ostdoctoral Researcher on the Role of Early Parent-Child Interactions on Shyness in Children

Are you passionate about studying early parent-child interactions and the expression of emotions? Are you interested in studying the impact of parent behavior on the emotional development of young children? Do you want to conduct research that combines micro-level systematic coding with automated facial expression detection systems? Are you curious about the cultural and socio-economic backgrounds of families?

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join an exciting project focused on understanding the role of early parent-child interactions in shaping children's adaptive and maladaptive expressions of shyness. This research will utilize secondary data from various projects, and the postdoctoral researcher will work as part of an interdisciplinary team comprising experts from Psychology, Developmental Psychopathology, and Computer Sciences. The desired starting date is November 1st, 2024, with some room for negotiation.

Candidate Requirements:

• a PhD in Psychology, Developmental psychopathology, or a related field;
• strong background in parent-child relationship research and socio-emotional development in infants and/or children;
• experience with systematic observational methods (e.g., The Observer) and systematic analysis of interaction transcripts;
• experience with the analysis of automatic detection software (e.g., FaceReader, AFAR);
• excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with a good understanding of Dutch;
• strong statistical and academic writing skills.

What are you going to do
The PhD candidate will be involved in the project The Roots of Shyness: Early Parent-Child Emotional Interaction, Mind-Mindedness, and Family Backgrounds, supervised by Dr. Cristina Colonnesi and prof. Agneta Fischer. As a part of this team, you will code and analyse empirical data on emotional synchrony during parent-infant interactions, parental verbal mentalization (i.e., mind-mindedness), and infants' and children's expressions of shyness, and you will be participating in writing scientific articles based on your findings.

You are expected to:

• work with secondary data, combining data from different sources, and comparing various results;
• demonstrate independence in data analysis and the production of scientific publications;
• present research findings at international conferences, workshops, and in academic journals;
• become an active member of the research team and collaborate with other researchers, both within and outside the institute.

What can we offer you
We offer a temporary employment contract for 0,8 fte for a period of 1 year. The preferred starting date is to be discussed. Your salary will range between €4.492 to €6.148 gross per month depending on your prior experience, on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher 3 is applicable. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

About us
The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.

A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.

Want to know more about our organization? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Questions
Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact: Cristina Colonnesi, c.colonnesi@uva.nl.

Job Application
You can apply online via the link below. We accept applications until and including 30 September 2024.

Applications should include

• CV (max 3 pages; pdf) - including a list of all publications and preferred starting date, a link to your Ph.D. thesis. The CV should include a list of projects you have worked on with brief descriptions of your contributions;
• Motivation letter (max 1 page; pdf) - motivating your choice for this position and why you are the right candidate.

Please make sure to provide ALL requested documents mentioned above.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered. Please do not send any applications by email.

We will invite potential candidates for interviews soon after the expiration of the vacancy.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

No agencies please.

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