Wilhelm Kempf Explained

Wilhelm Kempf (born 1 June 1947) is an Austrian born psychologist and peace researcher who has made significant contributions to theoretical psychology, psychological methodology and peace research. Alongside of Johan Galtung, Kempf is one of the founders of the concept of peace journalism,[1] which he, in contrast to Galtung, however, does not conceive of as a form of advocacy journalism, but rather understands as a trans-disciplinary research program which has as its object the possibilities of and limits to maintaining journalistic quality norms during war and crisis situations,[2] and to overcome the communication barriers between the conflict parties.[3]

Kempf graduated in sociology from the Institute of Advanced Studies (Vienna) (Diploma, 1970), earned a PhD in psychology, philosophy and statistics at the University of Vienna (Dr. phil, 1970) and achieved his postdoctoral qualification for a professorship in psychology (Habilitation) at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany (Dr. phil. habil., 1977).[4] Immediately upon completing his Habilitation he was called to a chair in psychological methodology by the University of Konstanz, Germany, where he founded the Peace Research Group Konstanz, which he has directed up until today. Since 2002 he has edited the trans-disciplinary peace research journal conflict & communication online.

Kempf studied under Hubert Rohracher, whose concept of psychology as a science of man’s subjective world has lastingly stamped his scientific work,[5] as well as under Gerhard H. Fischer, who awakened his interest in psychometrics.[6] Under the influence of Hans Werbik and Paul Lorenzen, however, he soon also began to do research on the epistemology of social science and developed a constructivist foundation for psychological peace research[7] that later grew into a comprehensive empirical and experimental research activity which focuses on the cognitive-emotional representation of conflicts and their influence on the escalation dynamic of conflicts.[8] Placing the principles of quantitative and qualitative social research on a common methodological basis, and combining competing research paradigms into a homogeneous whole,[9] the methods for a social-psychological reconstruction of subjective reality,[10] which Kempf developed in this context, have implications beyond the disciplinary boundaries of psychology, and found applications in other disciplines as well, e.g. in pedagogy[11] and media research.[12]

Bibliography (selection)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Kempf, W., 1996. Konfliktberichterstattung zwischen Eskalation und Deeskalation. Wissenschaft und Frieden, 14/2, 51-54. Kempf, W., 2003. Constructice Conflict Coverage – A Social Psychological Approach. Berlin: Regener.
  2. Kempf, W., 2007. Peace Journalism: A tightrope walk between advocacy journalism and constructive conflict coverage. Conflict & communication online, 6/2.
  3. Kempf, W., 2018. Communication barriers in the debate between supporters and critics of Israeli Palestinian policy. Conflict & communication online, 17/1.
  4. Wer ist Wer? - Das Deutsche Who's Who 2008/2009 (CD-ROM),
  5. Cf. Kempf, W., 2003. Forschungsmethoden der Psychologie. Zwischen naturwissenschaftlichem Experiment und sozialpsychologischer Hermeneutik. Band 1: Theorie und Empirie. Berlin: Regener.
  6. Cf. Kempf, W. & Repp, B. (eds.), 1977. Mathematical Models for Social Psychology. New York: Wiley. Kempf, W., 2008. Psychometrie. In: Kempf, W. Forschungsmethoden der Psychologie. Zwischen naturwissenschaftlichem Experiment und sozialpsychologischer Hermeneutik. Band 2: Quantität und Qualität. Berlin: Regener, 139-363. Kempf, W. & Langeheine, R. (eds.), 2012. Item-Response-Modelle in der sizialwissenschaftlichen Forschung. Berlin: Regener.
  7. Kempf, W. 1978. Konfliktlösung und Aggression. Zu den Grundlagen einer psychologischen Friedensforschung. Bern: Huber.
  8. Kempf, W., 2017. Towards a theory and (better) practice of peace journalism. Conflict & communication online, 16/2.
  9. Kempf, W., 2002. Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Content Analysis in Media Research. In: Kempf, W. & Luostarinen, H. (eds.). Journalism and the New World Order. Vol. 2: Studying War and the Media. Göteborg: Nordicom. Kempf, W., 2008. Textinterpretation und Inhaltsanalyse. In: Kempf, W. Forschungsmethoden der Psychologie. Zwischen naturwissenschaftlichem Experiment und sozialpsychologischer Hermeneutik. Band 2: Quantität und Qualität. Berlin: Regener, 15-135. Kempf, W., 2009. Psychologie als Natur- und Kulturwissenschaft. In: Kempf, W. & Kiefer, M. (eds.). Forschungsmethoden der Psychologie. Zwischen naturwissenschaftlichem Experiment und sozialpsychologischer Hermeneutik. Band 3. Natur und Kultur. Berlin: Regener, 17-48.
  10. Kempf, W., 1991. Transkulturelle Verständnisbildung als Methodenproblem. In: Kempf, W. (ed.). Verdeckte Gewalt. Psychosoziale Folgen der Kriegsführung niedriger Intensität in Zentralamerika. Hamburg: Argument, 119-132. Kempf, W., 2009. Die soziale Konstruktion der Wirklichkeit. In: Kempf, W. & Kiefer, M. (eds.). Forschungsmethoden der Psychologie. Zwischen naturwissenschaftlichem Experiment und sozialpsychologischer Hermeneutik. Band 3. Natur und Kultur. Berlin: Regener, 51-99.
  11. Cf. Baros, W., 2001. Familien in der Migration. Frankfurt/Main: Peter Lang. Reetz, K.-D., 2007. Migration und schulischer Misserfolg italienischer Kinder. Berlin: Regener.
  12. Cf. Nohrstedt, S.A. & Ottosen, R. (eds.), 2000. Journalism and the New World Order. Vol. 1: Gulf War, National News Discourses and Globalization. Göteborg: Nordicom.

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