PhD candidate in Developmental Psychology

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The Developmental and Educational Psychology Unit of the Institute of Psychology at Leiden University is looking for a

PhD candidate (1.0 fte) in Developmental Psychology

Are you curious about exploring the impact of the online world on adolescent development? The SMART project (Social media, Misinformation, Adolescence, Risk Taking) is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic PhD candidate to develop innovative, multi-method studies. This is a four-year position, supervised by Dr. Neeltje Blankenstein, Dr. Ili Ma, and Dr. Anna van Duijvenvoorde. The position presents the opportunity to advance your career in social cognitive science with a developmental focus.

Project description
In today's digital age, adolescents are heavily engaged with the online world through their smartphones. The SMART project addresses crucial challenges related to social media use, that may particularly impact adolescents: online risk-taking and exposure to misinformation. To explore these dynamics throughout adolescence, the SMART project aims to combine questionnaire design with the development of new behavioural experiments to understand adolescent’s online behaviour.

We are seeking a PhD candidate with an interest in experiment design and complex data analyses. The project involves cognitive computational modelling (including reinforcement learning), network modelling, and psychophysiological measures, such as eye tracking. This PhD position provides an excellent opportunity to cultivate a broad and advanced skill set.

The outcomes of this fundamental research project carry practical implications for enhancing youth’s resilience to misinformation and preventing online risk-taking. It is considered an asset if you have a passion for communicating scientific concepts and for engaging youth in research. Join our team in unravelling the intricacies of online behaviour and contributing to a smarter, safer digital experience for today's youth.

Key responsibilities:

• Designing and carrying out questionnaire and lab experiments
• Recruiting participants and collecting data (participant age range 13-20 years old)
• Performing data analyses, such as latent variable analysis, network modelling and computational modelling of behavioural data
• Report results in scientific articles in international journals, culminating in a dissertation
• Presenting at national and international scientific conferences
• Supervise BSc and MSC thesis projects

Desired qualifications:

• A completed or upcoming (research) master's degree in Developmental psychology, Methods & Statistics, Cognitive Science, or related field
• Strong analytic, research, and organisational skills
• Experience with R and/or Python
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Proficiency in Dutch is preferred as you will be frequently interacting with youth
• Affinity for working with adolescents and young adults
• Collaborative mindset, openness to learning new skills and willingness to share knowledge
• Enthusiastic about translating scientific findings to practical implications
  

Our organization
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty has approximately 7000 students and 1000 staff members. Within the institutes, not only education is provided but also groundbreaking research is conducted that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human behaviour and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the various styles of teaching, and the way professional support is organized; this provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise. Visit our website for an impression: Welcome to the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Leiden University.

Terms and conditions
We offer an employment contract for 38 hours per week as a PhD candidate, initially for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension for 3 years after a positive evaluation. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities. The salary ranges from €2,770.00 gross per month in the 1st year up to €3,539.00 gross per month in the 4th year based on a fulltime employment. A part-time position is possible as well. The preferred starting date is the 1st of July 2024.

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. For international spouses we have set up a dual career programme. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions .

What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.

Information
Enquiries can be made to Dr. Ili Ma, email: [email protected]

Applications
Please submit online your application no later than March 31st 2024 via the blue button in our application system. Applicants should submit a letter of interest accompanied by a CV and two referees names and contacts (all online). Referees will be contacted directly by the search committee in case of shortlisting.

You can apply via the application button; no applications will be processed on the email addresses.

Enquiries from agencies are not appreciated.

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