项目介绍

2025年3月7日

We know that young adults are heavy smartphone users, but since each person uses different apps it is challenging to answer this question. This PhD project starts out from the idea that each smartphone app has specific characteristics that in turn might distinctly influence the development of young adults’ political worldviews, by shaping the circumstances through which young adults consume information. This project zooms out and focuses on the structural characteristics of apps that might influence political worldviews: 1) the functions of social capital (i.e., bonding and bridging), 2) algorithmic optimization, 3) propaganda potential.

What are you going to do

Specifically, under supervision of dr. Tom Dobber, dr. Linda Bos, and dr. Bert Bakker, this 4-year PhD project aims to (1) understand how young adults experience app-afforded political influence for themselves and their peers; (2) identify the extent to which app-usage patterns relate to different political worldviews; (3) identify the causal relation between app usage and political worldviews. The project takes a mixed-methods approach consisting of an interview study, a survey including data donation, and a two-wave field experiment including data donation. In this project you will actively approach schools, mbo’s, hbo’s across the country to recruit participants. In doing so, this project will shed light on an understudied yet crucial segment of society and will offer valuable insights that can inform current EU-level policy debates on the regulation of social apps.

As a PhD candidate, you manage the project and are responsible for setting up the individual studies, recruiting participants, collecting and analyzing data, and writing scientific articles that culminate in your dissertation. As the project will have both scientific and societal impact, the insights obtained within this PhD project will be shared with stakeholders within and outside of academia. The PhD candidate is expected to contribute to such outreach activities. Specifically, your tasks will be to:

• Complete an English-language PhD dissertation consisting of a minimum of three scientific articles within the appointment period;
• Present scientific work at national and international conferences;
• Support teaching activities at the Bachelor’s level (up to approximately 10% of your time);
• Share research insights with stakeholders, such as EU-level policymakers;
• Contribute to the vibrant academic life at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research by attending workshops, meetings, and lectures.

What do you have to offer

• You either hold or soon expected to obtain a (research) master’s degree in communication science, political science, or a related social science discipline (a Research Master’s or strong research profile is a pre);
• Strong affinity with the topic of this PhD project;
• An assertive and resourceful personality;
• Social and organizational skills;
• Experience with quantitative research methods and analyses (survey analysis, experiments) and preferably also qualitative research methods;
• Programming skills (in R, or Python);
• Proficiency in Dutch and English;
• Experience with data donation is a pre;
• Commitment to open science principles, methodological rigor and scientific integrity.

What else do we offer you

• A position centered on your growth, with ample opportunities for scholarly and professional development;
• A vibrant and intellectually stimulating working environment;
• An enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues;
• The possibility to write a PhD dissertation on both a societal and academic “hot” topic;
• An inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.