Prof John de Wit

Research Areas

Professor John de Wit joins NCHSR from Utrecht University in the Netherlands where he was Professor in Social Psychology of Health and Sexuality in the Unit of Social and Organizational Psychology.

Professor de Wit's research deals with the social psychology of health and sexuality, by contributing to a theory-based understanding of risky practises and the development and evaluation of similarly theory-based interventions. His recent work encompasses both applied and more basic research, and continues to emphasize HIV and gay men, althought his work has broadened in scope to include hepatitis B and STIs, as well as teen-pregnacy and unwanted sex (commonly known as sexual abuse). A central theme in his newer work is to understand how individuals self-regulate (negotiate, if you will), their practices in social and physical contexts that are not always supportive and may even promote risk. This work emphasizes the importances of feelings, personal and social motives and implicit rather than reasoned processes.

Teaching

Professor de Wit has extensive experience teaching all levels of tertiary education and an impressive track record of supervising postgraduate students in areas of social psychology, health promotion, behaviour and attitude change, research methods and social understandings of sexual practices.

Publications

International journal articles
Baars, J., Boon, B., de Wit, J.B.F., Schutten, M., van Steenbergen, J.E., Garretsen, H.F., & van de Mheen, D. (in press). Drug users’ participation in a free hepatitis B vaccination program: Demographic, behavioral and social-cognitive determinants. Substance Use and Misuse.

Das, E., De Wit, J.B.F., Vet, R., & Frijns, T. (2008). ‘Feeling’ risk and seeing solutions: Predicting vaccination intentions against hepatitis B infection among men who have sex with men. Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 728-732.

De Wit, J.B.F., Vet, R., & Das, E. (2008). What works best: Objective statistics or a personal testimonial? An assessment of the persuasive effects of different types of message evidence on risk perception. Health Psychology, 27, 110-115.

De Wit, J.B.F., & Adam, P.C.G. (2008). To test or not to test: psychosocial barriers to HIV testing in high-income countries. HIV Medicine, 9(S2), 20-22.

De Hoog, N., Stroebe, W., & de Wit, J.B.F. (2008). The processing of fear-arousing communications: How biased processing leads to persuasion. Social Influence, 3, 84-113.

Stolte, I.G., De Wit, J.B.F., Kolader, M., Fennema, H.S., Coutinho, R.A., & Dukers, N.H.T.M. (2006). Association between 'safer sex fatigue' and rectal gonorrhea is mediated by unsafe sex with casual partners among HIV-positive homosexual men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 33, 201-208.

Van der Snoek, E.M.M., De Wit, J.B.F., Gotz, H.M., Mulder, P.G., Neumann, M.H., & Van der Meijden, W.I. (2006). Incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection in men who have sex with men related to knowledge, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection: Dutch MSM-Cohort Study. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 33, 193-198.

Van der Snoek, E.M., de Wit, J.B.F., Mulder, P.G.H., & van der Meijden, W.I. (2005). Incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection related to perceived HIV/AIDS threat since highly active antiretroviral therapy availability in men who have sex with men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 32, 170-175.

Stolte, I.G., de Wit, J.B.F., van Eeden, A., Coutinho, R.A., & Dukers, N.H.T.M. (2004). Perceived viral load, but not actual HIV-1-RNA load, is associated with sexual risk behaviour among HIV-infected homosexual men. AIDS, 18, 1943-1949.

Stolte, I.G., Dukers, N.H.T.M., Geskus, R.B., Coutinho, R.A., & de Wit, J.B.F. (2004). Homosexual men change to risky sex when perceiving less threat of HIV/AIDS since availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy: a longitudinal study. AIDS, 18, 303-309.

Xiridou, M., Geskus, R., de Wit, J., Coutinho, R., & Kretzschmar, M. (2004). Primary HIV-infection as source of HIV transmission within steady and casual partnerships among homosexual men. AIDS, 18, 1311-1320.

Xiridou, M., Geskus, R., de Wit, J., Coutinho, R., & Kretzschmar, M. (2003). The contribution of steady and casual partnerships to the incidence of HIV infection among homosexual men in Amsterdam. AIDS, 17, 1029-1038.

Dukers, N.H.T.M., Goudsmit, J., Wit, J.B.F., de, Prins, M., Weverling, G.J., & Coutinho, R.A. (2001). Sexual risk behavior relates to the virological and immunological improvements during highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1 infection. AIDS, 15, 369-378.

Dukers, N.H.T.M., Stolte, I.G., Albrecht, N., Coutinho, R.A., & de Wit, J.B.F. (2001). The impact of experiencing lipodystrophy on the sexual behaviour and well-being among HIV-infected homosexual men. AIDS, 15, 812-813.

Stolte, I.G., Dukers, N.H.T.M., Wit, J.B.F., de, Fennema, H.S.A., & Coutinho, R.A. (2001). Increase in sexually transmitted infections among homosexual men in Amsterdam in relation to HAART? Sexually Transmitted Infections, 77, 184-186.

Davidovich, U., Wit, J.B.F., de, Stroebe, W., & Coutinho, R.A. (2000). Assessing sexual risk behaviour of young gay men in primary relationships: The incorporation of negotiated safety and negotiated safety compliance. AIDS, 14, 701-706.

Bosga, M., Wit, J.B.F., de, Vroome, E.M.M., de, Houweling, H., Schop, W., & Sandfort Th.G.M. (1995). Differences in perception of risk for HIV infection with steady and casual partners among homosexual men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 7, 103-115.

Other Information

Professional memberships
International AIDS Society
American Psychological Association, Health Psychology division
European Health Psychology Society
Netherlands Federation for Behavioral Medicine
Netherlands Association for Sexology (Nederlandse Verening voor Seksuologie)
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Society for Personality and Social Psychology
Association of Social Psychological Researchers in The Netherlands (ASPO)

Editorial and reviewing
Editorial board of AIDS Care
Referee for scientific journals, inter alia AIDS, AIDS Care, AIDS Education and Prevention, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Psychology and Health.