Consumer Psychology

Food delivery services are flourishing, and some analysts believe the grocery industry could follow the retail industry’s lead to a model based increasingly on online ordering. But some Rice Business professors are urging us not to put the cart before the horse: major hurdles need to be overcome before that future is possible, they say.

Research that focuses on self-control as a general trait ignores the fact that people are more tempted by certain behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, overeating or overspending. To craft useful public policy that reduces harmful behaviors, Rice researchers say studies of self-control need to be more specific about the types of behavior they’re targeting.

Do you care more about product selection or price? What about your next-door neighbor? A marketing methodology devised by Rice Business Professor Vikas Mittal helps marketers group customers by geography, psychological profile – and desire.