Research Through Cartoons
M.R. Trower created a visual guide to my research. Here are a few of those comics and research blurbs. See more M.R. Trower in Dan Ariely's recent research-based comic book.
M.R. Trower created a visual guide to my research. Here are a few of those comics and research blurbs. See more M.R. Trower in Dan Ariely's recent research-based comic book.
The Subjective Mastery Effect
We find that evoked feelings of subjective mastery increase item-enjoyment (the enjoyment of items’ qualities, such as liking a wine’s taste) and process-enjoyment (the enjoyment of consumer processes, such as evaluating a wine’s taste). I find the subjective mastery effect functions through personal identity, perceived understanding, and increased engagement in actions to improve consumption experiences (e.g. stirring a drink more), and that these factors are moderated by the perceived quality of the consumption items (e.g. the quality of a drink).
Dissertation
We find that evoked feelings of subjective mastery increase item-enjoyment (the enjoyment of items’ qualities, such as liking a wine’s taste) and process-enjoyment (the enjoyment of consumer processes, such as evaluating a wine’s taste). I find the subjective mastery effect functions through personal identity, perceived understanding, and increased engagement in actions to improve consumption experiences (e.g. stirring a drink more), and that these factors are moderated by the perceived quality of the consumption items (e.g. the quality of a drink).
Dissertation
The Repeated Experience Bias
We find repeated exposure (e.g. to a shocking ad or comedian) worsens consumers’ ability to empathize with novice consumers. This makes their predictions and recommendations for how novice consumers will feel about consumption experiences worse. However, both experienced and novice consumers believe repeated exposure increases consumers’ prediction and recommendation accuracy. This error on both sides of the recommender--recommendee relationship leads consumers to give and receive worse recommendations and ultimately have worse experiences.
JPSP, 2014
We find repeated exposure (e.g. to a shocking ad or comedian) worsens consumers’ ability to empathize with novice consumers. This makes their predictions and recommendations for how novice consumers will feel about consumption experiences worse. However, both experienced and novice consumers believe repeated exposure increases consumers’ prediction and recommendation accuracy. This error on both sides of the recommender--recommendee relationship leads consumers to give and receive worse recommendations and ultimately have worse experiences.
JPSP, 2014
The Utility of Unfalsifiability
("Flight from Facts")
We find people protect important beliefs by altering their belief structure to be less “testable.” For example, when threatened, consumers develop beliefs that their product decisions cannot be objectively tested. In general, people get more psychological benefits from certain self-serving beliefs when these beliefs are seen as less testable. Understanding unfalsifiability can also help us better understand brand equity and brand essentialism (e.g. why a Mac “just is” better than a PC).
JPSP, 2015
Giving Misery Company
Though past research overwhelmingly finds people prefer not to talk about personal painful or embarrassing experiences, we find people will provide certain others with downward social comparison sharing (e.g. sharing about a personal failing rather than a positive personal consumer experience). We explore how these tendencies are shaped by closeness to others, the ability to lie, and the presence of other downward social comparisons. This provides better insight into when people share negative and positive word of mouth about their experiences and how people attempt to “enhance” others’ experiences through personal sharing.
(Duke University working paper)
Though past research overwhelmingly finds people prefer not to talk about personal painful or embarrassing experiences, we find people will provide certain others with downward social comparison sharing (e.g. sharing about a personal failing rather than a positive personal consumer experience). We explore how these tendencies are shaped by closeness to others, the ability to lie, and the presence of other downward social comparisons. This provides better insight into when people share negative and positive word of mouth about their experiences and how people attempt to “enhance” others’ experiences through personal sharing.
(Duke University working paper)
Solution Aversion
We find the popular denial of many problems is driven not by a fear of the problem itself but by an aversion to the associated solutions. For example, people may deny climate change exists because the policy solutions demand consumer sacrifices (e.g. restriction of free-market product offerings, being forced to buy expensive environmental products), rather than because climate change is inherently scary. Identifying solution aversion as the true source of motivated denial across many issues can help improve scientific communication and cause related marketing.
JPSP, 2014
We find the popular denial of many problems is driven not by a fear of the problem itself but by an aversion to the associated solutions. For example, people may deny climate change exists because the policy solutions demand consumer sacrifices (e.g. restriction of free-market product offerings, being forced to buy expensive environmental products), rather than because climate change is inherently scary. Identifying solution aversion as the true source of motivated denial across many issues can help improve scientific communication and cause related marketing.
JPSP, 2014