@psy.ox.ac.uk) directly for more information about the project before submitting their application through the University’s Graduate Admissions portal for the D.Phil. in Experimental Psychology (https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/dphil-experimental-psychology). Candidates who do not select Worcester College as their preferred college will be considered but will be transferred to Worcester College if successful.
The deadline for applications is 12.00 on Tuesday 1st December 2026.
Suggested reading
Przybylski AK, Bowes L (2017) Cyberbullying and adolescent well-being in England: a population-based cross-sectional study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 1, 19–26.
Hu Y, Evelyn S, Clancy EM, Klettke B. (2025) Player versus Player: A systematic review of cyberbullying in multiplayer online games. Computers in Human Behavior Reports 18: 100675.
Marques TG, Schumann S, Mariconti E. (2024). Positive behaviour interventions in online gaming: a systematic review of strategies applied in other environments. Crime Science, 13(1), 14.
Funding
Fully funded for a home or overseas student. (Covers fees and living expenses.)
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