As a postdoctoral researcher, you will conduct research on the existential motives behind the consumption of eudaimonic entertainment, tragic films in particular. This research is part of a larger project entitled 'Beyond a fear of death: Exploring the terror management potential of eudaimonic entertainment'. This project is financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) through its Open Competition in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The central research question that guides this larger project is: Do people watch tragic films to suppress their fear of death or to conquer it? The specific goal of the postdoctoral project is to assess effects of watching tragic movies on viewers' conscious and unconscious emotions and perceptions of death in experimental studies. You will work towards this goal by focusing on the effects of the interplay between key movie aspects (e.g. movie ending, perspective) and contextual factors (e.g. mortality salience) on viewer responses to tragic movies. You also will be involved in organising networking activities with the international project team, the interdisciplinary advisory board, and the larger public.

• A PhD in communication and information science, communication science, psychology or linguistics.
• An expert in the field of narrative persuasion, eudaimonic entertainment, and/or terror management, as evidenced by relevant publications and conference presentations.
• Demonstrable experience in developing and conducting experimental research, in organising symposiums and/or conferences, and in supervising MA students.
• You have excellent quantitative data analysis skills and writing and presentation skills in both Dutch and English.
• Affinity for multidisciplinary research, as evidenced by previous courses, conference visits, and/or publications in this field.
• That you are inquisitive, flexible, and a team player, capable of researching and embracing topics from various perspectives. You have an affinity for books and/or films.

Fixed-term contract: one year, with the possibility of extension.

• Employment: 1.0 FTE.
• A maximum gross monthly salary of € 5,127 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 11).
• The exact salary depends on the candidate's qualifications and amount of relevant professional experience.
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: one year, with the possibility of extension of one year.
• The intended start date is between 1 June 2021 and 1 September 2021.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Have a look at our excellent employment conditions. They include a good work-life balance (among other things because of the excellent leave arrangements), opportunities for development and a great pension scheme.

Radboud University

We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 22,000 students and 5,000 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts employs over 500 academic and support staff in the fields of history and art, languages and cultures, linguistics and information, and communications technology (ICT). Research is embedded in one of the two faculty research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) or the Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS). The faculty currently enrols  2,400 students in three departments: the department of History, Art History and Classics, the department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and the department of Language and Communication. The research will be conducted in the Persuasive Communication research group at the Centre for Language Studies (CLS), Faculty of Arts. You will work at the Department of Language and Communication.