Postdoc

Interested in conducting research on the effects of covert hate speech on political polarization and radicalization? Join the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology as a Postdoc as part of the Horizon2020 Proclaim project. As a member of this consortium, you will play a key role in a project seeking to better understand the psychological effects of covert hate speech - that is, online hateful rhetoric hiding behind seemingly neutral language, humor, or irony, designed to fuel radicalization while bypassing content moderation tools and EU legislation. You will work directly with Prof. dr. , as well as with members of the broader Horizon2020 Proclaim consortium that is coordinated by Dr. Seunghyun Sun (Tilburg University). You will specifically conduct experimental and longitudinal research exploring the effects of covert hate speech on polarization and radicalization. You will report the findings to your colleagues, the broader consortium, at conferences, and publish them as a lead author in academic publications. The targeted starting date is 1 January 2027, although starting earlier or later is possible. • Map out existing literature on overt and covert hate speech and generate new ideas • Design a longitudinal study, connecting questionnaire results to social media activities • Report on the findings in consortium meetings and (inter)national conferences • Contribute to the team spirit and help others achieve their goals • You have completed or will soon complete (before the position's starting date) a PhD in social psychology or closely related field. • You have expertise in research relevant for polarization, extremism, radicalization, and feelings of hate • You have expertise in quantitative research methods and have a strong background in statistics • You have embraced Open Science Practices, and preregistration is a routine part of your research work flow • You have experience with, or are open to learning, a mixed-method approach that includes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of social media data At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research, and service for a better world. • a salary of minimum € 3546,00 and maximum € 5538,00 gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO (University Job Classification) profile for the position of a Postdoc. • The initial contract will be for 1 year, which can be extended for a second year contingent on a positive evaluation. • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus You will work with Prof. dr. and become part of the Social Psychology section at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This section is world-leading in its work on trust, emotion, cooperation, and morality. The section also has expertise in evolutionary approaches to psychology, cross-cultural research, political psychology, close relationships, and emotion, among other topics. We value high-quality research, personal development, and social cohesion within an international atmosphere. Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better. You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education. The VU aims to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence, and a broader understanding. We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalization enhance the quality of education, research and our services. Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community. Your application should include a personal statement (two or three pages) and a CV. The personal statement should describe your fit with the project. Please highlight your expertise in political psychology, radicalization, extremism, and related topics. Please also highlight your skill with research methods (particularly experimental and longitudinal) and data analysis. Your application need not include letters of recommendation, although promising candidates might be asked for reference contacts. The position is open until 20 August 2026, but especially promising applications might be evaluated earlier. Please apply early if you see yourself as having a good fit with the project. Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process. Please use this platform, Applications by e-mail will not be considered. Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated. As a member of this consortium, you will play a key role in a project seeking to better understand the psychological effects of covert hate speech - that is, online hateful rhetoric hiding behind seemingly neutral language, humor, or irony, designed to fuel radicalization while bypassing content moderation tools and EU legislation. You will work directly with Prof. dr. , as well as with members of the broader Horizon2020 Proclaim consortium that is coordinated by Dr. Seunghyun Sun (Tilburg University). You will specifically conduct experimental and longitudinal research exploring the effects of covert hate speech on polarization and radicalization. You will report the findings to your colleagues, the broader consortium, at conferences, and publish them as a lead author in academic publications. The targeted starting date is 1 January 2027, although starting earlier or later is possible. • Map out existing literature on overt and covert hate speech and generate new ideas • Design a longitudinal study, connecting questionnaire results to social media activities • Report on the findings in consortium meetings and (inter)national conferences • Contribute to the team spirit and help others achieve their goals • You have completed or will soon complete (before the position's starting date) a PhD in social psychology or closely related field. • You have expertise in research relevant for polarization, extremism, radicalization, and feelings of hate • You have expertise in quantitative research methods and have a strong background in statistics • You have embraced Open Science Practices, and preregistration is a routine part of your research work flow • You have experience with, or are open to learning, a mixed-method approach that includes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of social media data At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research, and service for a better world. • a salary of minimum € 3546,00 and maximum € 5538,00 gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO (University Job Classification) profile for the position of a Postdoc. • The initial contract will be for 1 year, which can be extended for a second year contingent on a positive evaluation. • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus You will work with Prof. dr. and become part of the Social Psychology section at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This section is world-leading in its work on trust, emotion, cooperation, and morality. The section also has expertise in evolutionary approaches to psychology, cross-cultural research, political psychology, close relationships, and emotion, among other topics. We value high-quality research, personal development, and social cohesion within an international atmosphere. Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better. You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education. The VU aims to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence, and a broader understanding. We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalization enhance the quality of education, research and our services. Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community. Your application should include a personal statement (two or three pages) and a CV. The personal statement should describe your fit with the project. Please highlight your expertise in political psychology, radicalization, extremism, and related topics. Please also highlight your skill with research methods (particularly experimental and longitudinal) and data analysis. Your application need not include letters of recommendation, although promising candidates might be asked for reference contacts. The position is open until 20 August 2026, but especially promising applications might be evaluated earlier. Please apply early if you see yourself as having a good fit with the project. Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process. Please use this platform, Applications by e-mail will not be considered. Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.