Job description
Research Project: Development and Transitions in Relationships of Adolescents with Parents and Friends

Project Description
During adolescence, both parent-child and friendship relationshipsdevelop towards increasing equality and reciprocity. The presentproject aims at examining changes in support, conflict, and power inparent-child and friendship relationships during adolescence. Inaddition, the project will examine the underlying developmentalprocesses by using a design with intensive longitudinal internetassessments of parent-child and friendship relationships. A DynamicSystems perspective suggests that developmental changes are marked by asubstantial temporary increase in intraindividual variability inbehavior (i.e., flexibility or fluctuations in behavior). The projectwill examine (1) developmental changes in parent-child and friendshiprelationships across adolescence; (2) the developmental order in whichchanges in relationships with parents and peers occur; (3) thehypothesis that intraindividual variability in relationships will behighest during developmental transitions in parent-child and friendshiprelationships; and (4) the hypothesis that negative emotionality mayconstrain the developmental process and lead to decreased flexibilityin relationships.The study uses data of wave 1 to 5 of CONAMORE, and ofwaves 1 to 12 (spanning three years) of the ‘Dutch study ofrelationship linkages and delinquency in adolescence'. CONAMORE is anongoing longitudinal multi-informant study of Utrecht University (firstwave of data-collection was in September 2001), while the Dutch studywill have its first wave of data-collection in September 2005. Bothstudies have an extensive five-year longitudinal design, usemulti-actor questionnaire data, have full-recursive designs, and studyaspects of relationships that are known to change and vary acrossadolescence (conflict, support, power/dominance). This project offersan exciting opportunity for a dedicated and competent person tocontribute to research on the development of relationships duringadolescence.

Responsibilities
The Ph.D. candidate will be responsible for conducting a literaturereview of the existing research in this area and together with theresearch team further develop and execute the proposed researchproject. The candidate will contribute to the collection of data on 600families with at least two children and two (or one) parents. Inaddition, the candidate will be expected to disseminate the knowledgegained from this project through publishing four research articles ininternational research journals, the dissertation, and presentingresults at international and national conferences.

Required education/skills: University Graduate
A master's degree or equivalent in child and adolescent studies,(developmental) psychology or a related discipline in social sciences.Excellent research and writing skills and experience using statisticalmethodology. A good written and oral command of the English language isalso desired. We are looking for a motivated candidate who has affinitywith psychosocial development of adolescents.

The candidate will be a part of the Institute for the Study ofEducation and Human Development (ISED), the national research schoolfor developmental and educational sciences recognized by the RoyalNetherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The candidate willfollow advanced graduate training courses offered by ISED as deemednecessary, including advanced statistics and methodology courses. Thecandidate will participate in the local university research instituteISED-Utrecht in the program ‘Adolescent development'. The candidatewill also be expected to provide teaching assistance at undergraduatelevel.

Job type: ENG_Onderzoek/ Advies

Workfield(s):
- Research trainees, non-tenured lecturers, researchers (Scientific discipline: Behaviour and Society)

Utrecht University Faculty of Social Sciences

DeFaculteit Sociale Wetenschappen in Utrecht verzorgt onderwijs aan ruim4200 studenten in zes opleidingen, te weten: psychologie,onderwijskunde, pedagogiek, algemene sociale wetenschappen, cultureleantropologie en sociologie. Tevens wordt bijgedragen aan drieinterfacultaire opleidingen, nl. economie, cognitieve kunstmatigeintelligentie, en bestuurs- en organisatiewetenschappen. Onderzoekersvan de faculteit participeren in acht landelijke onderzoekscholen. Ditbrede palet aan opleidingen en onderzoekcentra binnen een faculteitbiedt mogelijkheden in onderwijs en onderzoek te profiteren van elkaarskennis en expertise. Aan de faculteit zijn ca. 600 medewerkersverbonden.

Date of entry: 01/03/2005

Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2000 - 2500

Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 2394
Duration of the contract: 4 years
Maximum hours per week: 36

Additional conditions of employment:
The initial appointment will be made for a 0.9 fte appointment for 1.5years that, with satisfactory completion, will result in an extensionfor an additional 2.5 years. It is expected that the appointee willcomplete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree within this period. Theexpected start date: March 1, 2005. The salary is € 1813 per month inthe first year and is expected to increase to € 2394 per month in thefourth year, for a full time appointment, contingent on satisfactoryperformance

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:

dr. Susan Branje
E-mail address: s.j.t.branje@fss.uu.nl

Or mrs. I. Smit-Adan for a more detailed description of the project
Telephone number: +3130 253 4650
E-mail address: i.smit-adan@fss.uu.nl

Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links:

You can apply for this job before 15-01-2005 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:

Whenapplying for this job always mention the vacancynumber AT 69439 andrefer to the fact that you found this vacancy throughAcademicTransfer.org.

URL Link to this document: PhD-RESEARCHER Relationships of Adolescents with Parents and Friends