Merrie L Brucks

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Journals/Publications

• Newman, K., & Brucks, M. L. (2018). The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts on the Moral Behavior of Consumers. Journal of Consumer Psychology, Special Issue on Marketplace Morality.
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  For special issue on "Marketplace Morality".
• Albuquerque, P., Brucks, M. L., Campbell, M., Chan, K., Maimaran, M., McAlister, A., & Nicklaus, S. (2017). Persuading Children: Long-Lasting Influences on Children’s Food Consideration Sets, Choices, and Consumption. Customer Needs and Solutions, Special Issue on the 2016 Choice Symposium. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40547-017-0083-x
• Bastos, ., Wilson, ., & Brucks, M. (2017). How and Why Conversational Value Leads to Happiness for Experiential and Material Purchases (vol 44, pg 598, 2017). JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 44(4), 953-953.
• Newman, K., & Brucks, M. L. (2018). The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts on the Moral Behavior of High Self-Brand Overlap Consumers. Journal of Consumer Psychology. doi:10.1002/jcpy.1027
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  Accepted Dec. 2017, Published online January 2018, forthcoming in print April 2018
• Brucks, M., & Newman, K. (2016). When are Natural and Urban Environments Restorative? The Impact of Environmental Fit on Self-Control Restoration. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 26(4), 535-541.
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  This paper was accepted and published in 2016.
• Newman, K. P., & Brucks, M. (2016). When are natural and urban environments restorative? The impact of environmental compatibility on self-control restoration. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY, 26(4), 535-541.
• Connell, P. M., Brucks, M., & Nielsen, J. H. (2014). How Childhood Advertising Exposure Can Create Biased Product Evaluations That Persist into Adulthood. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 41(1), 119-134.
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  Previous research has found that children incrementally learn how to cope with advertising as they age. The current research investigates whether these developmental constraints in advertising knowledge at time of exposure have enduring consequences. Results from four experimental studies show that childhood exposure to advertisements can lead to resilient biased product evaluations that persist into adulthood. Study 1 demonstrates that positive affect toward ad-related stimuli encountered in childhood mediates the relationship between childhood advertising exposure and biased evaluations for products associated with childhood (but not adulthood) advertising. Study 2 demonstrates stronger biases when participants are exposed to childhood advertising cues relative to childhood consumption cues. Studies 3 and 4 show that even when ability and motivation to correct bias are high, lingering positive affect toward childhood ad-related stimuli is a motivational deterrent to correct biased product evaluations. Study 4 also shows that biased product evaluations can transfer to line extensions.
• Boland, W. A., Brucks, M., & Nielsen, J. H. (2012). The Attribute Carryover Effect: What the "Runner-Up" Option Tells Us about Consumer Choice Processes. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 38(5), 872-885.
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  The process used to differentiate a top choice from a runner-up can result in a preference reversal among nonselected alternatives, which we term the attribute carryover effect. A series of three experiments demonstrate that a phased choice process can shift attribute preferences. If the top choice is unavailable, consumers with weak attribute preferences are likely to reject their explicitly identified second choice (the runner-up option). Instead, these consumers choose an option that may not meet the initial screening criteria but that does share a desirable, "differentiating" feature with the unavailable top choice. Judgment data indicate that this preference reversal is due to increased salience of the differentiating attribute during the last phase of the original choice, which "carries over" into the subsequent choice. These findings augment our understanding of consumer choice processes and heighten our ability to predict choice outcomes under situations in which a chosen option is unattainable.
• Trump, R. K., & Brucks, M. (2012). Overlap between Mental Representations of Self and Brand. SELF AND IDENTITY, 11(4), 454-471.
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  People's mental representations of self overlap with those of significant others and in-groups. We extend this finding to show that people's mental representations of self also overlap with inanimate, seemingly impersonal, marketplace entities: consumer brands. Our study follows the "including others in the self'' paradigm set forth by Aron and colleagues. We use response times to find that characteristics on which the self and a loved brand are similar are relatively more accessible than dissimilar characteristics, indicating self-brand overlap. These findings suggest that self-other overlap extends beyond individuals and in-groups. Psychological implications of the inclusion of brands in the self are discussed.
• Xu, H., & Brucks, M. L. (2011). Are Neurotics Really More Creative? Neuroticism's Interaction With Mortality Salience in Determining Creative Interest. BASIC AND APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, 33(1), 88-99.
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  Some research on creativity has linked higher levels of neuroticism with greater creative achievement, whereas existential psychology sees the neurotic as incapable of channeling anxiety through creativity. The current research examines how levels of neuroticism affect individuals' creative responses in coping with existential threats. Drawing from terror management theory and creativity research, this research conceptualizes creative endeavors as a means to ameliorate existential anxiety that possesses varying degrees of appeal to different individuals. All three experiments found an interaction between levels of neuroticism and mortality salience in determining levels of creative interest, with neuroticism either measured or primed. Specifically, mortality salience is less likely to boost creative interest among more neurotic individuals.
• Brucks, M., & Connell, P. M. (2010). Underpinnings of Risky Behavior: Non-health Motives for Health-related Behaviors. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, VOL XXXVII, 37, 138-142.
