Tilburg University/Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences/dept of Developmental Psychology
is looking for 2 enthusiastic:
PhD candidates “De-escalating Aggressive Interactions between Frontline Workers and Citizens”
School: Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Departments: Developmental Psychology
Location: Tilburg
Scientific field: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Full time equivalent: 1.0 fte (40 hours per week)
Duration of employment contract: 12 months and 36 months
Monthly full-time salary: €3.059 - €3.881 gross
Closing date vacancy: June 8, 2026
Project description
These two PhD positions are embedded in the NWA-funded research project “De-escalating Aggressive Encounters between Frontline Workers and Citizens (DE-ESCALATING)”.
Most face-to-face encounters between citizens and frontline workers, such as police officers, public transport staff, service workers, and healthcare professionals, proceed without incident. Yet a substantial share escalates into aggression against frontline workers. Although practical experience suggests that such situations can often be prevented or de-escalated through effective conflict management, systematic scientific evidence on the effectiveness of specific conflict management strategies remains limited.
Within the NWA project De-escalating Aggressive Encounters between Frontline Workers and Citizens, researchers and societal partners collaborate to understand how interactions escalate into conflict and how they can be de-escalated. The project brings together expertise from criminology, psychology, sociology, behavioral science, and data science, and works closely with frontline organizations. The project aims to identify the mechanisms that drive escalation and support de-escalation. Its goal is to build a solid scientific foundation for effective de-escalation strategies. The project uses a multi-method approach, combining video-behavioral analysis, physiological data, qualitative and organizational research, and large-scale field experiments. Insights from this work may contribute to training, policy, and the development of innovative interventions, such as Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs). The two PhD positions are embedded in Work Package 2 (WP2), which focuses on frontline workers themselves. Central questions include:
- How do frontline workers experience aggressive interactions?
- How can we link and analyze these multi-modal data sources from our multi-method approach?
- What stressful reactions occur before, during, and after these interactions?
- How do stress, emotions, and perceptions influence behavior and decision-making?
- What factors contribute to escalation or successful de-escalation?
WP2 combines psychophysiological measurements, behavioral observations, video analysis, and subjective experiences to understand how internal processes and observable behavior interact.
PhD Position 1: Psychophysiological Stress Responses
The first PhD project focuses on understanding physiological stress responses of frontline workers during aggressive or potentially aggressive interactions. You will contribute to the development of methods for integrating multimodal data streams. In close alignment with WP1, the project will first focus on developing and validating methods for integrating multimodal data collected in real-life settings. This includes synchronizing physiological, behavioral, video, and contextual data streams, developing and extracting meaningful features from different data modalities and linking physiological signals (e.g., heart rate, arousal) to observed behavior in context (Phase 1). Next, building on this methodological foundation, the project will examine how acute stress develops and unfolds before, during, and after interactions, and how it relates to behavior, decision-making, and de-escalation (Phase 2). Further, the findings will contribute to modeling interaction patterns and may inform the development of Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) (Phase 3). Example questions are:
How do frontline workers respond physiologically to stressful interactions?
- In which situations do stress levels increase or decrease?
- How are physiological responses related to effective de-escalation behavior?
You will design and conduct empirical studies, collect and analyze data, and collaborate with other researchers in the project. There are opportunities to work with advanced methods, such as:
- Multimodal data integration (physiological, behavioral, video)
- Modeling stress and interaction dynamics in real-life settings.
The results will contribute to scientific knowledge and practical applications, including training and intervention development.
PhD Position 2: Subjective Experiences, Stress, and Decision-Making
The second PhD project focuses on how frontline workers experience and interprets aggressive interactions, and how these processes influence behavior. Complementing PhD 1, this project investigates subjective experiences, such as perceived threat, emotional reactions, and cognitive processes underlying behavior. Using methods such as interviews, surveys, and experience sampling, you will study:
- How frontline workers experience aggressive interactions
- How perceptions and emotions influence decision-making
- Which factors contribute to escalation or de-escalation
A key aim is to link subjective experiences to the physiological and behavioral data collected in PhD 1 and related studies. This will provide a comprehensive understanding of how internal processes and observable behavior are connected. You will design and conduct studies within frontline organizations and analyze data using both qualitative and quantitative methods. There are also opportunities to contribute to:
- The development and validation of measurement tools (e.g., wearable technologies)
- Validating wearable-based stress measurement and linking psychophysiology to subjective experience, motivation, and decision-making
- Research on stress dynamics and motivation across different contexts
- Translating findings into practical guidelines and interventions
Both PhD candidates will:
- Conduct independent and collaborative research within a multidisciplinary team
- Collect and analyze complex, multi-source datasets
- Contribute to scientific publications and presentations
- Help translate research findings into practical applications
Together, both projects will generate a unique, integrated understanding of how stress, perception, and behavior interact during aggressive encounters, and how these processes can be influenced to promote safer and more constructive interactions. Both projects offer a unique opportunity to work on a societally relevant and impactful topic, collaborate with both academic and societal partners and contribute to both theory development and practical solutions.
Job description
The PhD candidates will be appointed within the Department of Developmental Psychology at Tilburg University and will become active members of this department. The Department focuses on individual differences in cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Research in the department examines, for example, how development and life-course transitions interact with environmental, social, and biological factors. The department has strong expertise in typical and atypical development, including psychopathology, forensic psychology, personality, cognitive aging, and developmental disorders.
Within this context, the current PhD projects specifically focus on stress, behavior, and decision-making in real-life social interactions, with a particular emphasis on frontline work environments. This work connects developmental and individual differences perspectives to applied, real-world challenges involving stress regulation, social behavior, and interaction dynamics.
