Consumer Behavior

What Is Consumer Behavior?

Consumer behavior is a hotbed of psychological research as it ties together issues of communication (advertising and marketing), identity (you are what you buy), social status, decision-making, and mental and physical health. Corporations use findings about consumer behavior to determine how best to market products; you can put the information to use in consciously deciding what, when, and why to buy.

Health 2.0, It's All About You

By David Rosen on July 14, 2017 in Health 2.0

A health revolution has put us back in control of our health and wellness, with technology and social media redefining every stage of our of life. Welcome to Health 2.0.

RecoveryAnswers/Recovery Research Institute

Marijuana Legalization and Answers to Our "Drug Problems"

By John F. Kelly Ph.D. on July 11, 2017 in Addiction & Recovery 101

Drugs & drug policy evoke strong opinions. At stake are issues of personal freedom, public health, racial equality, public safety, costs, & large financial profits.

The Question of Contact

By David Kyle Johnson Ph.D. on July 10, 2017 in Plato on Pop

Can personal experience ever be used to justifiably override scientific evidence or argument?

A Cat Ponders by Woodley Wonder Works Flickr Licensed Under CC BY 2.0

What Is a “Good” Decision?

By Utpal Dholakia Ph.D. on July 09, 2017 in The Science Behind Behavior

We often confuse the process of making decisions with its outcomes, leading to an incorrect understanding of what a good decision is.

The Best Kept Secret in the Financial Services World

By Michael F. Kay on July 06, 2017 in Financial Life Focus

While financial companies invest billions of dollars into advertising their way into your consciousness, the results only ensure enrichment for the institutions.

Ronald Keith Monro via Wikimedia Commons

Creativity—what's Curiosity Got to Do with It?

By Wilma Koutstaal Ph.D. on July 05, 2017 in Our Innovating Minds

Are inquiring minds creative minds?

Leucidal Liquid: Safe or Not?

By Donna Flagg on June 29, 2017 in Honestly

A study shows surprising results from a leading natural preservative.

Buyers and Sellers

By Joachim I Krueger Ph.D. on June 27, 2017 in One Among Many

Consuming need not be a passive experience.

The Psychology of the Curated Closet

By Goal Auzeen Saedi Ph.D. on June 26, 2017 in Millennial Media

How cleaning out our closets can ease our minds and de-clutter our lives, while helping our wallets.

Understanding Sex in Advertising

By Jesse Marczyk Ph.D. on June 26, 2017 in Pop Psych

Sex doesn't sell all types of products equally well, new research shows.

Techniques Retailers Use to Entice Shoppers

By Jack Schafer Ph.D. on June 25, 2017 in Let Their Words Do the Talking

Retailers use a wide variety of psychological strategies to entice shoppers to buy products.

Discount by Eric Parker Flickr Licensed Under CC BY 2.0

Why Posted Prices Are Often Meaningless

By Utpal Dholakia Ph.D. on June 19, 2017 in The Science Behind Behavior

There’s a significant gap between asked-for prices and what customers actually pay.

By Sanjay Acharya (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons

New Thinking Required: Oil, Cars, and Walking

By Shane O'Mara D.Phil. on June 19, 2017 in The Interrogated Brain

Cars changed us. How will we change cars?

Dove’s Latest Body Positivity Failure

By Renee Engeln Ph.D. on June 15, 2017 in Beauty Sick

If Dove’s bottles could speak, they’d blend right into the chorus of voices encouraging women to take an objectified perspective on their own bodies.

Photographer: Ron Porter from Essex, UK License: Public Domain CC0. Used with permission.

Judging Your Worth

By Kirby Farrell Ph.D. on June 12, 2017 in A Swim in Denial

China is developing a digital system to track and evaluate its population of 1.3 billion people. They’re not the only ones.

6 Ways Public Swimming Pools Have Changed

By Naveed Saleh M.D., M.S. on June 11, 2017 in The Red-Light District

Gone are the unadorned rectangular pools of yesteryear. Now, public pools are full-fledged aquatic complexes that proffer an immersive experience.

Shutterstock, photo By Dmitry_Tsvetkov, callout added

Material Girl, Miserable Girl

By Sarah C. Newcomb Ph.D. on June 06, 2017 in Loaded

People who place a high importance on material wealth report lower quality of life in physical, social, emotional, and professional domains.

Why Are We So Obsessed with What's 'Natural'?

By Sara Gorman, Ph.D., MPH, and Jack M. Gorman, MD on June 06, 2017 in Denying to the Grave

Wondering what people are talking about when they say they fear 'toxins'? Turns out an obsession with the "natural" is a fundamental feature of our psychologies.

Of Gods and Burqas: on Seeing a Student in a Burqa

By Eric Dietrich Ph.D. on June 02, 2017 in Excellent Beauty

We are losing the fight between religion and both science and morality. The ghost of Orwell smiles.

Portion Sizes and Sugary Drinks

By Art Markman Ph.D. on June 02, 2017 in Ulterior Motives

There is a growing consensus that high doses of sugar can cause serious health problems. Can policies aimed to curb consumption of sugary drinks actually work?

Money by Thomas Galvez Flickr Licensed Under CC BY 2.0

What is Undisciplined Spending?

By Utpal Dholakia Ph.D. on May 31, 2017 in The Science Behind Behavior

It’s a repeated, habitual pattern of three potentially harmful spending behaviors.

Costly Curves

By Alain Samson Ph.D. on May 25, 2017 in Consumed

The thin ideal turns big people into big spenders.

The Science Behind Why People Follow the Crowd

By Rob Henderson on May 24, 2017 in After Service

You think you are in control of your own thoughts and behavior. But social psychology tells a different story.

The Cloaked Pull of Persuasion in Marketing

By Holly Parker, Ph.D. on May 23, 2017 in Your Future Self

When we understand some of the most effective marketing techniques, it’s easier to resist them, but knowledge alone isn’t enough to shield us from their persuasive power.

Source: Michael O'Mara Books; used with permission

Does the Popularity of Emoji Mean We Are Getting Dumber?

By Vyv Evans Ph.D. on May 21, 2017 in Language in the Mind

The rise and rise of Emoji makes us more effective communicators in the digital age.

Avocado toast by Jeremy Keith Flickr Licensed Under CC BY 2.0

Why Eating Avocado Toast Can Set You Back Financially

By Utpal Dholakia Ph.D. on May 18, 2017 in The Science Behind Behavior

It’s not eating avo-toast that matters so much as what the choice signifies.

Who Moved My Virtual cheese ?

By Liraz Margalit Ph.D. on May 12, 2017 in Behind Online Behavior

When you mess with mental models, you run a major risk of slowing down and annoying your customers, potentially losing them all together.

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/hledej.php?x=0&y=0&hleda=airplane

Fight or Flight: What Causes Air Rage? The Surprising Answer

By Wendy L. Patrick, Ph.D. on May 11, 2017 in Why Bad Looks Good

Fighting inflight is a dangerous "new normal." Understanding air rage through addressing aired grievances can enhance the ability of airlines to restore the friendly skies.