More people own pets than ever before. Further, people spend more money on pets than they ever have. The increase in pet ownership and spending on pets provides evidence of the importance humans place on the pets in their lives. This study explores the relationships between humans and their...

Marketers regularly remind consumers of valued social relationships (e.g. close friends, family, romantic couples) in order to influence choice and consumption. Interestingly, the author's research shows that such relationship reminders can backfire when consumers do not or no longer have these...

Prior to customizing for themselves, consumers often encounter products customized by other people within their social network. This research suggests that when encountering a custom-made example of an identity-related product created by an identified social other, consumers infer this social...

We examine the conditions under which the distinct positive emotions of hope versus pride facilitate more or less fluid cognitive processing. Using individuals’ naturally occurring time of day preferences (i.e., morning vs. evening hours), we show that specific positive emotions can...

Gifts that support a worthy cause (i.e., “gifts that give twice”), such as a charitable donation in the recipient’s name, have become increasingly popular. Recipients generally enjoy these gifts, which not only benefit others in need but also make individuals feel good about themselves....

Marketers often employ a variety of positive emotions to encourage consumption or promote a particular behavior (e.g., to buy, donate, or recycle) benefiting an organization or cause. We show that specific positive emotions do not universally increase prosocial behavior but rather encourage...