T.M. Nyhoff (Tom)

About Me

I am a PhD candidate at the University of Twente, in collaboration with TNO, researching strategic social media influencing and cognitive warfare. My work examines how malicious campaigns on social media platforms shape public opinion, erode trust, and undermine societal resilience in contested information environments.

I hold a BSc and MSc in Psychology, and my research draws on this background to investigate the psychological mechanisms behind online manipulation and disinformation. This work contributes to understanding how digital platforms are used as instruments of influence beyond traditional marketing or political communication, with implications for national security, organizational reputation, and public trust.

Organisations

How do disinformation campaigns on social media influence us?

This is one of the central questions I am trying to answer in my work. My research investigates how strategic social media influencing and cognitive warfare campaigns manipulate public opinion, erode trust, and undermine societal resilience. The goal is to understand the psychological mechanisms behind online disinformation and manipulation, informing responses that protect national security, organizational reputation, and public trust.

Find more information about it on the Projects Website.

Research profiles

My Education

My teaching currently focuses on supervising theses in the Bachelor's and Master's programmes in Psychology, centred on strategic social media influencing, political polarization, online extremism and cognitive warfare. I aim to give students the autonomy to make a project truly their own, while staying closely involved to offer structure and guidance throughout the process.

Recent Projects I Supervised

• Beyond the Game: Political Discussions, Conspiracy Narratives, and Extremist Rhetoric in the Unmoderated Chat of StarCraft II (Master's Thesis)
• Hostile by Design: Emotional, Attitudinal, and Ethical Responses to Hostile Political Memes and the Moderating Role of Prior Political Orientation (Bachelor's Thesis)
• Emotional and Attitudinal Responses to Tradwife Content: The Moderating Role of Personal Autonomy (Bachelor's Thesis)

For Students

Are you a UT student interested in social media, political psychology, or online extremism? Feel free to email me to discuss supervising a Bachelor's thesis, Master's thesis, or Master's internship.

Not a UT student but still interested? Email me as well and we can explore whether a collaboration is possible.

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2026/2027

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Address

Organisations