Prof. dr. Peter Kerkhof

Monday, Tuesday, and Friday

information in Dutch

Peter Kerkhof is associate professor and chair of the department of Communication Science. He holds a PhD in (social) psychology from VU University Amsterdam. Currently he also holds a special chair in Customer Media at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on how information in social and customer media shapes consumers’ impressions of companies and their products or services. Current topics are online customer care, online reputation management and crisis communication 2.0. A second line of research focuses on how new media affects adult close relationships. Whereas the Internet offers us numerous possibilities to connect to people in other locations, compulsive Internet use may negatively affect relationships with those close by. Peter Kerkhof’s work has been published in major scientific journals (e.g., Human Communication Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin).

Research

The research focuses on the the role of communication in enhancing employee and consumer trust in organisations. The research on employee trust focuses deals with the mediating role of fairness perceptions in communication effects on trust. Consumer trust in mainly investigated in the context of online situations (e.g. internetshops). The research is part of the VU University Amsterdam research program 'Communicative performance: Content and persons in the media and in organizational relations' and the NESCOR theme 'Open and informed organizations'.

Recent publications

• Kerkhof, P., Finkenauer, C., & Muusses, L. D. (2011). Relational consequences of compulsive Internet use: A Longitudinal study among newlyweds. Human Communication Research, 37(2), 147-173
• Kerkhof, P. (2010). Merken en social media. In: S. van den Boom, E. Smit, & S. de Bakker (Eds.), Nachtmerrie of droom: de ROI van customer media, p. 149-154. Heemstede (NL): Customer Media Council.
• Kerkhof, P. & Van Noort, G. (2010). Third party Internet seals- Reviewing the effects on online consumer trust. In I. Lee (Ed.), Encyclopedia of E-Business Development and Management in the Global Economy, p. 701-708. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference.
• Das, E., Bushman, B. J., Bezemer, M. D., Kerkhof, P., & Vermeulen, I. E. (2009). How terrorism news reports increase prejudice against outgroups- A terror management account. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(3), 453-459.
• Finkenauer, C., Kerkhof, P., Righetti, F., & Branje, S. J. T. (2009). Living together apart- Perceived concealment as a signal of exclusion in marital relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(10), 1410-1422.
• Van Noort, G., Kerkhof, P., & Fennis, B. M. (2009). Reducing risk in the online sphere: The role of warranties. In P. de Pelsmacker & N. Dens (Eds.), Advertising Research: Message, medium, and context (pp. 175-182). Antwerpen-Apeldoorn: Garant.
• Vohs, K. D., Kaikati, A., Kerkhof, P., & Schmeichel, B. J., (2009). Self-regulatory resource depletion: A model for understanding the limited nature of goal pursuit. In: G. B. Moskowitz and H. Grant (Eds.), The Psychology of Goals. (pp. 423-446). New York: Guilford Press.
• Das, E., Kerkhof, P. & Kuiper, J. (2008). Improving the effectiveness of fundraising messages. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 36(2), 161-175.
• Rawn, C. D., Mead, N. L., Kerkhof, P. & Vohs, K. D. (2008). The influence of self-esteem and ego threat on decision making. In K. D. Vohs, R. F. Baumeister, & G. Loewenstein (Eds.), Do emotions help or hurt decision making? (pp. 157-182). New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press.
• Van Noort, G., Kerkhof, P., & Fennis, B. M. (2008). The persuasiveness of online safety cues. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 22(4), 58-72.
• van Noort, G., Kerkhof, P., & Fennis, B. M. (2007). Online versus conventional shopping- Consumers’ risk perception and regulatory focus. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10(5), 731-733.
• Kerkhof, P., Vahstal-Lapaix, N. & Calje, J.F. (2005). Store and advertiser reputation effects on consumer trust in an Internet store. In K. Bijlsma & R. Klein Woolthuis (Eds.), Trust under pressure: empirical investigations of trust and trust building in uncertain circumstances (pp. 170-185). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishers.
• Kerkhof, P., Winder, A. B., & Klandermans, B. (2005). Job insecurity and works council participation. In H. de Witte (Ed.), Job insecurity, union involvement and union activism (pp. 63-80). Aldershot: Ashgate.
• Kerkhof, P., Fennis, B. M., & van der Meijden, Y. (2004). Consumer-, manufacturer- and ad-related antecedents of ad skepticism. In P. Neijens, C. Hess, B. van den Putte & E. Smit (Eds.), Content and media factors in advertising (pp. 37-50). Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis.
• Kerkhof, P., Winder, A. B., & Klandermans, P. G. (2003). Instrumental and relational determinants of trust in management among members of works councils. Personnel Review, 32(5), 623-637.

Publicationlist

Other academic activities

• Head of the department Communication Science
• Member of Centre for Advanced Media Research Amsterdam (CAMeRA), International Communication Association (ICA), American Netherlands School for Communication Research (NESCoR), Associatie van Sociaal-Psychologische Onderzoekers (ASPO)
• Reviewer for Communication, Culture & Critique; Journal of Experimental Social Psychology; Group & Organization Management; European Journal of Social Psychology; Personnel Review; ASPO Jaarboek; Acta Politica; ICA
• Participant Expert Meeting Overheidscommunicatie (Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst), NWO Commissie MAGW Open Competitie