It is an irony of life that the people we love the most, such as our romantic partners, are also the people towards which we can feel very strong negative emotions. When people hold strong mixed feelings (positive and negative) towards their partner, they are in a state called ‘Ambivalence’. However, while the experience of ambivalence in romantic relationships is pretty frequent, research on this phenomenon is extremely scarce. Thus, we need to know more about a phenomenon that is so pertinent and frequent in romantic relationships. With the use of different methodologies (e.g., both explicit and implicit measures), the current project will: 1) examine the different types of ambivalence that individuals can experience in their relationship to understand how each type of ambivalence affect the relationship dynamics between partners and people’s wellbeing; 2) examine how each type of ambivalence unfolds over time and under which conditions they are a precursor of relationship instability and dissolution; 3) test an intervention to reduce the aversive intra and interpersonal effects of the most malignant form of ambivalence.  The projects will also examine how specific emotions affect relationship dynamics and how partners affect and regulate each other’s emotions. In the PhD project diverse methodologies (i.e., large scale longitudinal studies, diary studies, questionnaires, implicit measures, videotaped interactions, laboratory experiments) will be used to investigate these ideas.

• Research Master or Master in Psychology
• Research training and experience
• Excellent knowledge of methodology and statistics
• Excellent command of written and spoken English
• Good knowledge of office and statistical software (MS Office, SPSS, R)

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €2,395 (PhD)
and a maximum €3,061 (PhD), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 1 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a duration of 3 years (so 4 years in total).

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavour – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,000 students. We employ over 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
The Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences focuses on the broad domain of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society, from healthy aging to e-health, from juvenile crime to dealing with depression, from training for top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We are unique in that we combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education.

Working at Behavioural and Movement Sciences means working in an ambitious organization that is characterized by an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. Our faculty offers tremendous scope for personal development. We employ more than 600 staff members, and we are home to around 3,400 students.