Ph.D. Candidate (M/F): Thesis on the impact of reasoning and internet information searching on vulnerability to conspiracy theories; the case of male supremacist ideology MARS Project funded by the ANR ASTRID-RESISTANCE

Job Description

Thesis Subject

The candidate will conduct a 3-year Ph.D. thesis in cognitive and/or ergonomic psychology at the CLLE laboratory, as part of the MARS project (ANR ASTRID-RESISTANCE). This thesis aims to determine the impact of reasoning (specifically cognitive biases) and internet information searching (including the role of AI) on vulnerability to conspiracy theories within the context of male supremacist ideology. The candidate must therefore possess strong experimental skills and knowledge in reasoning and/or information searching related to misinformation.

This thesis is part of the multidisciplinary MARS project, which spans cognitive/ergonomic psychology, clinical psychopathology, communication and discourse analysis, and AI. The successful candidate will be expected to interact and collaborate with colleagues from these other three disciplines.

The candidate's responsibilities will include conducting experimental studies (design, materials, testing, statistical data analysis, interpretation of results) and presenting findings through ANR deliverables, scientific articles, national/international conferences, and research seminars.

- Job activities:
o Review and analysis of the scientific literature related to the thesis topic.
o Implementation of empirical studies (specifically experimental), including protocol design, participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of results.
o Design of online studies, using Qualtrics (or equivalent software).
o Design of eye-tracking studies (with the support of P-V Paubel, engineer at the CCU platform where the studies will take place).
o Drafting of ethics committee applications (CER) for each of the thesis studies.
o Pre-registration of studies prior to data collection on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform, as part of an Open Science approach.
o Writing scientific articles related to the thesis.

o Oral and written presentations at conferences, symposia, and seminars.
o Contribution to project deliverables.

- Candidate profile:
Candidates must hold (or be in the process of completing) a Master's degree in psychology (cognitive or ergonomic) or cognitive science.

- Skills/knowledge, soft skills:
o Knowledge in the field of reasoning and/or information seeking.
o Strong skills in scientific methodology, particularly experimental design: developing experimental protocols and conducting advanced statistical analyses.
o Excellent level of academic English.
o Fluent in French.
o Proficiency in Open Science principles. Prior experience submitting a protocol to a platform such as OSF will be highly valued.
o Strong writing skills in both French and English.
o Excellent interpersonal skills for working in a team, particularly within a multidisciplinary environment.
o Ability to effectively communicate scientific research at national and international conferences.
o Creativity and innovation in problem-solving and research design.

Description of the MARS project:
Disinformation, often associated with conspiracy theories (CTs), spread across the Internet and amplified by generative AI, poses a major challenge to democracy and the integrity of public debate.
The current research project, MARS, focuses on understanding the psychological mechanisms (cognitive and psychopathological) of vulnerability vs. resistance to disinformation among citizens. The goal is two-fold: to help individuals develop skills for better evaluating information sources (enhancing critical thinking), and to provide institutional agencies with elements to identify problematic signals, especially within narratives.
Alignment with the ANR Astrid-Résistance Call for Proposals, the MARS project specifically addresses three underlying themes of the ANR Astrid-Résistance call:
- Determining Cognitive Mechanisms of Influence: How do information overload and the discourses
within this overload impact the most vulnerable individuals?
- Understanding Cognitive Immunity and Psychological Inoculation: How can "cognitive immunity" to disinformation, in the sense of inoculation theory, be defined and measured? What are the psychological and narrative mechanisms underpinning this immunity, and how can they be strengthened?
- Better Grasping Individual (and Collective) Resistance: What are the psychological processes (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) and individual factors (life trajectory, psychopathology) involved in resistance to disinformation? What tools can be used to identify these factors and initiate change?
The case of masculinist supremacism was chosen to carry this project out, as it represents a context addressing both societal and defense challenges:
- Societal Level: Violent masculinism can lead to acts of cyber-harassment, aggression, and subordination against women, and forms of radicalization resulting in socially dangerous and violent acts. It can also have deleterious effects on men's mental health, leading to greater vulnerability to depressive and anxious disorders, social withdrawal, suicide attempts, etc.
- Defense Level: Links between authoritarianism and masculinist supremacism are starting to be established. For example, the IRIS report (October 2025) indicates that authoritarian states may instrumentalize masculinist groups for anti-democratic and geopolitical purposes (e.g., during the last South Korean electoral campaign, conservative candidate Yoon Suk Yeol won the elections by courting the vote of young male voters close to the masculinist movement).

The MARS research project proposes an innovative approach to this issue with a multidisciplinary consortium: Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics (CLLE laboratory, UMR CNR 5263), Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology (LCPI laboratory), Communication and Discourse Analysis (Lerass/ICO laboratory) and Artificial Intelligence (Lab-STICC, UMR CNRS 6285).
From an institutional perspective, the project will benefit from the support of public agencies and defense organizations, particularly in accessing research data and implementing actions for prevention and combating masculinist violence.
Beyond achieving its research objectives, the MARS project also aims to define the framework for establishing a "trust ecosystem" and to set the conditions for feasibility and "best practices" for collaborative action in cybersecurity involving academic, public safety, and defense partners.

- For more information about the position, contact :
o Aline Chevalier, Professeur
o Bastien Trémolière, Maître de conférences

Your Work Environment

The CLLE laboratory (Cognition, Languages, Language, Ergonomics) is a CNRS UMR created in January 2007 and mainly hosted on the Toulouse Jean Jaurès University site. It is a multidisciplinary research unit relating to Cognitive Sciences: the work carried out there covers the fields, more or less broad in scope, of linguistics, psychology, computer science, philosophy, education and neuroscience. The laboratory, made up of 205 members, is structured into 3 teams each composed of an average of 25 Teachers-Researchers and Researchers:
• “Languages and language” team, working more particularly on themes relating to linguistics;
• “Language and cognitive processes” team, focused on the interdisciplinarity between language and psychology;
• “Cognition in complex situations” team, working more particularly on themes of social and cognitive psychology.
The laboratory is also developing transversal research axes between these teams.
It also welcomes many doctoral and post-doctoral students.
CLLE is a CNRS UMR with the CCU experimental platform.

The successful candidate will carry out their duties at the CLLE Laboratory, Maison de la Recherche, University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, and more specifically within the team……………

Constraints and risks

National and/or international travel may be required.
No identified risks.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions