Interested in doing research in the domain of social and cultural psychology? Curious for the processes that instigate emotional similarity and friendship in intercultural dyads? Aiming to practice your communication, organizational and (advanced) statistical skills, perhaps as a preparation to pursue a PhD? Then a research assistantship at the UvA Cultural Psychology Lab may be something for you!

We are looking for a Research assistant (4 days a week) to carry out tasks involved in the grant on 'Emotional Fit in Intercultural Interactions: Studying mimicry and emotional grounding as micro-processes of (intercultural) belonging', awarded by the EU (a grant proposal is available upon request from Jozefien de Leersnyder) as well as other day-to-day tasks of a researcher.

These include:

• setting up my experiments to study emotions in intercultural dyads;
• preparing and translating questionnaires (in Qualtrics);
• recruiting participants with diverse backgrounds (mainly Dutch and Turkish Dutch);
• running the actual experiments in the field (using a mobile video lab);
• coding the video’s for emotional behaviour, both by hand and by using computer software;
• analysing the data with statistical methods ranging from simple anova’s to latent growth curve modelling and network analyses;
• drafting scientific articles and presentations;
• communicating the research findings to a broader audience;
• organizing a summer school.

You are a motivated person (m/v/x) who wants to pursue a career in academia (or wants to find out if this is something for you) and who:

• has completed a Master or Research Master in (Social) Psychology;
• has affinity with research on culture, migration or emotion;
• can work independently and in a team;
• aims to deliver high quality work (after practicing and receiving instructions, of course);
• is committed to work 4 days a week on this project (mostly in Amsterdam), for at least 8 months (until end of June 2019);
• is fluent in both Dutch and English;
• has a 'practical' mindset – i.e., can solve problems on their own (or at least tries to);
• has good statistical skills (or the willingness to take extra stats workshops if needed);
• has good (intercultural) communication skills

The position concerns a temporary appointment of 30,4 hours per week for a term of 8 months. This can be prolonged, barring unforeseen organisational developments and assuming sufficient FTE availability, up to a maximum of 22 months upon excellent performance.

For a Master in Psychology who just graduated, the salaryscale is 6.4 (€2,329 gross per month based on a full-time appointment for a 38-hour working week (as per the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities). We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary employee benefits, including a generous holiday scheme and year-end bonus. Because we value your continued personal development and professionalisation, we also offer excellent opportunities for study and development. 

A motivating work environment with a variety of duties and sufficient scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. We cherish inquisitive minds and persevering spirits, and allow you the opportunity to dig deeper with your questions. Diverse, unique, dynamic, internationally oriented and ambitious: these are all characteristics which typify UvA staff. Strongly committed to the city of Amsterdam and the international society of which it is part, the UvA stands for independence, creativity, innovation, an international perspective and a critical yet open mindset.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

http://www.uva.nl/en/home

Department of Psychology

In the psychology department, talented and internationally renowned scholars work in their own wayward manner to gain a better understanding of the human mind and human behavior. The critical UvA-student is educated by them during this quest, in which independent thinking is expected and nothing and no one is beyond critique.

http://www.uva.nl/en/disciplines/psychology