Postdoctoral Researcher - Ontwikkelings-, Persoonlijkheids- en Sociale Psychologie (30177)

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→ Apply before 30/07/2026 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels Time) → Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences → Department: PP07 - Ontwikkelings-, Persoonlijkheids- en Sociale Psychologie → Occupancy rate:40% → Number of positions: 1 → Type of employment: Contract of limited duration → Term of assignment: 15 maanden → Wage scale: PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree) → Required diploma:PhD ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students. Within the Department of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology, we are seeking a m/f/x to serve as a postdoctoral researcher (15 months, 40% position) as part of an FWO project on need crafting among pre-adolescents. YOUR TASKS The project builds on an existing digital intervention, LifeCraft, which has previously been shown to successfully promote need crafting among adults, university students, and secondary school students. Need crafting refers to a construct within Self-Determination Theory that captures individuals' proactive capacity to contribute to their own well-being. Individuals high in need crafting are more aware of the contexts, activities, and persons that can satisfy their basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence, and they will more actively initiate actions to fulfil these basic needs. The current project is the first to examine whether need crafting yields similar benefits for well-being among primary school children (Grades 4–6) and whether this skill can be effectively trained at this age. LifeCraft was adapted for this younger population and has already been evaluated in an initial trial. Findings indicate that the intervention is promising, but also suggest that it can be better aligned with the classroom context, for example by involving teachers more actively in supporting children's action plans. The aim of the current project is to further identify when, for whom, and under which conditions the intervention is most effective, using both quantitative findings (including Latent Change Modelling) and qualitative data (including feedback from pupils and teachers). The goal is to then further optimize the intervention before implementing and evaluating an improved version in a new trial. Within the framework of this project, the postdoctoral researcher’s tasks include: Preparing and coordinating the planned research activities, including developing questionnaires, preparing participant communications, establishing collaborations with schools, conducting pilot testing, and organizing the study procedures. Implementing the research activities, including supporting teachers during the intervention, coordinating quantitative and qualitative data collection, and conducting qualitative follow-up with participating schools. Analyzing research data, primarily quantitative, using advanced longitudinal analytical techniques. Disseminating research findings through peer-reviewed scientific publications, conference presentations, and invited talks. Contributing to administrative tasks, service activities within the research team, and educational activities of the department. Supervising a small number of Master's thesis students. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Candidates hold a PhD in Psychology and have a strong research track record. Preference will be given to candidates with publications in the fields of Self-Determination Theory, Developmental Psychology, and Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHIs). Experience in developing and evaluating digital