Postdoc MediaMinds - Computational Mechanisms of Social Media Use in Youth

Are you passionate about advancing our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying social media's impact on youth?

Is it your ambition to be a part of an international team of researchers?

Are you enthusiastic about multi-method approaches that combine computational modeling, experience sampling, social media data donation and questionnaires with intervention-, experimental- and neuroimaging- studies?

We would like to get to know you!

What are you going to do

The Postdoc will become part of an international team working on an ERC Consolidator funded project ‘MediaMinds’ directed by Dr. Wouter van den Bos (University of Amsterdam).

The project

We have an urgent need to better understand the social media engagement of youth. Social media supports the specific developmental needs of youth, such as those for social connection. However, the increased sensitivity of the developing brain to social rewards may place youth especially at risk of compulsive use. In addition, youth’s sensitivity to social influence exposes another potential vulnerability, given that not all information is trustworthy. In this project we will focus on novel computational models to capture the complex interactions between developing motivational and cognitive processes, and specific social media affordances. We will take a multi-method approach relying on social media trace data, experience sampling, the development of novel ecologically valid experimental tasks, and neuroimaging.

The team will consist of the PI, two PhDs and one Postdoc, as well as a large network of collaborators and co-supervisors. The total funding for this project is 2M euros for a period of 5 years and is divided over two main work packages.

What are you going to do

As a part of this team consisting of national and international researchers, and societal partners, you will play a central role in this project. You will work on a wide array of research tasks, that include designing and performing empirical studies, and co-supervising PhDs and RA’s working on the project. There will be ample room for your own contributions and creativity, and writing grant applications together.

Your tasks as a Postdoctoral researcher within this ERC Consolidator project will include the following:

• Supervise RA’s and PhD’s working on the project;
• Draft pre-registrations and submit ethics reviews.
• Conduct data-analysis and prepare results for publications;
• Draft articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals;
• Contribute to the Connected Minds Lab and the wider scientific community through collaborations, workshops, presentations/talks, attending conferences.

What do you have to offer

You are a conscientious and collaborative researcher who prefers to work in a team and has an affinity with computational modeling and programming.

Your experience and profile

• A PhD degree in one of the social or behavioural sciences, such as psychology, pedagogics, communication science, sociology or a related field
• Proven methodological and advanced statistical skills (quantitative);
• Proven writing skills
• Experience with R or Python
• Affinity/Experience with Developmental Science
• Affinity with Open Science (pre-registrations, sharing data etc.);
• Independence, but also a strong capacity for teamwork;
• Full professional working proficiency in English (speaking, writing, reading).
• Experience with conducting experimental studies

Given that the project is multidisciplinary we cannot expect any candidate to have experience in all the necessary skills but the following are very much appreciated: experience sampling, longitudinal analyses, computational modeling, data donation and NLP (with/without generative AI).

International candidates are encouraged to apply but must be willing to relocate to the Netherlands for the duration of the position. Due to that we will work with Dutch Youth at least part of the team needs to master the Dutch language, so proficiency in Dutch can be an advantage.

What can we offer you

The position concerns (temporary) employment of 38 (1.0 FTE) hours a week for a maximum term of two years. The initial employment is for one year with a two-month trial period. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances your appointment will be extended for another year.

The anticipated start date is 1st Jan 2025 but can be flexible. The project duration is two years. For this position the University Job Classification profile Researcher 3 applies.

Depending on your experience, the minimum salary is €4.332 and the maximum salary is €5.929 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, in keeping with salary scale 11, as per the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities.

We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

What else do we offer

• a position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
• an enthusiastic and warm lab that is open to new colleagues;
• an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.