Hello! I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in Marketing at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. I am also a Visiting Summer Scholar at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management with the Inclusive Ethics Initiative.
Using a variety of research methods, such as online and laboratory experiments, longitudinal research, NGO-partnered field experiments, and cross-cultural research, I study questions that touch on consumer judgment and decision-making, consumer wellbeing, global poverty & inequality, prosociality, and moral psychology. Specifically, my research centers around two key questions:
- When and why do psychological costs prevent eligible consumers from utilizing beneficial aid, and how can marketers reduce these barriers to increase take-up, utilization, and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations (to spread knowledge of aid programs and services)?
- Why do consumers sometimes help less (effectively) than they could, and how can marketing strategies promote long-term and effective prosocial behavior?
My work on increasing the effectiveness of the charitable economy spans multiple countries, including the U.S., Kenya, South Africa, India, and Ecuador. I follow a full-cycle research model: starting with archival data and qualitative interviews, I build novel consumer behavior theory, develop and test theory-driven interventions to improve outcomes (e.g., aid take-up and wellbeing), and work with NGO partners to scale these interventions. When relevant, I also replicate findings and test mechanisms via lab or online experiments. I plan to follow this model with all ongoing partnerships. My work has been published in top scientific journals such as PNAS and Psychological Science. I received my M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, my M.A. from the University of Chicago, and my B.S. from THE Ohio State University (go Buckeyes!).
If you are interested in working together or have any questions about my research, please feel free to contact me at samantha.kassirer@rotman.utoronto.ca. Thanks for visiting my website!
