Publisher
source

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Closing soon

Just Landed

Postdoc in Social Psychology on Covert Hate Speech, Polarization, and Radicalization Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in Netherlands

Degree Level

Postdoc

Field of study

Sociology

Funding

Full funding available

Deadline

Aug 20, 2026

Country flag

Country

Netherlands

University

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Social connections

How do I apply for this?

Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.

Apply for this position

Keywords

Sociology
Psychology
Longitudinal Study
Communication Studies
Political Science
Social Psychology
Open Science
Hate Speech
Polarization
Political Psychology
Violent Extremism
Statistics

Suggested positions

About this position

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is advertising a Postdoc in Social Psychology for a 2-year project on covert hate speech, political polarization, and radicalization within the Horizon2020 Proclaim consortium.

The postdoc will work in the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology and collaborate directly with Prof. dr. Jan-Willem van Prooijen and consortium members, including Dr. Seunghyun Sun (Tilburg University). The project examines how hateful rhetoric can hide behind seemingly neutral language, humor, or irony, and how this may fuel radicalization while bypassing moderation tools and EU legislation.

Research tasks include reviewing literature on overt and covert hate speech, designing and running experiments, developing a longitudinal study linking questionnaire data with social media activity, collecting and analyzing data, presenting findings at consortium meetings and conferences, and publishing peer-reviewed articles as lead author. Minor teaching duties are also part of the role.

Applicants should have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in social psychology or a related field. The ideal candidate has expertise in political psychology, polarization, extremism, radicalization, and hate, strong quantitative and statistical skills, experience with Open Science and preregistration, and familiarity with mixed-method approaches to social media data. Excellent English and strong teamwork skills are required.

The position is full-time (1 FTE) with a salary of €3,546–€5,538 gross per month. The initial contract is for one year and may be extended for a second year after positive evaluation. The targeted start date is 1 January 2027, though earlier or later starts may be possible.

Deadline: 20 August 2026. Apply via the VU Amsterdam vacancy platform; email applications are not accepted. Submit a personal statement and CV, and highlight your fit with the project, methods expertise, and relevant research background.

Funding details

Full funding including tuition fees and living expenses is available for this position. The scholarship covers all educational costs and provides a monthly stipend.

How to apply

Please submit your application including a cover letter, CV, academic transcripts, and contact information for two references. Applications should be sent via the online portal before the deadline.

More information can be found here

Ask ApplyKite AI

Start chatting
Can you summarize this position?
What qualifications are required for this position?
How should I prepare my application?

Professors