• Trump, R., & Brucks, M. (2010). Overlap and Dissociation of Mental Representations of Self and Brand. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, VOL XXXVII, 37, 473-474.
• Xu, H., & Brucks, M. L. (2010). Leave Your Mark: Afterlife Belief Strength's Effect on Durability Focus in Creative Consumption. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, VOL XXXVII, 37, 663-663.
• CHINBURAPA, ., LARSON, L., BRUCKS, M., DRAUGALIS, J., BOOTMAN, J., & PUTO, C. (1993). PHYSICIAN PRESCRIBING DECISION - THE EFFECTS OF SITUATIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND TASK COMPLEXITY ON INFORMATION ACQUISITION AND DECISION-MAKING. SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE, 36(11), 1473-1482.
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  This research utilized conjoint analysis and an analysis of information acquisition to examine the effects of situational involvement and task complexity on physician's decision-making process. The predictive accuracy of the linear model in predicting drug choice across situations was also assessed. A contingency model for the selection of decision strategies was used as a framework in the study. A sample of forty-eight physicians was asked to indicate their preferences and choices for hypothetical anti-infective drugs. Situational involvement was manipulated by telling physicians in the experimental group via the written scenario to assume that his/her decision would be reviewed and evaluated by peers and (s)he would be asked to justify drug choice. Task complexity was manipulated by varying the number of drug alternatives in a choice set. Results of the study indicated that physicians shifted from using compensatory to noncompensatory decision-making processes when task complexity increased. The effect of situational involvement on the decision-making process was not supported. However, physicians in the two groups were found to differ in choice outcomes and the attention given to specific drug attribute information. Finally, the linear model was found to be robust in predicting drug choice across contexts.
• Freeman, D., Brucks, M., Wallendorf, M., & Boland, W. (2009). Youths' understandings of cigarette advertisements. ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS, 34(1), 36-42.
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  This study addresses two questions: (1) when youths are exposed to advertisements for cigarettes, do they primarily see advertisements for brands or products, and (2) is there a relationship between youths' understandings of cigarette advertisements and their susceptibility to smoking? A sample of 271 participants ranging in age from 7 to 12 viewed a series of print advertisements that included cigarette and non-tobacco-related ads. While viewing each ad, participants were asked to indicate what they thought the advertisement was trying to sell. Responses were coded into one of three categories reflecting important differences in participants' comprehension of each advertisement - no understanding, product category understanding, or brand understanding. Results show that youths typically understand the type of product an advertisement is promoting; however, the levels of brand understanding observed for cigarette advertisements were low in an absolute sense, and significantly lower than brand understanding of non-tobacco-related advertisements. Results also show that understanding cigarette ads as promoting specific brands of cigarettes is positively related to susceptibility to smoking. Taken together, these findings provide a glimpse of the psychological mechanisms that may underlie the well established link between exposure to cigarette advertising and youth smoking. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved,
• Freeman, D., Shapiro, S., & Brucks, M. (2009). Memory issues pertaining to social marketing messages about behavior enactment versus non-enactment. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY, 19(4), 629-642.
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  This article examines efficiency issues pertaining to social marketing messages about behavior enactment (e.g., smoker) vs. non-enactment (e.g., nonsmoker). Building on a wealth of psycholinguistics research, we posit that underlying differences in the processing and storage of word concepts with affixal negations affect learning and memory for these concepts (i.e., associations with non-enactment concepts will be harder to learn and remember than associations with enactment concepts). Two experiments support our predictions, suggesting that messages about enactment will demonstrate superior efficiency. Implications of study findings are discussed in terms of possibilities for improving the efficiency of social marketing messages about non-enactment. (C) 2009 Society for Consumer Psychology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
• Brucks, M. L. (2008). Choices in Consumer Research: Unintended Consequences. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, VOL 35, 35, 1-8.
• Boland, W. A., Brucks, M., & Nielsen, J. H. (2007). "Constructive Preferences for Rejected Options: When You Can't Get What You Want". ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH VOL XXXIV, 34, 223-223.
• Brucks, M., & Boland, W. A. (2007). That's Not What I Wanted: Perspectives on Unwanted Choice Options and Outcomes. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH VOL XXXIV, 34, 222-222.
• Freeman, D., Brucks, M., & Wallendorf, M. (2005). Young children's understandings of cigarette smoking. ADDICTION, 100(10), 1537-1545.
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  Aims We explore young children's attitudes toward, beliefs about, and life-style associations with cigarette smoking using direct and indirect measures.
• Snodgrass, R., & Brucks, M. (2004). Branding yourself. SIGMOD RECORD, 33(2), 117-125.
• Spence, M., & Brucks, M. (1997). The moderating effects of problem characteristics on experts' and novices' judgments. JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCH, 34(2), 233-247.
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  A growing body of literature suggests that experts are little if at all better than novices in terms of the quality of decision outputs, To explain this counter-intuitive finding, the authors propose a conceptual framework that focuses on initial problem structure as a key moderator of the effect of expertise on performance, Specifically, they argue that the expert-novice performance differential should be greatest at moderate levels of problem structure and weakest at both extremes. To examine this central hypothesis, the authors conduct a controlled experiment that compares experts with novices when solving a complex problem that had characteristics of a moderately ill-structured problem, Relative to novices, the authors find that experts select fewer, but more diagnostic, information inputs and are more consistent when evaluating nonquantified inputs, As a result, they make more accurate and tightly clustered judgments than do novices, and. also are more confident in their decisions. To examine the moderating influence of problem characteristics, certain task variables are manipulated to increase or decrease initial problem structure. As hypothesized, the benefits of expertise are less pronounced when solving a problem with increased initial structure.
