Research Areas
Consumer attitude generation and recruitment; effects of social identity on consumer decisions; impact of social influence mechanisms and brand preference; impression management and self-presentational behavior; social identity and group dynamics: inter-group and intra-group conflict processes
Current Projects
How social influence, the self concept, social identification, values, attitudes and judgements interact in shaping purchase decisions and consumer behavior. The research focus is at the "molar" (rather than "molecular") level of human functioning and strongly reflects the impact of both the immediate context and the continuity of a person's life.
Representative Publications
(with D. B. Wooten)
"A Conceptual Overview of Self-Presentational Concerns and Response Tendencies in Focus Groups." Journal of Consumer Psychology 9.3 (2000).
(with D. B. Wooten)
"Informational Influence and the Ambiguity of Product Experience: Order Effects on the Weighing of Evidence." Journal of Consumer Psychology 7.1 (1998).
(with K. Aquino)
"A Social Dilemma Perspective on Cooperative Behavior in Organizations: The Effects of Security, Communication, and Unequal Access on the Use of a Shared Resource." Journal of Consumer Psychology 23.4 (1998).
Education
PhD, University of Florida, 2000; MS, Georgia State University, 1995; MS, Georgia State University, 1994; BA, Georgia State University, 1992
Career and Recent Professional Awards; Teaching Awards
Nominated to the AMA Doctoral Consortium; Representative at the 28th Annual Haring Symposium; University of Florida Minority Scholarship recipient; Georgia State University Marketing Roundtable Scholarship for Excellence in Marketing Award; Nine Graduate Research Assistant Awards given by the GSU Marketing and Management departments; Elected to Beta Gamma Sigma
Academic Positions Held
Wharton: 2000-present (named The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Associate Professor, 2009); Previous appointment: University of Florida
Other Positions
Assistant Director, Center for Business & Industrial Marketing, Georgia State University, March 1994; Marketing Analyst, United Parcel Service, 1994; Strategic Coordinator, National Telephone Co., 1990-1993
Professional Leadership 2005-2009
Member, American Marketing Association, Association of Consumer Research, American Psychological Association, Academy of Management, Minority Marketing Doctoral Students Association
