Research

I am known for my research in three topical areas. First, I am recognized for my work on how political ideology affects consumers’ decisions. My work in this arena has been published in Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Business Research, and International Journal of Research in Marketing, among others. Notably, I am the first scholar to empirically document how the difference between economic and social dimensions of politic ideology affects behavior, building on conceptualization made by John Jost. My work in this particular area is published in the European Journal of Social Psychology and is upcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Second, I explore the individual differences and situational factors that lead one to make health decisions that go against their well-being, with particular focus on food. My work is especially known for how social status plays a role in food choice, including consumers’ own social status and the status implications of consuming particular foods. For example, my two papers in Appetite and Food Quality and Preference are the first to illustrate the role of comparisons to social others and compensation theories in explaining red meat choice—perhaps the single food product that doctors as well as environmental advocates aim to reduce consumption of. I also have been invited to present my work to the Australian public on live television on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, twice.

Lastly, I firmly believe that consumption also includes not just products and brands but also the natural environment. Here, I am interested in how communications ought to be designed to reduce the attitudinal-behavioral gap in sustainable decisions and behaviors. My work typically involves field experiments to ensure external validity beyond typical lab-based and hypothetical scenarios, using actual measures of behavior. My research in sustainability can be found in the top journals in sustainability and related fields including Global Environmental Change, Climate Change, and Resources Conservation and Recycling.