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lnertia is a state in which people do nothing without making a conscious decision to do so. lnertia can be a problem when it leads to suboptimal (financial) outcomes. For example, many people could save hundreds of euros and might receive better coverage by switching health care insurance, but they do not. Another example is that many people could save more for their pensions by making small investments in money now, but they do not. The aim of the current project is to understand which contexts effects might invoke financial inertia and who is most likely to become financially inert. We will investigate these questions using lab and field experiments. The direct supervision of the PhD project will be done by Dr. Marijke van Putten (Leiden University), Prof. Dr. Marcel Zeelenberg (Tilburg University) and prof. Dr. Eric van Dijk (Leiden University). We will consult regularly with Prof. Dr. Wändi Bruine de Bruin (Leeds University, UK) and our contacts at the pension organizations who support and enable this research, and the funding organization.
The project is funded by Netspar (Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging ond Retirement) and will be affiliated to Kurt Lewin lnstitute (KLl), the national research school for social psychology and its applications. The KLI offers a training and education program for its researchers.
Key responsibilities
This PhD-project starts with a literature review to model the contextual determinants of financial inertia. We will take a psychological perspective in the sense that we are not only looking for financial barriers, or time barriers, but also cognitive and motivational barriers raised by the context that lead to inertia (e.g., information is too complex, costs and benefits of taking action are difficult to compute, the choice set and communication style invokes worries about making the wrong decision, etc.). The next goal is to develop and test a scale to assess dispositional inertia. Finally, the theoretical model and the dispositional inertia scale will be validated via surveys and lab and field experiments. Next to conducting this research you will:
We offer a 1 year term position, with the possibility extension for max 3 years based on need, funding and performance. Salary is set on € 2325 gross per month to € 2972 gross per month in the final year; based on a full-time position (PhD pay scale, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities). Starting date is July 1, 2019.
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. 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.
Leiden is a typical university city, hosting the oldest university in the Netherlands (1575). The University permeates the local surroundings; University premises are scattered throughout the city, and the students who live and study in Leiden give the city its relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere.
Leiden University is one of Europe's foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge in applying for academic posts and for functions outside academia. More at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at.
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences comprises four institutes: Education and Child Studies, Political Science, Psychology and Cultural Anthropology & Development Sociology. The Faculty also includes the Centre for Science and Technology Studies. The Faculty is home to 5,000 students and 600 members of staff. Our teaching and research programmes cover diverse topics varying from adoption to political behaviour. For more information, see http://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/social-behavioural-sciences.
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/social-behavioural-sciences
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