Overview
The Human-Centered Data Science group is affiliated with the Institute of Computer Science and the
Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS) at the University of Göttingen. Our research is interdiscipli-
nary at its core, and we cooperate closely with colleagues from other faculties (e.g., psychology,
linguistics). We take a human-centered perspective on natural language processing and focus on
cross-lingual and cognitively-inspired research questions.
Project:
KIND-LM: Cognitively-inspired interaction dynamics for sample-efficient language modeling
Computational models of language can generate remarkably fluent text, but their impressive
performance comes at the cost of training on trillions of tokens with unsustainable computational
resources. When trained under resource constraints, such models fall short of robust linguistic
generalization and often fail to adapt to unseen contexts. Human learners, by contrast, acquire
language from vastly smaller input and can flexibly adapt to new communicative situations from
an early age. A central difference lies in the learning signal: while human acquisition is embedded
in rich social interactions, language models are typically optimized for the narrow task of next-
word prediction. This project develops a cognitively grounded approach for interactive language
modeling that integrates feedback mechanisms inspired by child–caregiver communication. We
propose a training setup in which a child model improves its linguistic competence through
interaction with a more powerful parent model. Unlike existing teacher–student approaches,
which assume unilateral feedback, we focus on the temporal and linguistic interaction dynamics
and on the interaction initiative. We will build on our winning submission to the new interaction
track of the BabyLM Challenge, which used a reinforcement loop and showed that even simplified
feedback strategies can enhance functional linguistic competence without sacrificing formal
accuracy. We propose to better align computational modeling with psycholinguistic evidence and
systematically test cognitively more plausible interaction strategies. We will draw on mechanistic
interpretability methods to better understand how interaction dynamics influence the
representational structure of the model and how they can improve its ability to generalize to the
long tail of the vocabulary distribution.
The project is a collaboration between Lisa Beinborn (Professor of Human-Centered Data Science)
and Nivedita Mani (Professor of Psychology of Language). It advances research on cognitively-
inspired sample-efficient modeling and contributes to the Priority Programme LaSTing (“Robust
Assessment & Safe Applicability of Language Modelling: Foundations for a New Field of Language
Science & Technology”).
Company:
University of Göttingen
Qualifications:
In this position, you have the chance to pursue a PhD degree. You are expected to:
• conduct innovative research in the context of the project.
• collaborate with the project partners and contribute to meetings of the priority programme
• communicate research results in peer-reviewed proceedings and journals, and present
them at international research conferences.
• take an active role in the co-supervision of student theses related to the project.
• engage in the activities and events of the research group.
The ideal candidate
• has obtained a very good master’s degree in computer science, cognitive science, compu-
tational linguistics, machine learning, or a related discipline.
• has gained experience with natural language processing research and demonstrates a
strong interest in the psycholinguistic aspects of the project outlined above.
• can independently acquire and process new knowledge.
• is a team player with good communication skills and an interdisciplinary mindset.
• has obtained strong analytical and programming skills and is committed to further devel-
oping them (experience with large-scale experiments on GPUs is beneficial).
Language requirements:
shows very good command of written and spoken English (knowledge of German and other
languages is beneficial)
Educational level:
Master Degree
About University of Göttingen
University of Göttingen is an internationally renowned research university with a long tradition.
