Postdoctoral Researcher on attention and technology use (full-time, 2.5 years)

Tilburg University; Tilburg; Hybrid; EUR 55,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation pay 8%

Year-end bonus 8.3%

8 weeks vacation

Hybrid working allowance

Internet allowance

Sustainable commuting reimbursement

Moving allowance

30% ruling for international employees

Pension ABP

Training programs

Inclusive work culture

Green campus

Job summary

Tilburg University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher on attention and technology use. The role is full-time (40 hours/week) for 2.5 years, with a start date of March 1, 2027.

The position offers a hybrid or on-site arrangement in Tilburg and is part of an ERC Starting Grant project led by Matti Vuorre. The successful candidate will design and execute quantitative studies, analyze data, and contribute to manuscripts while collaborating with junior team members and the project

Qualifications

• PhD in cognitive psychology or related field.
• Experience with experiments, longitudinal data, and data analyses.
• Strong English writing skills and academic publishing track record.
• Proficiency in quantitative methods and computational modeling.

Responsibilities

• Design and run theoretically informative studies involving experiments, surveys, longitudinal data collection, and digital trace data.
• Conduct theoretically informative and reproducible data analyses.
• Prepare high-quality scholarly manuscripts.
• Present in group meetings and at scientific conferences.
• Manage own academic and research activities.
• Contribute to the project through teamwork, advising junior team members, and developing new research ideas.
• Implement open & collaborative practices such as data curation, version control, transparency, and reproducibility.

Skills

Quantitative research

Experiment design

Causal inference

Statistical modeling

Computational modeling

Data analysis

Academic English writing

Python and R

Education

PhD in cognitive psychology or related

Cognitive psychology background

Tools

Python

R

Git/version control

Statistical software

Job description

Postdoctoral Researcher on attention and technology use (full-time, 2.5 years) (24788)

Tilburg University | Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

is looking for a

Postdoctoral Researcher on attention and technology use (full-time, 2.5 years)

Hybrid or on site: Tilburg

Contract size: 1,0 fte (40 hours per week)

Intended start date: March 1, 2027

Matti Vuorre ’s research group at Tilburg University is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join a project funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant. We study human attention and how it relates to digital technology use by answering questions such as:

Do digital technologies, or the ways in which people use them, shape how we pay attention? Do differences in attention play a role in how we use technology? Can we influence people’s attentional abilities or dynamics, or their attitudes about attention, by changing how they use technology? To what extent are self-report measures indicative of attentional abilities in the context of technology use? We tackle these and other related questions through multiple approaches, including

• Cognitive psychology experiments and surveys, both in-person and online, to measure a broad range of attentional abilities, behaviors, and attitudes, such as sustained attention and how individuals feel they are able to focus in their daily lives
• Digital trace data and methods, to analyse accurate high-resolution measures of digital technology use, such as temporal patterns of device and app use
• Intervention and longitudinal studies, to examine the dynamics of and causal effects between technology use and attention

We aim to clarify how technologies can impact our cognitive faculties, but also how we could best conceptualize and study attention in the context of digital technology use.

Your position

The Postdoctoral Researcher will contribute to this project through designing, executing, and communicating the results of quantitative research projects in collaboration with Matti Vuorre. These projects may involve theoretical, experimental, modeling (of primary or secondary data), or causal inference approaches to studying relations between, and dynamics of, attention and digital technology use. The applicant will lead their own studies, but is also expected to collaborate within the project and advise more junior team members. Specifically, responsibilities include:

• Designing and running theoretically informative studies involving experiments, surveys, longitudinal data collection, and digital trace data
• Conducting theoretically informative and reproducible data analyses
• Preparing high-quality scholarly manuscripts
• Presenting in group meetings and at scientific conferences
• Managing own academic and research activities
• Contributing to the project through teamwork, advising junior team members, and developing new research ideas
• Implementing open & collaborative practices such as data curation, version control, transparency, and reproducibility

Your profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and curious scholar who possesses relevant expertise in (the theory & methods of) cognitive and experimental psychology, statistical modeling, and causal inference or computational modeling. Candidates must possess a PhD, and ideally have an academic background in an area related to cognitive psychology. We are looking for candidates who have (and are motivated to further develop):

• A strong interest in conducting interdisciplinary research on attention and how it may relate to digital technology use
• Demonstrated abilities in conducting theoretically relevant quantitative research to a high standard
• Demonstrated research skills relating to experimental design, computational / statistical / mathematical modeling, causal inference, or digital trace data
• Advanced programming skills related to data science and statistics
• Project management and organization skills
• Proficiency in English at an academic level (CEFR 2), including strong writing skills

Our offer

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 1,0 fte (40 hours per week).
• Salary between €4.925 and €5.264 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Researcher 3, salary scale 11 step 0-2). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 5 sub b CLA DU. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 12 months. If your performance is satisfactory, you will receive a 18-month contract extension.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• 30% rule for international employees (if applicable).
• Pension through ABP.
• Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

About Tilburg University

Tilburg University is the university in the humanities and social sciences. Ever since our foundation in 1927, we have been committed to a just, inclusive, and sustainable society. With leading research and inspiring education, we contribute to the interpretation and, where possible, solutions to current societal issues, from climate change to digitalization

Our community is personal, engaged, and small-scale. On our green, compact, and vibrant campus there is room for encounter, collaboration, reflection, and personal growth. Read more about Tilburg University .

Working at Tilburg University means working in an inclusive team with attractive employment conditions. At Tilburg University, you will receive ample opportunities to strengthen your talents and develop your career, in a warm working atmosphere where we attach great importance to the following values: curious, connected, caring, and courageous.

About the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB)

Our education and research focus on human behavior in a changing society. At the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB), we want to understand how people function as individuals, in relationships, in organizations, and in society. We aim to reinforce adaptability, mental resilience, and a grip on health and well‑being.

At TSB, researchers increasingly work in interdisciplinary teams that combine the strengths of all the social science disciplines to answer research questions. They also work with citizens, professionals, policy makers, administrators, and entrepreneurs to study and solve current social problems. Lecturers at TSB contribute to the design and implementation of degree programs in digital social sciences that provide students with the opportunity to take courses from a wide range of disciplines. Read more about the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences .

About the Department of Social Psychology

The Department of Social Psychology is home to a dedicated team of researchers and educators. Research topics in the department range from the psychology of digitalization to diversity, economic psychology, emotions and well‑being, and decision making. The department is equipped with high‑quality research facilities, including a lab with 24 separate research cubicles, group rooms, eye‑tracking equipment, thermal‑imaging cameras, and more. The Department of Social Psychology also organizes a regular colloquium where guest speakers present their latest psychological research.

Recruitment code

Tilburg University applies the recruitmentcode of the Dutch Association for Personnel Management & Organization Development (NVP).