PhD Candidate in Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam

The Amsterdam School of Communication Research ASCoR is the research institute in Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam. It is the largest research institute of its kind in Europe and is among the largest worldwide. More than 50 senior researchers are permanently associated with ASCoR, and its English-language PhD program has more than 35 students.
ASCoR is looking for a PhD candidate for the project ‘Media Multitasking and Attention Problems: Causality and Individual Differences’. The project will be supervised by Prof. dr. Patti Valkenburg, Dr. Sindy Sumter and Susanne Baumgartner, MSc.
Center for research on Children, Adolescents and the Media CcaM
Project Description
With universal accessibility to media technologies, youth increasingly squeeze more media content into the same amount of time. They do so by using several media and technologies simultaneously, thereby engaging in media multitasking. The increasing prevalence of media multitasking among youth is worrisome because it has been argued that frequent media multitasking may lead to attention problems in adolescents. However, empirical research is still missing. Therefore, the aims of this PhD project are a) to shed more light on the causality of the relationship between media multitasking and attention problems and b) to investigate individual differences in the proneness to engage in media multitasking and individual differences in the susceptibility to media multitasking effects. For this means a longitudinal as well as an experimental study will be conducted. The longitudinal study will investigate the causality of the relationship between media multitasking and attention problems as well as individual differences in this process. The aim of the experimental study is to investigate whether the potential effects of media multitasking on attention problems can be observed immediately after a media multitasking situation.
The candidate is expected to do research and publish on the basis of the research, culminating in a PhD dissertation.
Requirements
The PhD candidate should:
hold a Research Master’s degree in communication science or equivalent qualifications. Research Masters from related fields such as Psychology are also very welcome to apply, but may be asked to do some extra coursework to get acquainted with the field of communication science. Candidates who do not hold a Research Master degree or equivalent will be required to complete a transfer program prior to the project start date. A Research Master is a 2-year Master program with 30 EC of methodological coursework. Candidates who are due to graduate before September 2013 are also welcome to apply;
excel academically, as shown in the grade transcripts and curriculum vitae;
have a firm basis in quantitative (experimental) research;
have an excellent written and spoken command of English;
have excellent organizational skills;
have the ability and interest to work in a team;
wish to pursue an academic career.
Further Information
A detailed project description may be obtained from:
the ASCoR Secretariat
Questions about the project content should be addressed to:
Susanne Baumgartner or Sindy Sumter
Questions about the application procedure and other general questions should be addressed to:
Ms. Kathleen Hair at the ASCoR Secretariat.
Appointment
The position starts per 1 September 2013 or as soon as possible, and is initially for 1 year. Extension of the contract after the first year to a total of three years is subject to satisfactory performance.
The gross monthly salary will be in accordance with the salary scales for PhD candidates at Dutch universities, i.e., ranging from ?2.062 in the first year to ?2.638 in the final year.
Job Application
The deadline for applications is Monday 27 May at 9:00 AM CET. Please state the vacancy number in the subject line of your application, as we have multiple vacancies. To apply for this position, please send all your documents in a single PDF file by e-mail to ascor-secr-fmg-AT-uva.nl
N.B. A complete application contains at least the following documents in English:
ASCoR PhD application form;
motivation letter;
curriculum vitae;
proof of your Master's degree, including grade transcripts. If you have not completed your degree at the time of application, please provide a statement from your supervisor confirming the expected date of completion of your degree;
an academic writing sample in English (e.g., journal article, Master's thesis).