Postdoctoral Position in Modeling Cognitive Fluctuations

University of Amsterdam (UvA); Netherlands; Presencial; EUR 55 000 - 75 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

University of Amsterdam (UvA) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join the ERC-funded project on Next-Generation Cognitive Testing. The role focuses on developing dynamic models of cognitive variability and applying Bayesian methods to multi-scale cognitive dynamics.

Based in the Amsterdam Mathematical Psychology Laboratory, you will contribute to theory-driven modeling, empirical EMA work, and the development of reproducible software for cognitive research, with teaching limited to 5% of

Qualificações

• PhD in mathematical psychology, computational cognitive modeling, psychological methods or a related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience with response time modeling, particularly evidence-accumulation models.
• Demonstrable experience with Bayesian hierarchical methods.
• Strong programming skills in R and experience developing reproducible research software.
• A strong research track record, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and/or other relevant outputs.
• Ability to work independently and contribute creatively to new models and methods.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Responsabilidades

• Contribute to the development of adaptive evidence-accumulation models for a range of cognitive tasks.
• Integrate these models within a Bayesian hierarchical framework with learning and biological models.
• Implement and maintain software for fitting and applying the developed models for cognitive research.

Conhecimentos

Response time modeling

Evidence-accumulation models

Bayesian hierarchical methods

Programming in R

Formação académica

PhD in mathematical psychology / computational cognitive modeling / psychological methods

Ferramentas

R

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Psychological sciences » Cognitive science

Organisation/Company University of Amsterdam (UvA) Research Field Psychological sciences » Cognitive science Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 3 Nov 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Curious about why cognitive abilities fluctuate over time? Interested in using cognitive models and Bayesian hierarchical approaches to tackle complex, real-world data? Join this ERC-funded project to investigate cognitive variability by integrating the dynamic cognitive and biological processes that drive fluctuations in performance across multiple timescales.

Join us!

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join our project entitled “Next-Generation Cognitive Testing: A Theory-Driven Approach to Multi-Scale Dynamics in Cognition”, funded by an ERC Consolidator grant awarded to Dora Matzke.

Few aspects of human performance are as salient and consequential as its variability. Fluctuations are evident in essentially all areas of cognition. For example, attention fluctuates with alertness modulated by circadian timing, while cognitive abilities change over longer time scales due to skill acquisition and forgetting. Given the critical role of cognition in nearly all aspects of human functioning, including safety-critical situations, these fluctuations have profound implications. Yet, the causes and temporal scales of cognitive fluctuations remain poorly understood. The project will develop a unified theoretical framework, for the first time synthetizing the dynamics of the diverse factors underlying fluctuations in cognitive abilities across multiple temporal scales. This interdisciplinary approach will create new opportunities for the emerging field of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in cognitive testing, enhancing reliability and predictive power, and advancing understanding of cognitive dynamics in real-world contexts. The project includes two synergistic strands: (1) Theoretical work to create a dynamic quantitative modeling framework, linking accounts of short-term variability to longer-term adaptations in performance; (2) Empirical work using EMA to investigate how and why performance on a wide range of cognitive tasks fluctuates across time scales from sub-seconds to several weeks.

This postdoctoral project has three main objectives:

• Contribute to the development of novel adaptive evidence-accumulation models for a range of cognitive tasks (e.g., stop-signal and Stroop tasks), providing theory-driven accounts of trial-to-trial fluctuations in cognitive performance.
• Integrate these models within a Bayesian hierarchical framework with formal models of learning and biological mathematical models of alertness, connecting accounts of short-term cognitive variability to longer-term adaptations in performance.
• Implement and maintain software for fitting and applying the developed models, making the new methods accessible for use in cognitive research.

What are you going to do

The postdoctoral researcher will be embedded in the Amsterdam Mathematical Psychology Laboratory ( https://www.ampl-psych.com/ ), within the Psychological Methods program group. Teaching is limited to 5% of the contracted hours, and consists of assisting in courses and supervising (bachelor) thesis students.

What do you have to offer

A strong candidate will have a clear affinity with mathematical psychology and Bayesian cognitive modeling. Given that the project sits at the intersection of psychology, cognitive science, and mathematics, we are looking for someone who is motivated to work in a multidisciplinary team and able to collaborate across fields.

Your experience and profile:

• PhD in mathematical psychology, computational cognitive modeling, psychological methods or a related discipline
• Demonstrable experience with response time modeling, particularly evidence-accumulation models
• Demonstrable experience with Bayesian hierarchical methods
• Strong programming skills in R and experience developing reproducible research software
• A strong research track record, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and/or other relevant research outputs
• The ability to work independently and contribute creatively to the development of new models and methods
• Excellent written and spoken English

What else do we offer you

The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours per week. The employment is for two years.

For this position the University Job Classification profile 'onderzoeker 3/researcher 3' applies.

Your salary will be €4.925 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €6.682 in the second year, based on full-time employment and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

• a position in which initiative and input are highly valued
• an enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues
• an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

In this department, you will work

You will join the Amsterdam Mathematical Psychology Laboratory, led by Dr. Dora Matzke and Dr. Andrew Heathcote, and be embedded in the Psychological Methods program group within the Department of Psychology.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: Dora Matzke, [e-mail]