Gavan J. Fitzsimons | Scholars@Duke

Gavan J. Fitzsimons
Edward and Rose Donnell Professor

Gavan J. Fitzsimons is the R. David Thomas professor of marketing and psychology at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. His research focuses on understanding the ways in which consumers may be influenced without their conscious knowledge or awareness by marketers and marketing researchers, often without any intent on the part of the marketer. His work has been published in numerous academic journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Management Science, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Science. His ideas have also been featured in many popular press outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Oprah Magazine and Time Magazine, amongst many others.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Edward and Rose Donnell Professor, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 2017
Professor of Business Administration, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 2007
Professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2008
Affiiliate of the Center for Child and Family Policy, Center for Child and Family Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy 2015

Contact Information

Duke Box 90120, Durham, NC 27708-0120
Fuqua School, Durham, NC 27708
gavan@duke.edu (919) 660-7793
Fuqua Faculty Profile

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Columbia University 1995
- M.Phil., Columbia University 1994
- M.B.A., University of Western Ontario (Canada) 1991
- B.S., University of Western Ontario (Canada) 1988
Duke Appointment History
- Associate Professor of Business Administration, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 2003 - 2007
Recognition
In the News
- NOV 4, 2016 the New York Times
  
  Gavan Fitzsimons: Want Co-Workers to Vote Your Way? Then Stop Pestering Them
- OCT 26, 2016
  
  Duke Forward: Gavan Fitzsimons on Branding and Unintended Marketing Influences
- JUL 13, 2016 Fast Company
  
  Five surprising, science-backed ways to boost your creativity
- MAR 15, 2016
  
  Researchers find a wealth of unconscious decision-making among consumers
- JAN 12, 2015
  
  Are Brands Making People Less Religious?
- NOV 18, 2014
  
  Decide Wisely
- OCT 29, 2014
  
  Duke Forward: What's In A Brand?
- OCT 28, 2014
  
  New Duke-UNC Research Center to Explore Ways to Encourage Healthy Food Choices
- NOV 26, 2013 Newsday
  
  Could good manners help spur holiday weight gain?
- NOV 25, 2013
  
  Fuqua Research: Political Correctness Could Affect Holiday Weight Gain
- NOV 25, 2013 Calgary Sun
  
  Political correctness could affect holiday weight gain: Study
- OCT 9, 2013 The Globe and Mail
  
