Research Group Communication in Digital Transition
This research group aims to strengthen the role of prospective communication professionals in the field of digital transition. This is achieved by making use of the relevant knowledge of communication, society and psychology. To this end, the research group works closely together with professional practice, education and science.
Lines of research within the research group
To understand the context in which organisations communicate with various stakeholders, it is important to take a close look at behaviour. By combining insights from communication, IT and behavioural sciences, we can further professionalise the functionality of communication. We can already see this taking place in the emergence of new specialities such as persuasive design, webcare and data science.
The line of research Behaviour focuses on research into effective interventions. We mainly look at products, services and communication expressions that help bring about a certain behavioural change in the fields of health, sustainability and safety, among others.
We study the effects of online and offline conversations and how the insights we acquire from this research can be applied to digital innovation. Digital innovation is giving rise to radical changes in the public debate. We are witnessing a debate that is taking place almost exclusively online between like-minded people.
For communication professionals, this means that they have to learn how to deal with rumours, the polarisation of sensitive topics and the mobilisation of stakeholders. In addition, the speed with which information about sensitive or complex topics is disseminated needs to be in balance with the depth and quality of the information being shared.
Publications
- Accounting for Sexual Issues Related to Cancer A Discursive Psychological Approach to Online Talk Between Women in Heterosexual Relationships
- Consultations Preliminary to Interdisciplinary Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Patients’ and Practitioners’ Orientations to the Institutional Significance of a Shared Understanding of the Pain
- Communication practices in conversations about sexual health in medical healthcare settings A systematic review
Education
We associate the work of our research group to education by applying an interactive approach, an active open-door policy and by utilising the sub-functions of a variety of lecturer-researchers. The insights and knowledge obtained from our research is also directly applied during lectures.
“The era of explaining things in a better or convincing manner seems to be over. It’s fascinating to see how citizens increasingly take matters into their own hands. How does the government understand and exploit peoples’ concerns, ideas, time and language? This is usually what the discussion is about. All around we are witnessing an ongoing struggle for truly open and authentic interaction about complex and intractable themes.”
Guido Rijnja Jury chair for the Galjaard award
Collaboration
Bureau EMMA, Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, Logeion: the Dutch Association for Communication Professionals, Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and University of Amsterdam
Our professors and researchers
