Hans Hoeken is fascinated by the question as to how communication can influence what people believe to be true, evaluate as good (or bad), and how they behave. What is the role of the content of the communication in this process? And to what extent does the message's form figure into the equation? He is interested in the role of argumentation and (verbal and visual) rhetorical figures in rhetorical communication, but also in how stories can influence opinions, attitudes, and behavior.

His research has been published in international journals (such as Journal of Communication, Journal of Advertising, Communication Theory, and Thinking & Reasoning). He is also co-author of Overtuigende Teksten (Persuasive Texts) a (Dutch) monograph on how choices in the design of persuasive documents can  influence the persuasion process' outcome.