  Ads that fast-forward to the brain
Research
Selected Grants
- Understanding Information Processing During Consumer Choice awarded by Red Ventures 2014
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Book Sections
  - Breazeale, M, Fournier, S, Avery, J, Aaker, D, Deighton, J, Fitzsimons, G, Kozinets, RV, MacInnis, D, McGill, AL, John, DR, Schroeder, J, Escalas, JE, and Bettman, JR. "Contemplating the futures of brandingBrand relationships and self-identity: Consumer use of celebrity meaning to repair a compromised identity (PublishedPublished)." In Strong Brands, Strong Relationships, 395-414. June 12, 2015. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, Cutright, KM, and Samper, A. "We Are What We Buy?." In Identity and Consumption, edited by R Belk and A Ruvio. London: Routledge, 2012.
  - Chartrand, TL, Fitzsimons, G, and Ferraro, R. "The effects of incidental brand exposure on consumption." In Handbook on Brand and Experience Management, edited by BH Schmitt and DL Rogers, 163-173. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Press, 2009.
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Machin, JE. "Marketing by Mistake: The Unintended Consequences of Consumer Research." In Applying Social Cognition to Consumer-Focused Strategy, edited by FR Kardes, PM Herr, and J Nantel, 81-95. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Conference Papers
  - Machin, JE, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Marketing by mistake: The unintended consequences of consumer research." 2005. Link to Item
  - Posavac, SS, Fitzsimons, GJ, Kardes, FR, and Sanbonmatsu, DM. "Implications of selective processing for marketing managers." 2005. Link to Item
- Journal Articles
  - "Erratum." Journal of Consumer Research 44, no. 5 (February 1, 2018): 1174-1174. Full Text
  - Acikalin, MY, Watson, KK, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Platt, ML. "Rhesus macaques form preferences for brand logos through sex and social status based advertising." PLoS ONE 13, no. 2 (January 2018): e0193055-. Full Text
  - Wu, F, Samper, A, Morales, AC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "It’s Too Pretty to Use! When and How Enhanced Product Aesthetics Discourage Usage and Lower Consumption Enjoyment." Journal of Consumer Research 44, no. 3 (October 2017): 651-672. Full Text
  - Zemack-Rugar, Y, Moore, SG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Just do it! Why committed consumers react negatively to assertive ads." Journal of Consumer Psychology 27, no. 3 (July 2017): 287-301. Full Text
  - Brick, DJ, Fitzsimons, GM, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Coke vs. Pepsi: Brand Compatibility, Relationship Power, and Life Satisfaction." Journal of Consumer Research (June 28, 2017). Full Text
  - Brick, DJ, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Oppositional brand choice: Using brands to respond to relationship frustration." Journal of Consumer Psychology 27, no. 2 (April 2017): 257-263. Full Text
  - Leander, NP, vanDellen, MR, Rachl-Willberger, J, Shah, JY, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Chartrand, TL. "Is Freedom Contagious? A Self-Regulatory Model of Reactance and Sensitivity to Deviant Peers." Motivation science 2, no. 4 (December 2016): 256-267. Full Text
  - Zemack-Rugar, Y, Rabino, R, Cavanaugh, LA, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "When donating is liberating: The role of product and consumer characteristics in the appeal of cause-related products." Journal of Consumer Psychology 26, no. 2 (April 2016): 213-230. Full Text
  - Yang, LW, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The influence of gender and self-monitoring on the products consumers choose for joint consumption." International Journal of Research in Marketing 32, no. 4 (December 2015): 398-407. Full Text
  - Cavanaugh, LA, Gino, F, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "When doing good is bad in gift giving: Mis-predicting appreciation of socially responsible gifts." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 131 (November 2015): 178-189. Full Text
  - McClelland, GH, Lynch, JG, Irwin, JR, Spiller, SA, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Median splits, Type II errors, and false–positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power." Journal of Consumer Psychology 25, no. 4 (October 2015): 679-689. Full Text
  - Shepherd, S, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "When Brands Reflect Our Ideal World: The Values and Brand Preferences of Consumers Who Support versus Reject Society’s Dominant Ideology." Journal of Consumer Research 42, no. 1 (June 2015): 76-92. Full Text
  - Breazeale, M, Fournier, S, Avery, J, Aaker, D, Deighton, J, Fitzsimons, G, Kozinets, RV, MacInnis, D, McGill, AL, John, DR, and Schroeder, J. "Contemplating the futures of branding." Strong Brands, Strong Relationships (2015): 395-414. Full Text
  - Liu, PJ, Haws, KL, Lamberton, C, Campbell, TH, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Vice-Virtue Bundles." Management Science 61, no. 1 (January 2015): 204-228. Full Text
  - Cutright, KM, Erdem, T, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Shachar, R. "Finding brands and losing your religion?." Journal of experimental psychology. General 143, no. 6 (December 2014): 2209-2222. Full Text
