About the research

What impact does encountering low prices, discounts, and sales promotions have on consumers’ perceptions of and interactions with employees? Alexander Henkel and his co-authors researched this question and discovered that encountering such low-price signals leads to the adoption of a price conscious mentality. Such a singular focus on getting the cheapest deal can lead consumers away from fully recognizing the human qualities of employees. The findings also suggest that this subtle form of dehumanization can result in harsher treatment of employees when they provide less than satisfactory service.

Dr. Alexander P. Henkel carried out the research together with co-award recipient Johannes Boegershausen, and Professors JoAndrea Hoegg, Karl Aquino (all associated with the UBC Sauder School of Business) and Jos Lemmink (Maastricht University).

Alexander Henkel: 'Let's build on this success and together design field experiments that integrate multiple disciplines, such as psychology and data science for a better understanding of human behavior in a smart service context.'

About the Award

Once a year, the Journal of Consumer Psychology and the Society for Consumer Psychology award one scientist with the best first-author publication in the journal. Previous recipients include well-known behavioral psychologists such as Stanford's Jennifer Aaker and Duke University's Dan Ariely.