PhD researcher in experimental linguistics – Emotional contagion in online reviews

The MIDI Research Group (“Multimodality, Interaction & Discourse”) at KU Leuven, Department of Linguistics is hiring 1 full-time PhD researcher on a junior fundamental research project funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). In this project, you will investigate the role of linguistic content on emotional responses to online consumer feedback.
As a PhD researcher, you will be supervised by Nicolas Ruytenbeek, assistant professor in digital and multilingual communication at KU Leuven (Sint-Jacob campus in Antwerp). The MIDI research group (Multimodality, Interaction & Discourse: https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/midi) unites researchers with an interest in the study of language in interaction, with a specific focus on the social, cognitive and multimodal dimension of language use. The research group applies different methodological approaches across paradigms such as pragmatics, cognitive & interactional (socio)linguistics and conversation analysis.
KU Leuven is consistently ranked within the top European Universities and is located in the city of Leuven, which has a strong international appeal (see http://www.kuleuven.be/english). For this function, the candidate will be based on the Sint-Jacob campus of the KU Leuven in Antwerp.
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Project
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The emotions expressed in online reviews easily spread from reviewers to other consumers. These reviews can therefore affect consumers’ perceptions of the quality of a product or service in a good or bad way. While previous research has identified the different speech acts and discourse strategies included in online reviews, the effects of the linguistic content of reviews on the spread of emotions to the readers of these reviews (“emotional contagion”) remain unexplored. This is precisely that gap this project seeks to fill. The specific objectives of the project are: 1) to document the components of online consumer reviews and their (para-)linguistic realizations; 2) to examine the impact of different (combinations of) review components and of their realizations a) on readers’ identification of the emotions expressed in these reviews and b) on readers’ emotional responses to these reviews. To reach these objectives, a mixed-method approach combining corpus analysis, questionnaires and psychophysiological experiments will be used. As the first study to investigate, in a systematic way, the perlocutionary effects associated with a variety of linguistic choices in consumer reviews, this project will bridge the gap between experimental pragmatic research and business communication studies.

Profile
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– Applicants should possess a Master’s degree in (applied/experimental) linguistics, psycholinguistics, psychology, cognitive science or related relevant areas;
– Preferably, applicants already have some experience with experimental design and statistics;
– A background in one or more of the following domains: pragmatics, discourse analysis, business communication is considered a plus;
– The corpus and experimental studies will be conducted with Dutch-speaking participants and the results of the research will be written and presented orally in English. A good mastery of English and, ideally, of Dutch too is therefore required;
– Further assets are a creative mind and a collaborative and collegial attitude.
Formal applications can be submitted by providing:
A motivation letter (2 pages max., in English or Dutch);
A CV (2 pages max., in English or Dutch), including the names, affiliations and contact information of two referees;
Up to 3 publications, which may include the BA/MA dissertation;
The transcripts of your marks for the Master’s degree.

Candidate will be shortlisted based on their applications. Interviews will take place in February in Antwerp.

Offer
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We offer a one-year contract, renewable for three years after a positive evaluation. The candidate will be part of a dynamic team of senior and junior researchers, providing ample opportunities for collaboration and discussion. For example, the MIDI lab sessions (twice a month) are an opportunity for the applicant to present their work and receive feedback from their peers.
The salary will be in accordance with the university salary scales for PhD students. The starting date will be mutually agreed upon, but preferably around 1st March 2025.

Interested?
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For more information please contact Prof. dr. Nicolas Ruytenbeek, mail: [email protected].
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