  - Moore, SG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Yes, we have no bananas: Consumer responses to restoration of freedom." Journal of Consumer Psychology 24, no. 4 (October 2014): 541-548. Full Text
  - Yang, LW, Cutright, KM, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Distinctively Different: Exposure to Multiple Brands in Low-Elaboration Settings." Journal of Consumer Research 40, no. 5 (February 1, 2014): 973-992. Full Text
  - Moore, SG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Yes, we have no bananas: Consumer responses to restoration of freedom." Journal of Consumer Psychology 24, no. 4 (January 1, 2014): 541-548. Full Text
  - Liu, PJ, Campbell, TH, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Fitzsimons, GM. "Matching choices to avoid offending stigmatized group members." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 122, no. 2 (November 1, 2013): 291-304. Full Text
  - Spiller, SA, Fitzsimons, GJ, Jr, LJG, and McClelland, GH. "Spotlights, Floodlights, and the Magic Number Zero: Simple Effects Tests in Moderated Regression." JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCH 50, no. 2 (April 2013): 277-288. Full Text Link to Item
  - Yang, LW, Hansen, JM, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Stereotyping, Affiliation, and Self-Stereotyping of Underrepresented Groups in the Sales Force." Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 33, no. 1 (March 2013): 105-116. Full Text
  - Cutright, KM, Bettman, JR, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Thomas, RD. "Putting brands in their place: How a lack of control keeps brands contained." Journal of Marketing Research 50, no. 3 (2013): 365-377. Full Text
  - Laurin, K, Kay, AC, Proudfoot, D, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Response to restrictive policies: Reconciling system justification and psychological reactance." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 122, no. 2 (2013): 152-162. Full Text
  - Liu, PJ, Campbell, TH, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Fitzsimons, GM. "Matching choices to avoid offending stigmatized group members." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (2013). Full Text
  - Laurin, K, Kay, AC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Reactance versus rationalization: divergent responses to policies that constrain freedom." Psychol Sci 23, no. 2 (February 2012): 205-209. Full Text Link to Item
  - Moore, SG, Neal, DT, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Shiv, B. "Wolves in sheep's clothing: How and when hypothetical questions influence behavior." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 117, no. 1 (2012): 168-178. Full Text
  - Morales, AC, Wu, EC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "How disgust enhances the effectiveness of fear appeals." Journal of Marketing Research 49, no. 3 (2012): 383-393. Full Text
  - Venkatraman, V, Clithero, JA, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Huettel, SA. "New scanner data for brand marketers: How neuroscience can help better understand differences in brand preferences." Journal of Consumer Psychology 22, no. 1 (2012): 143-153. Full Text
  - Banfield, JC, Kay, AC, Cutright, KM, Wu, EC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "A person by situation account of motivated system defense." Social Psychological and Personality Science 2, no. 2 (2011): 212-219. Full Text
  - Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Nonconscious Consumer Psychology." Journal of Consumer Psychology 21, no. 1 (2011): 1-3. Full Text
  - Cutright, KM, Wu, EC, Banfield, JC, Kay, AC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "When your world must be defended: Choosing products to justify the system." Journal of Consumer Research 38, no. 1 (2011): 62-77. Full Text
  - Shachar, R, Erdem, T, Cutright, KM, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Brands: The opiate of the nonreligious masses?." Marketing Science 30, no. 1 (2011): 92-110. Full Text
  - Wu, E, Cutright, KM, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "How asking " who am i?" affects what consumers buy: The influence of self-discovery on consumption." Journal of Marketing Research 48, no. 2 (2011): 296-307. Full Text
  - McFerran, B, Dahl, DW, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Morales, AC. "Might an overweight waitress make you eat more? How the body type of others is sufficient to alter our food consumption." Journal of Consumer Psychology 20, no. 2 (2010): 146-151. Full Text
  - McFerran, B, Dahl, DW, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Morales, AC. "I'll have what she's having: Effects of social influence and body type on the food choices of others." Journal of Consumer Research 36, no. 6 (2010): 915-926. Full Text
  - Shachar, R, Erdem, T, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Cutright, KM. "Brands: The opiate of the non-religious masses?." Advances in Consumer Research 36 (2009): 990-991.
  - Sirianni, NJ, Castro-Nelson, I, Morales, AC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The influence of service employee characteristics on customer choice and post-choice satisfaction." Advances in Consumer Research 36 (2009): 966-968.