• WALLENDORF, M., & BRUCKS, M. (1993). INTROSPECTION IN CONSUMER RESEARCH - IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPLICATIONS. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 339-359.
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  On the basis of a review of introspective methods in other social science disciplines, we identify five categories of introspection: (1) researcher introspection, (2) guided introspection, (3) interactive introspection, (4) syncretic combinations, and (5) reflexivity within research. We draw from this literature a set of six methodological issues relevant to the conduct of introspection in consumer research. Because of the recent publication of consumer behavior papers that rely extensively or even exclusively on the researchers' life experiences as data, we consider these methodological issues in detail regarding the conduct of researcher introspection. On the basis of substantive and methodological developments in other categories of introspection, researcher introspection is critiqued in terms of data collection and recording issues, its lack of separation of the roles of the researcher and introspector, and its exclusive focus on one individual. Because of the difficulties of overcoming critical methodological limitations inherent in this research approach, we conclude that researcher introspection has severely limited potential to contribute to future research in consumer behavior. In contrast, we suggest that appropriate use of guided introspection and reflexivity within research can be used to advance theory in consumer behavior. We conclude by discussing the balance between openness and rigor necessitated by the pluralistic composition of the field of consumer research.
• BRUCKS, M. (1985). THE EFFECTS OF PRODUCT CLASS KNOWLEDGE ON INFORMATION SEARCH BEHAVIOR. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 12(1), 1-16.
• ARMSTRONG, G., & BRUCKS, M. (1988). DEALING WITH CHILDRENS ADVERTISING - PUBLIC-POLICY ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC POLICY & MARKETING, 7, 98-113.
• BRUCKS, M. (1988). SEARCH MONITOR - AN APPROACH FOR COMPUTER-CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING CONSUMER INFORMATION SEARCH. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 15(1), 117-121.
• BRUCKS, M., & SCHURR, P. (1988). THE EFFECTS OF BARGAINABLE ATTRIBUTES AND ATTRIBUTE RANGE KNOWLEDGE ON CONSUMER CHOICE PROCESSES. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 16(4), 409-419.
• BRUCKS, M., ARMSTRONG, G., & GOLDBERG, M. (1988). CHILDRENS USE OF COGNITIVE DEFENSES AGAINST TELEVISION ADVERTISING - A COGNITIVE RESPONSE APPROACH. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 14(4), 471-482.
• COSTLEY, C., & BRUCKS, M. (1988). PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE AS AN EXPLANATION FOR AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN CHILDRENS COGNITIVE RESPONSES TO ADVERTISING. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, 14, 288-292.
• BRUCKS, M. (1986). COMPUTER-CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTATION IN CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING AND JUDGMENT. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, 17, 905-909.
• Brucks, M., Zeithaml, V., & Naylor, G. (1986). Price and brand name as indicators of quality dimensions for consumer durables. JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF MARKETING SCIENCE, 28(3), 359-374.
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  Delivering quality products requires an understanding of the critical dimensions and cues that consumers use to judge quality. To that end, this article addresses two-fundamental research issues. Using a qualitative study, the authors first develop a generalizable typology of quality dimensions for durable goods that includes ease of use, versatility, durability, serviceability, performance, and prestige. Second, the authors conduct a process-tracing laboratory experiment to examine how key marketing variables-price, brand name, and product attributes-affect consumers' judgment processes and inferences about how products perform on the six quality dimensions. Results of the experiment indicate that consumers use price and brand name differently to judge the quality dimensions, searching for price and brand name much more frequently when evaluating prestige than when evaluating any other quality dimension. Results suggest that managers must determine the relevant quality dimensions for a product category and the cues that ave salient for judging those dimensions.
• BRUCKS, M. (1986). A TYPOLOGY OF CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE CONTENT. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, 13, 58-63.
• BRUCKS, M., GOLDBERG, M. E., & ARMSTRONG, G. M. (1986). CHILDRENS COGNITIVE RESPONSES TO ADVERTISING. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH, 13, 650-654.
• OZANNE, J., BRUCKS, M., & GREWAL, D. (1985). A STUDY OF INFORMATION SEARCH BEHAVIOR DURING THE CATEGORIZATION OF NEW PRODUCTS. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 18(4), 452-463.
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  Consumers are confronted with hundreds of new products each year, yet little is known about how these new products are integrated into existing knowledge structures. Depending on the new products' similarity or dissimilarity to categories stored in memory, consumers' information search may be influenced. In this study, consumers' information-seeking behavior was explored during the categorization of new products that differed in varying degrees from preexisting category expectations. Results suggest that subjects manage the cognitive effort of search by limiting the breadth of search. However, an inverted-U relationship exists between discrepancy and depth of search. Thus, it appears that, at a moderate level of discrepancy, subjects may examine a relevant set of attributes in greater depth rather than search for information on a broad range of attributes. With high discrepancy, however, it appears that subjects try alternative internal strategies rather than search for more information.
• BRUCKS, M., MITCHELL, A., & STAELIN, R. (1984). THE EFFECT OF NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION DISCLOSURE IN ADVERTISING - AN INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPROACH. JOURNAL OF MARKETING & PUBLIC POLICY, 3, 1-25.

