Research
Description
Professor Karmarkar's research in consumer behavior develops theory-driven frameworks “from the brain up”. In particular, using a combination of consumer psychology, behavioral economics, and insights from neuroscience, she investigates the factors that consciously and unconsciously influence decision-making in marketplace settings. Her approach is to treat decisions as an experiential process, rather than as an isolated instant. During this process, companies offer their customers a wealth of information via their prices, their product offerings, and the way they configure the choice environment. Additional information is also available through expert opinions, word-of-mouth and online resources. Professor Karmarkar examines how consumers receive this information, integrate it, and then translate it into estimates of value and purchase decisions.
Overall, her work falls into two major streams:
- Context and the configuration of information. This research examines how companies’ decisions about which types of information to offer, and how and when to offer it, can frame consumers’ expectations and impact their purchase behavior.
- Using information under uncertainty. In many choice situations, people have incomplete knowledge, or face ambiguity about their options. This line of research examines the importance of felt certainty, and how consumers use the information they do have during uncertain decisions.