  - Wilcox, K, Vallen, B, Block, L, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Vicarious goal fulfillment: When the mere presence of a healthy option leads to an ironically indulgent decision." Journal of Consumer Research 36, no. 3 (2009): 380-393. Full Text
  - Wu, EC, Moore, SG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Dinner out with independent self-construal consumers: Wow, this is bad wine." Advances in Consumer Research 36 (2009): 996-997.
  - Chartrand, TL, Fitzsimons, GM, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Automatic effects of anthropomorphized objects on behavior." Social Cognition 26, no. 2 (2008): 198-209. Full Text
  - Ferraro, R, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The effects of incidental brand exposure on consumption." Handbook on Brand and Experience Management (2008): 163-173.
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Moore, SG. "Should we ask our children about sex, drugs and rock & roll? Potentially harmful effects of asking questions about risky behaviors." Journal of Consumer Psychology 18, no. 2 (2008): 82-95. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ. "Editorial death to dichotomizing." Journal of Consumer Research 35, no. 1 (2008).
  - Fitzsimons, GM, Chartrand, TL, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Automatic effects of brand exposure on motivated behavior: How Apple makes you "think different"." Journal of Consumer Research 35, no. 1 (2008): 21-35. Full Text
  - Moore, SG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "While parents might not want to, researchers really should ask questions about risky behaviors." Journal of Consumer Psychology 18, no. 2 (2008): 111-115. Full Text
  - Zemack-Rugar, Y, Bettman, JR, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The effects of nonconsciously priming emotion concepts on behavior." J Pers Soc Psychol 93, no. 6 (December 2007): 927-939. Full Text Link to Item
  - Chartrand, TL, Dalton, AN, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Nonconscious relationship reactance: When significant others prime opposing goals." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 43, no. 5 (2007): 719-726. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, Block, LG, and Williams, P. "Asking questions about vices really does increase vice behavior." Social Influence 2, no. 4 (2007): 237-243. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, Nunes, JC, and Williams, P. "License to sin: The liberating role of reporting expectations." Journal of Consumer Research 34, no. 1 (2007): 22-31. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Morwitz, VG. "Advance in Consumer Research: Preface." Advances in Consumer Research 34 (2007): iii-.
  - Morales, AC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Product contagion: Changing consumer evaluations through physical contact with "disgusting" products." Journal of Marketing Research 44, no. 2 (2007): 272-283. Full Text
  - Levav, J, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "When questions change behavior: the role of ease of representation." Psychol Sci 17, no. 3 (March 2006): 207-213. Full Text Link to Item
  - Andersen, ET, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Simester, D. "Measuring and mitigating the costs of stockouts." Management Science 52, no. 11 (2006): 1751-1763. Full Text
  - Honea, H, Morales, AC, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "1=2: When a singular experience leads to dissociated evaluations." Journal of Consumer Psychology 16, no. 2 (2006): 124-134. Full Text
  - Tavassoli, NT, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Spoken and typed expressions of repeated attitudes: matching response modes leads to attitude retrieval versus construction." Journal of Consumer Research 33, no. 2 (2006): 179-187. Full Text
  - Irmak, C, Block, LG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The placebo effect in marketing: Sometimes you just have to want it to work." Journal of Marketing Research 42, no. 4 (2005): 406-409. Full Text
  - Posavac, SS, Kardes, FR, Sanbonmatsu, DM, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Blissful insularity: When brands are judged in isolation from competitors." Marketing Letters 16, no. 2 (2005): 87-97. Full Text
  - Williams, P, Block, LG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "When Asking Questions About Health Behaviors Helps versus Hurts (Accepted)." Social Influences (2005). (Academic Article)
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Lehmann, DR. "Reactance to Recommendations: When Unsolicited Advice Yields Contrary Responses." Marketing Science 23, no. 1 (2004): 82-94+171.
  - Morwitz, VG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The Mere-Measurement Effect: Why Does Measuring Intentions Change Actual Behavior?." Journal of Consumer Psychology 14, no. 1 & 2 (2004): 64-74. (Academic Article)
  - Morwitz, VG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The Mere-Measurement Effect: Why Does Measuring Intentions Change Actual Behavior?." Journal of Consumer Psychology 14, no. 1-2 (2004): 64-74.
  - Posavac, SS, Sanbonmatsu, DM, Kardes, FR, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The brand positivity effect: When evaluation confers preference." Journal of Consumer Research 31, no. 3 (2004): 643-651. Full Text