Proceedings Publications

• Brucks, M. L., & Cao, C. C. (2018, February). Understanding the Role of Control in Consumer Behavior: New Insights on How Perceived Control (or Lack Thereof) Influences Consumer Perception and Decision Making. In Society for Consumer Psychology.
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  Special Session Overview

Presentations

• Cao, C. C., Brucks, M. L., & Reimann, M. (2018, February). Collectors, Completion and Control: How Desire for Control Drives Collectors to Complete a Collection. Society for Consumer Psychology. Dallas, TX: Society for Consumer Psychology.
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  The presentation was given by Clark Cao based on the working paper by Cao, Brucks, and Reimann
• Lane, K., & Brucks, M. L. (2018, October). What Can We Trust? Perceptions of, and Responses to, Fake Information. Association for Consumer Research. Dallas, TX: Association for Consumer Research.
• Cao, C., Brucks, M. L., & Reimann, M. C. (2017, Fall). Beauty and control in collecting: How desire for control drives the aesthetic pursuit of complete collections. Association for Consumer Research Annual Conference, San Diego, California, October 26-29, 2017.
• Brucks, M. L. (2016, May). Effects of Childhood Advertising Exposure that Persist into Adulthood. 10th Triennial Invitational Choice Symposium. Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada: Society for Judgment and Decision Making/ Trienniel Choice Symposium.
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  Presentation in the workshop on Child Consumers, which I co-chaired
• Brucks, M. L., & Bastos, W. (2014, March). Verbal Sharing: An Explanation for Why Experiences Make Us Happier than Do Objects. SCP 2014. Miami, FL: Society for Consumer Psychology.
• Brucks, M. L., & Newman, K. (2013, February). Neuroticism Gone Good: The Restorative Benefits of Environmental Settings. SCP 2013Society for Consumer Psychology.
• Brucks, M. L., & Newman, K. (2013, October). The influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts on the Moral Behavior of Consumers. ACR 2013Association for Consumer Research.
• Brucks, M. L., & Bastos, W. (2012, Fall). Verbal Sharing: Purchase, Tell Others, and Be Happy. ACR 2012. Vancouver: ACR.
• Brucks, M. L., Connell, P. M., & Nielsen, J. H. (2012, Fall). Exposure to Advertising and Packaging Cues in Early Childhood Leads to Blurred Distinctions between Commercial and Entertainment Media that Persists into Adulthood. ACR 2012. Vancouver: ACR.
• Brucks, M. L., Connell, P. M., & Nielsen, J. H. (2012, June). Effects of Exposure to Advertisements in Early Childhood that Persist into Adulthood. University of Toronto research conference.
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  Invited Speaker—Celebrate Andy Mitchell Conference, University of Toronto, June 22, 2012.

Poster Presentations

• Brucks, M. L., Newman, K., & Nitta, C. (2012, October). The Restorative Nature of Nature: Improving Consumer Decision Making. ACR 2012. Vancouver: ACR.

Others

• Brucks, M. L., & Bastos, W. (2012, October). Special Session Proposal: Consumer Sociality and Happiness. ACR 2012.
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  Symposium session at ACR