UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE’S DECISIONS: THE INTERSECTION OF PSYCHOLOGY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND MARKETING

Peggy Liu

Peggy Liu’s research seeks to understand what drives the many decisions people make. What made you buy that particular product for your child? What happens when you reach out to that old friend? Why do we make certain healthy or unhealthy choices? 

The Ben L. Fryrear Chair in Marketing and an associate professor of business administration in the School of Business examines how people’s consumption decisions and actions affect their social connections—and vice versa—and how to motivate people to make healthier decisions. She uses expertise in psychology, public health and marketing to better understand and influence various aspects of consumer behavior.

One of her recent studies, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, garnered high levels of international media coverage. The work found that people significantly underestimate how much others appreciate it when we reach out to them. The more unexpected that phone call, text or email—the more people underestimate the appreciation. The research was covered by The New York Times, The Guardian and other major media outlets.

In another recent project, Liu and a colleague from the School of Dental Medicine developed a family activity box to aid parents in their efforts to develop good eating, drinking and brushing habits in their young children. An embedded video in the box’s lid features a mom talking about how she cares for her children’s dental health, and the box contains a children’s activity, a book and toothbrushing supplies. Winners of the Pitt Innovation Challenge, the team is examining families’ reactions to the box.

Liu has received numerous awards for her research from major international societies in the psychology, public policy and marketing disciplines. Most recently this year, she won the 2024 Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions from the Association for Psychological Science and the 2024 Pitt Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award in the Junior Scholar Category.