Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
Research Center for Language and Cognition (CLCG) Research Discourse and Communication

Communication and Cognition (CoCo)

Communication and Cognition (CoCo)

Our research focuses on communication in the domains of health and sustainability, with particular attention on the transition towards a plant-based lifestyle. We use various methods (experimentation, observation) to investigate the effects of persuasive interventions (e.g., poems, narratives, conversations, dialogue systems) on attitudes, intentions, and behavior. We have a special interest in survey methodology (e.g., social desirability in question answering).

The plant-based lifestyle is a highly relevant target for (persuasive) communication research from a theoretical perspective, as it concerns a multitude of factors in complex interaction (e.g., perceived and actual social norms, habits, affect (e.g., empathy), perceived and actual barriers). Communication research on this target can also have a broad and meaningful societal impact, as the consumption of meat and dairy has important implications for ecological issues such as global warming and loss of biodiversity, for ethical issues such as animal rights, and for health issues such as cancer and type 2 diabetes. Our research is thus closely tied to the University’s research themes Sustainable Society and Healthy Ageing. Likewise, our findings on this theme have a high potential for transferability to other health and environment-relevant behaviors as well.

The chair group works in close collaboration with colleagues from other chair groups in the department and the faculty, other (international) researchers and research groups active in this field, and relevant NGOs.

Last modified:17 March 2021 10.23 a.m.