Research Associate/PhD Student – Social Media and Conspiracy Theories

With about 15,000 students, more than 300 professorships and around 160 degree programs, the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau is the technical university of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. As a place of top international research, it offers excellent working conditions and career opportunities. Those who study, research or work at RPTU experience a cosmopolitan environment and shape the future.

The Media Psychology Research Group (headed by Prof. Dr. Stephan Winter) is seeking a Research Associate (TV-L 13, 75% of full-time employment) for the DFG-funded project „Do your own research! Benefits of social media usage for conspiracy believers and the interplay of selectivity and persuasive media effects”. The project is part of the DFG Research Unit "Beyond Crazy: Integrating Benefits into the Analysis of Conspiracy Beliefs” and is therefore embedded in a larger interdisciplinary research network. This includes regular academic exchange with doctoral researchers and professors at the other participating institutions, as well as participation in joint conferences and workshops. Candidates who wish to apply for positions in multiple subprojects within the Research Unit are encouraged to do so and are asked to indicate this in their respective applications.

Your area of ​​responsibility:

• Designing and conducting empirical studies (e.g., experiments and web/mobile tracking studies)
• Preparing manuscripts for publication in academic journals
• Presenting research findings at academic conferences
• Collaborating on research activities within the DFG Research Unit “Beyond Crazy: Integrating Benefits into the Analysis of Conspiracy Beliefs”
• The position provides the opportunity to pursue an academic qualification, in particular the completion of a doctoral dissertation.

Your requirements profile:

• An excellent Master's degree in Psychology or Communication Science
• Strong interest in media psychology research and current developments in the media landscape as well as in research on conspiracy beliefs
• Experience in conducting empirical studies (ideally involving experiments, surveys, or tracking data)
• Very good command of English
• Knowledge of German is of advantage

Find more informations on our homepage:

https://jobs.rptu.de/jobposting/df7dca5afad2abd23253464bf13f750597c47c8c0

We look forward to receiving your detailed application (CV, references, etc.) by 29.11.2026 at the latest.