PhD student on Greed and Scarcity in Economic Decision Making Department
Social Psychology (1,0 fte)
Project description
Greed is the insatiable desire for more: It can be seen as the proximal psychological motive
underlying consumerism: the feeling that encourages the acquisition of things, goods and
services, in ever-increasing amounts. Hence, greed is an important construct in economic
behavior. Greed is a universal human tendency, with this we mean that it is inherent in people
to strive for more, because it improves their position.
The current project aims to further our knowledge about greed in three important ways.
Subproject 1 is aimed at developing an effective induction of state greed (as opposed to
dispositional greed). Subproject 2 further examines the relation between scarcity and greed by
investigating how state and trait greed moderate the effect of scarcity appeals on consumer
decisions. Subproject 3 addresses how greed influences people’s choices for omission or
commission. This final subproject will test the relationship between how greedy people are
(trait and state) and how eager they are to act on opportunities, how fearful they are about
missing out on them, and how much regret they anticipated over acting (commission) and not
acting (omission).
All subprojects aim to use various methodologies (laboratory experiments, internet surveys,
scenario studies) and different populations (students, panel data, and MTurk) in order to
approach the research questions from different angles. The current project involves conducting
interdisciplinary research that lies at the intersection of economic psychology, marketing, and
behavioral economics.
The current Tilburg PhD project will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Marcel Zeelenberg, Dr. Terri G.
Seuntjens and Dr. Seger M. Breugelmans. A more detailed project description is available upon
request from Prof. Zeelenberg.
Tasks
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Designing and conducting experimental and survey research;
Presenting its findings on scientific conferences;
Reporting its findings in international journals, resulting in a dissertation;
Participating in the local graduate school;
Participating in the teaching program of the Social Psychology department.
Qualifications
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Master’s degree (preferably Research Master) in social, economic or cognitive
psychology;
Expertise and experience in all facets of research;
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Fluency in spoken English and excellent writing skills in English;
Passion for research;
Team player.
Terms of Employment
Tilburg University is among the top Dutch employers and has an excellent policy concerning
terms of employment. The collective employment terms and conditions for Dutch universities
will apply. The appointment is intended to lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. The starting
date is negotiable, but no later than September 1st 2017. The PHD appointment at Tilburg
University begins with a period of 12 months. Continuation of the appointment with another 36
months will be based on performance evaluation. The gross salary for the PHD position
amounts € 2191 per month in the first year, rising to € 2801 per month in the fourth year,
based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week).
Information
Further information about the position or the project can be obtained from Prof. dr. Marcel
Zeelenberg: [email protected].
Applications and Information
For additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from Prof. dr. Marcel Zeelenberg:
[email protected].
Applicants should send their CV, a covering letter and a sample of writing (thesis/article) to
Hans-Georg van Liempd MSc, Managing Director, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral
Sciences, only by the link mentioned below.
The closing date for applications is March 1st 2017. The interviews will take place in week 11
(March 13-17).
Link: https://tiu.nu/8341
Department of Social Psychology
The Department of Social Psychology at Tilburg University (The Netherlands) is a vibrant group
of Social, Economic, and Organizational psychologists. Our department fosters an intellectually
stimulating and productive environment, advancing knowledge on social decision making and
contributing to the effective practices of organizations and society. Our research receives high
recognition, both nationally and internationally, and our faculty participates in the
interdisciplinary research institute TIBER (Tilburg Institute for Behavioral Economics Research).
The department makes use of diverse and state-of–the-art research facilities (multi-use lab
spaces, online data collection, mobile computing, psycho-physiological and neurocognitive
equipment) and has access to a dedicated research support staff (lab assistants, programming
and technical support). For more information see:
http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about/schools/socialsciences/organization/departments/soci
al-psychology.htm
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Het onderwijs en onderzoek van de Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB) zijn
georganiseerd rond de thema’s Gezondheid, Organisatie en de Verhouding staat-burgermaatschappij. Met een inspirerende werkomgeving daagt de faculteit haar medewerkers uit om
hun ambities te verwezenlijken. Betrokkenheid en samenwerking zijn daarbij belangrijke
uitgangspunten.
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sollicitatiecode
Tilburg University hanteert de NVP-sollicitatiecode van de Nederlandse Vereniging voor
Personeelsmanagement & Organisatieontwikkeling.
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