Postdoc: "Role of Social Norms and Norms Transgression in the Acceptance of Negative Campaigning"

Are you passionate about political communication, election campaigns, and quantitative empirical research? The Amsterdam School of Communication Research is seeking a highly motivated Postdoc for the research project ‘That’s (not) appropriate’– Role of Social Norms and Norm Transgression in Voters’ Acceptance of Negative Campaigning, led by Dr. Corinna Oschatz.

Postdoc Position in Political Communication
Project goals
While considerable research exists on the causes and consequences of negative campaigning, the perceptual dynamics remain largely under-investigated. How is negative campaigning perceived by those who are exposed to it? How can differences in accepting such behaviour as legitimate action – a vital component for the success of a political candidate – be explained? Against the background of an increasingly polarized society with strong ideological camps, this project tests the idea that group belongings shape political judgements. We assume that political attitudes towards negative campaigning are not solely individually developed but socially constructed. If so, what are the consequences of normative violations of group standards on an electoral and systematic level? If working on these fundamental questions seems attractive to you, this Postdoc vacancy might be just for you.

What are you going to do
The project builds on multiple rich panel survey datasets (with rolling cross-section components) conducted during previous elections in the Netherlands, USA, Germany and Japan.

Specifically, you will

• Conduct automated content analysis of the media and elite campaign communication and link it to panel data to test for the dynamic evolution of norms as a function of campaign negativity over time (feedback loop).
• Compare panel data to explore whether culture and the political system “sets the stage” for the effects of social norms about negativity and their consequences.
• Conduct experimental studies on the impact of norm violations on the acceptance of negative campaigning and voting behavior.
• Write up findings for publications and present them at (inter)national conferences.

What do you have to offer
You are:

• Curious, creative, and interested in learning from different disciplines
• Familiar with quantitative data analysis in social sciences with a demonstrated ability to learn new techniques
• Resilient in the face of challenges that come
• Able to balance the demands of several tasks (e.g., combining research and teaching) successfully
• Organized, flexible, and demonstrate attention to detail
• Able to work both independently and collaboratively. You are a team player but also have a proactive attitude

You have:

• A PhD in communication science, political science, computation social science (or related disciplines) - or are expected to obtain it soon
• Strong interest in topics associated with negative campaigning or social norms
• Demonstrated experience in quantitative methods, including automated content analyses and/or handling panel data
• Advanced analytical skills preferably using in R, Stata, or Python
• Excellent proficiency in English

What do we have to offer
The planned starting date for this project is 1 April 2026 (to be negotiated). The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours for a maximum term of 2 years including a probation period of two months. You will have the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also be able to build up demonstratable teaching skills as part of the 20% teaching component of the contract.

The UFO profile Onderzoeker 4 or Onderzoeker 3 applies.Your salary will range from €4,412 to €5.057 (10.5 - 11.2) based on your experience, full-time employment and in keeping with 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%.

What else do we offer you

• A position in which initiative and input are highly valued, with ample opportunities for scholarly and professional development,
• An enthusiastic and warm team and department that is open to new colleagues
• The possibility to join a project on a “hot” topic at the cutting edge of the literature
• An inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam

You will work here
This project is embedded within the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. ASCoR is the research institute for Communication Science, structured around four program groups: Persuasive Communication, Corporate Communication, Political Communication & Journalism, and Youth & Media Entertainment. For more information, see the https://ascor.uva.nl/.

The Postdoc project is led by Dr. Corinna Oschatz in close cooperation with Dr. Alessandro Nai and Dr. Andreas Schuck. It will be embedded within the Political Communication & Journalism programme group. In our group, we explore the contributions of media and communication to citizens' perception, knowledge, and understanding of political issues and political and social groups, as well as citizens' participation in the political arena and their electoral behaviour.

Within the PolCom & Journalism group and ASCoR at large, you’ll join a welcoming and dynamic research community where collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches are highly valued. Set in the vibrant city of Amsterdam, you’ll engage with impactful research addressing key challenges across the field of Communication Science.

If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter and CV by 18. January 2026.

Please submit your application as a single .pdf file, including:

• Curriculum vitae, with grade transcripts from your (research) master’s studies; and potentially your PhD diploma
• Letter of motivation: Outline your fit to this topic, your readiness for the Postdoc project, and how you meet the selection criteria. If any criteria are not yet fully met, explain how you plan to develop the necessary skills. Optionally, include contact details of two academic referees familiar with your work;
• Writing sample in English, such as a recent article.

Interviews will take place during the 2nd week of February. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: Dr. Corinna Oschatz (c.m.oschatz@uva.nl).