Phd Position 'On Ambivalence In Romantic Relationships'

One PhD position of four years for 1.0 fte is available at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr. Francesca Righetti. The PhD position is funded by the VIDI grant for a project on “Implicit partner evaluations: How they form and what they do to relationships".

The Research Project
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. The Ambivalence in Romantic Relationship project aims at developping a systematic study of the effects of ambivalence in romantic relationship. Specifically, 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.  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.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,325 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €2,972 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. 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 4 years.
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)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• 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. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,500 students. We employ more than 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

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.