Faculty of GMW achieves excellent score in NWO Research Talent programme

Through its Research Talent Programme, NWO has awarded five PhD projects to the University of Groningen. This particular round involves research in the Arts and Social Sciences sector. Four of the PhD positions will be at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, the fifth is at the Faculty of Law. A total of 42 projects were honoured across the country.

The Research Talent programme offers talented, ambitious students the opportunity to start an academic career.

The honoured projects are:

Dr J.K. Dijkstra, Prof. D.R. Veenstra, R. Savickaite MSc

Summary: This project will investigate romantic relationships, such as going steady and dating, integrated with research on peer relations using social network analysis.

Dr D.H. van Rijn, Prof. E.J.M. Wagenmakers, U. Böhm

Summary: Important models for perceptual decision-making assume that response caution remains constant during the decision-making process. Recent work, however, assumes that people become less cautious as they spend more time on a decision. The inability to choose between two options could signal to the decision-maker that both options are equal. In order to check if this is correct, a mathematical model will be developed to interpret behavioural and electrophysiological data.

Dr M.A.J. van Duijn, Prof. T.A.B. Snijders, N.M.D. Niezink MSc

Summary: This project will further develop an existing model that analyses social networks and individual characteristics so that the individual characteristics will no longer change in steps over time but will be flowing and continuous. This will be achieved by a mathematical adaptation of the model.

Dr M.C.J.L. Opdenakker, Prof. M.P.C. van der Werf, J. Jansma MSc

Summary: The project will introduce new insights into the development of moral behaviour. It will specifically concern the various attitudes that lead to bullying, or helping the victim, or being a bystander. The research will assess the role of four underlying psychological processes (moral sensitivity, moral judgement, moral motivation, moral character) among 7 to 12-year-olds.

Prof. O.O. Cherednychenko, Prof. A.J. Verheij, C.E. de Jager

Summary: The woekerpolis (profiteering policy) is unfortunately not an isolated phenomenon. In Europe, investment products are often sold to consumers in a misleading manner. The information that financial institutions offer their customers is meant to provide information about how to achieve investment goals. But is legislation 'fit for purpose'? The research project will try to answer this question.