Doctoral studentship - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Research project on the development of attachment security and socioemotional adaptation

The Department of Psychology invites applications for a doctoral studentship within the research project “Evidence over conviction: Young children’s development of attachment security and socioemotional adjustment when they grow up with shared residence”, that is, joint physical custody and alternating residence between the parents’ homes after parental separation.

Based on two interconnected studies, the project follows family development in several current family structures (nuclear family, single-parent family, shared residence) over time, from 3 months before to 1000 days (approximately 3 years) after the child’s birth and observes family structures, parental caregiving and preschool as interactive contexts.

The PhD project

The PhD project will mainly focus on the research project’s Study 1, a large-scale, prospective study based on self-reports, which makes it possible to highlight the interaction between the characteristics of the environment in which the child is growing up and relevant parental qualities – as these factors were present before the child was born and before the shared residency commenced.

Study 2, a longitudinal study building on attachment theory based clinical and behavioural observation instruments, generates information on the child’s attachment security to her/his multiple caregivers over time.

The focus of the PhD project may be on qualities of the parents, as well as of the environment in which the child is growing up, that may be decisive for the child’s socioemotional adjustment and/or development of attachment security, in shared residency and other family structures. Attachment theory with a focus on current developments, including multiple caregivers, the role of the father, parental perinatal mental health and wellbeing, as well as parental expectations, ideas and feelings, are of high relevance for the project.

The project combines methods from epidemiological, clinical and developmental psychology research and takes family systems and ecological perspectives into consideration. Preparations for, and actual data collection, as well as data management and analysis are part of the doctoral student’s work. The work will be carried out in collaboration with other participants in the research team.

Work duties

The PhD programme in psychology comprises 240 credits, which corresponds to four years of full-time study.

The programme concludes with the doctoral student defending their PhD thesis at a public defence. Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall devote themselves to their research studies. Provisions on the employment of doctoral students are provided in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1-7. The doctoral student is expected to actively participate in the research and teaching environment at the department as well as to perform work primarily in teaching, up to no more than 20 per cent of a full-time post.  Information on research studies in psychology can be found at http://www.psy.lu.se/studera/forskarutbildning (in Swedish).

Admission requirements

A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle studies if he or she has completed a second-cycle degree or has completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or has acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific entry requirements for third-cycle studies in psychology if he or she has completed at least 30 second-cycle credits in the main field of psychology, including at least 15 credits from a second-cycle degree project, or corresponding knowledge acquired in Sweden or abroad.

Qualifications

In addition to knowledge and previous experience and skills within the subject areas described for the doctoral project, above, the successful applicant should also be able to communicate in Swedish (including oral presentations), as the data collection work and interaction with parents and healthcare staff will require considerable communication.
Assessment criteria

Provisions for the employment of doctoral students are stated in the Higher Education Ordinance SFS 1998:80. Only those who have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment is made, the ability of the student to benefit from the research studies must be taken into account. In addition to the obligation to focus on their own research studies, the doctoral student may be tasked to work in education, research and administration in accordance with specific provisions in the ordinance.

Application

Applications are to include a personal letter in which you describe yourself, the ways in which you can and want to contribute to the project, which documented theoretical and methodological knowledge and experience you have that you consider relevant for the project, as well as which of your personal characteristics make you particularly suitable for research studies. You are welcome to provide references. Please, attach also your CV and any certificates that demonstrate that you meet the requirements for admission to third-cycle studies (degree certificates etc.)

Terms of employment

Fixed-term employment, four years, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5 Section 7.