The candidate will work within the research program described above. The main task is to develop, coordinate, and carry out an independent PhD project, culminating in a doctoral dissertation. The candidate is expected to publish research findings in peer-reviewed international journals and to actively contribute to open science practices.
The PhD candidates will work within a larger interdisciplinary research consortium and are expected to actively engage with collaborating researchers across institutions. This includes a willingness to contribute to joint data collection efforts, shared methodologies, and collaborative publications.
Regular in-person collaboration is an essential part of the project, including (at least) monthly research meetings at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) laboratory of prof. dr. Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard (PI of the NWA project).
Responsibilities are
- Planning and conducting complex and large-scale data collections, including data gathered in real-life or applied settings
- Performing appropriate statistical and/or computational data analyses, potentially involving multimodal datasets (e.g., physiological, behavioral, and self-report data)
- Participating in the project team and engaging with the Department of Developmental Psychology, including attendance at departmental meetings and participation in collaborative discussions
- Writing scientific publications for international peer-reviewed journals
- Presenting research at national and international scientific conferences and disseminating findings to both academic and non-academic audiences
- Engaging with external stakeholders (e.g., frontline organizations) and contributing to the societal impact of the research
- Contributing to teaching and supervision activities (e.g., supervising bachelor’s theses and research working groups), with a maximum teaching load of 0.2 FTE. Teaching duties will be assigned in consultation with the Chair of the Department
Job requirements and qualifications of the candidate
- We are seeking two highly motivated, curious, enthusiastic, proactive, and result-driven PhD students Applicants should hold a relevant MSc degree, preferably a research master in fields such as experimental or developmental psychology, or a related field
- Strong interest in psychophysiological processes and stress responses in real-life social interactions, particularly in high-stakes or frontline contexts
- Motivation to conduct applied, real-world experimental and field research, including working with frontline professionals and collecting data in dynamic environments
- Willingness to spend substantial time on in-situ and lab-based data collection, including coordinating sessions with human participants and organizational partners
- Interest in (learning to use) multimodal data collection and analysis techniques, such as physiological measurements (e.g., heart rate, arousal), behavioral observations, and video data
- Affinity with integrating and analyzing complex datasets, potentially combining physiological, behavioral, and self-report data
- Project management and organizational skills, with the ability to plan, coordinate, and execute a multi-year interdisciplinary research project
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, and a willingness to work in a team with researchers and external stakeholders (e.g., frontline organizations)
- High proficiency in Dutch (for PhD1) and English, enabling effective communication with participants, collaborators, and for scientific writing
- Interest in both quantitative and/or qualitative research methods, depending on the project focus (e.g., modeling vs. interviews/experience sampling)
- Interest in translating scientific findings into practical applications, such as training, intervention development, or policy recommendations
- Interest in contributing to teaching activities, including supervising bachelor’s theses and research working groups
Desirable qualifications
- Solid knowledge of modern statistical analysis methods and experience with relevant software packages (e.g., SPSS, R), with an interest in extending these skills toward multimodal and longitudinal data analysis
- Initial experience with conducting psychological or behavioral research, including familiarity with experimental design, data collection, and ethical procedures, preferably in applied or real-world settings
- Demonstrated ability to analyze research data using appropriate statistical techniques, with an interest in working with complex datasets (e.g., physiological, behavioral, or self-report data)
- Affinity with quantitative and qualitative research methods, depending on the project focus (e.g., statistical modeling vs. interviews and experience sampling)
- For the first PhD position, proficiency in Dutch given the collaboration with frontline organizations
- Experience with physiological measurements (e.g., heart rate, arousal), wearable technologies, or behavioral coding is an advantage, but not required
Terms of employment
The PhD candidate is employed by Tilburg University, which is among the top Dutch employers and has an excellent policy concerning terms of employment. The appointments are intended to lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. For this position we offer you:
- A position based on 1 FTE (40 hours per week).
- A salary of €3,059 gross per month in the first year, up to €3,881 gross per month in the fourth year for full-time employment, based on UFO job profile PhD Candidate and salary scale PR. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant education and work experience.
- This is a vacancy for a temporary position following Article 2.3 paragraph 8 under b of the CLA DU. You will initially receive a temporary contract for 12 months to assess your suitability. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract of 36 months.
- Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
- Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
- Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
- Reimbursement for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
- Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
- Budget for participation to academic conferences and trainings.
- Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
- Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax-free allowance of 30% of their taxable wages, we apply for this compensation for you.
- A pension with ABP; the largest Dutch pension fund.
- Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research, or a language course at our Language Center.
- A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities.
- A vibrant campus in green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport.
Application and information concerning the vacancy
Applicants should send their CV, grade list, and a cover letter including a description of the motivation (a sample paper and/or the MSc or BSc thesis are optional) only by the link mentioned below.
The closing date for applications is June 8, 2026. The interviews will take place in the week of June 22, per video call if needed. Starting date is September 1st, 2026 by the latest.
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB) is a modern, specialized university. The teaching and research of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences are organized around the themes of Adaptive societies, organizations, and workers, Healthy life span, Personalized prevention and care. The School's inspiring working environment challenges its workers to realize their ambitions; involvement and cooperation are essential to achieve this.
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recruitment code
Tilburg University applies the recruitmentcode of the Dutch Association for Personnel Management & Organization Development (NVP).
Disclaimer
The text of this vacancy advertisement is copyright-protected property of Tilburg University. Use, distribution and further disclosure of the advertisement without express permission from Tilburg University is not allowed, and this applies explicitly to use by recruitment and selection agencies which do not act directly on the instructions of Tilburg University. Responses resulting from recruitment by non-contractors of Tilburg Universities will not be handled.