  - Posavak, SS, Sanbonmatsu, DM, Kardes, FR, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The Brand Positivity Effect: When Evaluation Confers Preference." Journal of Consumer Research 21, no. 3 (2004). (Academic Article)
  - Sengupta, J, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The Effects Of Analysing Reasons on the Stability of Brand Attitudes: A Reconciliation of Opposing Predictions." Journal of Consumer Research 21, no. 3 (2004): 705-711. (Academic Article)
  - Sengupta, J, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The effect of analyzing reasons on the stability of brand attitudes: A reconciliation of opposing predictions." Journal of Consumer Research 31, no. 3 (2004): 705-711. Full Text
  - Williams, P, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Block, LG. "When Consumers Don't Recognize "Benign" Intentions Questions as Persuasion Attempts." Journal of Consumer Research 21, no. 3 (2004): 540-550. (Academic Article)
  - Williams, P, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Block, LG. "When consumers do not recognize "benign" intention questions as persuasion attempts." Journal of Consumer Research 31, no. 3 (2004): 540-550. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, Hutchinson, JW, Alba, JW, Chartrand, TL, Huber, J, Kardes, FR, Menon, G, Raghubir, P, Russo, JE, Shiv, B, Tavassoli, NT, and Williams, P. "Non-conscious influences on consumer choice." Marketing Letters 13, no. 3 (2002): 267-277. (Academic Article)
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, Hutchinson, JW, Williams, P, Alba, JW, Chartrand, TL, Huber, J, Kardes, FR, Menon, G, Raghubir, P, Russo, JE, Shiv, B, and Tavassoli, NT. "Non-Conscious Influences on Consumer Choice." Marketing Letters 13, no. 3 (2002): 269-279. Full Text
  - Bradlow, ET, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Subscale Distance and Item Clustering Effects in Surveys: A New Metric." Journal of Marketing Research 38, no. 2 (2001): 254-261. (Academic Article)
  - Bradlow, ET, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Subscale distance and item clustering effects in self-administered surveys: A new metric." Journal of Marketing Research 38, no. 2 (2001): 254-261. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Shiv, B. "Nonconscious and contaminative effects of hypothetical questions on subsequent decision making." Journal of Consumer Research 28, no. 2 (2001): 224-238. Full Text
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Williams, P. "Asking questions can change choice behavior: does it do so automatically or effortfully?." J Exp Psychol Appl 6, no. 3 (September 2000): 195-206. Link to Item
  - Fitzsimons, GJ. "Consumer response to stockouts." Journal of Consumer Research 27, no. 2 (2000): 249-266.
  - Sengupta, J, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "The effects of analyzing reasons for brand preferences: Disruption or reinforcement?." Journal of Marketing Research 37, no. 3 (2000): 318-330.
  - Zhang, S, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Choice-Process Satisfaction: The Influence of Attribute Alignability and Option Limitation." Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 77, no. 3 (March 1999): 192-214. Full Text Link to Item
  - Holbrook, MB, Block, LG, and Fitzsimons, GJ. "Personal Appearance and Consumption in Popular Culture: A Framework for Descriptive and Prescriptive Analysis." Consumptio, Markets and Culture 2, no. 1 (1998): 1-56. (Academic Article)
  - Capon, N, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Prince, RA. "An individual level analysis of the mutual fund investment decision." Journal of Financial Services Research 10, no. 1 (1996): 59-82.
  - Fitzsimons, GJ, and Morwitz, VG. "The effect of measuring intent on brand-level purchase behavior." Journal of Consumer Research 23, no. 1 (1996): 1-11. Full Text
  - TAVASSOLI, NT, SHULTZ, CJ, and FITZSIMONS, GJ. "PROGRAM INVOLVEMENT - ARE MODERATE LEVELS BEST FOR AD MEMORY AND ATTITUDE TOWARD THE AD." JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH 35, no. 5 (1995): 61-72. Link to Item
  - Boulding, W, Moore, MC, Staelin, R, Corfman, KP, Dickson, PR, Fitzsimons, G, Gupta, S, Lehmann, DR, Mitchell, DJ, Urbany, JE, and Weitz, BA. "Understanding managers' strategic decision-making process." Marketing Letters 5, no. 4 (1994): 413-426. Full Text
  - Capon, N, Fitzsimons, GJ, and Weingarten, R. "Affluent Investors and Mutual Fund Purchases." International Journal of Bank Marketing 12, no. 3 (1994): 17-25. (Academic Article)
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
- MARKETNG 797: Consumer Behavior 2018
- MARKETNG 899: Independent Study 2018
- PSY 394: Research Independent Study 2018
- PSY 494: Research Independent Study 2018
- MARKETNG 795: Marketing Management 2017
- PSY 203: Practicum 2017
- PSY 493: Research Independent Study 2017
- ARTS&SCI 396: Bass Connections: Interdisciplinary Team Projects 2016
- ARTS&SCI 796: Bass Connections: Interdisciplinary Team Projects 2016
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Outreach & Engaged Scholarship

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Book Sections

Conference Papers

Journal Articles

Recent Courses

Outreach & Engaged Scholarship