Doktorand*in / PhD in (meta)cognitive development at the Department of Psychology

• PhD – Individual Supervisor

• Mathematics / Natural Sciences

1 Doctoral Position (m/f/d, E13 TV-L; 65%)

Employment is envisaged for 1st of April 2021 or soon thereafter and will last for 3 years.

An excellent junior researcher is sought to take the lead on an innovative project that aims to understand what determines the accuracy of metacognitive monitoring across development. Metacognitive monitoring is the process through which we reflect on our own cognitive processing, abilities, and progress in a task. Successful learners can use the information they gain through monitoring to reallocate their attention and other cognitive resources during a task, and to better plan such tasks in the future. The accuracy of these monitoring processes is known to vary across individuals and contexts, and in this project we will examine in particular the role of executive functions in monitoring accuracy. Executive functions are a range of skills thought to be required in novel problem-solving contexts, including the inhibition of irrelevant information, updating of information in working memory, and the ability to switch quickly between tasks; it has been proposed that executive functions are precursors to metacognitive monitoring. In this project, computer-based experiments and a theoretically-driven intervention study will be conducted to address important questions in this field of cognitive development.

The successful candidate will conduct experiments with children aged 8 – 13 years, conceptualise and design a training program with school-aged children, and implement this with assistance from research assistants. The candidate will analyse and interpret the results of these studies, help in the preparation of manuscripts for publication, and have the opportunity to present findings from the project at national and international conferences. S/he will join the research team of Dr. Donna Bryce and, where relevant, be supported in obtaining a PhD in developmental cognitive psychology.

What is required?
– Very good Master degree in Psychology or a related subject.
– High motivation and interest in cognitive development, metacognition and/or executive functions.
– Very good skills in experimental procedures and statistical analyses.
– Experience in working with school-aged children is desirable.
– Very good English and German skills are desirable.

What we offer
– Integration in a dynamic, new research team focused on understanding cognitive development.
– Connection with excellent researchers all over the globe and the chance to attend international conferences.
– Opportunity to conduct teaching at the University level, if desired.
– Opportunity to conduct a PhD in an excellent Department of Psychology.

The University of Tübingen is an equal opportunity employer and specifically welcomes applications from female scientists. Preference will be given to applicants with disabilities when qualifications are equivalent.

Please submit your application documents (cover letter outlining your motivation for applying, C.V., contact details for two references, copies of degree certificates and transcript of grades) as a single pdf-file to donna.bryce@uni-tuebingen.de, by 11th January 2021.
Informal enquiries are welcome to the same email address.

The employment will be carried out by the central administration of the University of Tübingen.

• English
• German

• English

• CV
• Reports, certificates
• Transcripts
• Letter of Motivation