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S. Christian Wheeler
S. Christian Wheeler
Professor, Marketing
Contact Info
+1 (650) 724-7509
Email
S. ChristianWheeler
On leave until March 2021.
The StrataCom Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing
Academic Area: 
Marketing

Research Statement

S. Christian Wheeler is a consumer behavior researcher who studies the formation, change, and expression of evaluations. Some recent projects have explored what happens when people want evaluations other than those that they have; when people intentionally generate mixed evaluations toward targets; when people deliberately undermine the performance of others; and when people will share their evaluations with others.

Bio

Christian Wheeler is the StrataCom Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing at Stanford University where he teaches courses on Marketing Management and Research Methodology. He received his BA from the University of Northern Iowa before moving to Ohio State, where he completed his MA and PhD. His research has been published in top marketing, organizational behavior, and psychology journals. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Marketing Research, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Psychology, Ohio State University, 2001
  • MA in Psychology, Ohio State University, 1997
  • BA in Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, 1995

Academic Appointments

  • Full Professor, Stanford GSB, 2012-present
  • Associate Professor with tenure, Stanford GSB, 2008-2012
  • Associate Professor, Stanford GSB, 2005-2008
  • Assistant Professor, Stanford GSB, 2001-2005

Publications

Journal Articles

Objects and Self-Identity
S. Christian Wheeler, Christopher J. Bechler. Current Opinion in Psychology. June 2021, Vol. 39, Pages 6–11.
Personalization in Email Marketing: The Role of Non-Informative Advertising Content
Navdeep S. Sahni, S. Christian Wheeler, Pradeep Chintagunta. Marketing Science. February 27, 2018, Vol. 37, Issue 2, Pages 177-331.
Judgments of Taste and Judgments of Quality
Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Priya Raghubir, S. Christian Wheeler. Journal of Consumer Psychology. January 2018, Vol. 28, Issue 1, Pages 1-4.
Self-Expression Cues in Product Rating Distributions: When People Prefer Polarizing Products
Bella Rozenkrants, S. Christian Wheeler, Baba Shiv. Journal of Consumer Research. December 1, 2017, Vol. 44, Issue 4, Pages 759-777.
On the Pursuit of Desired Attitudes: Wanting a Different Attitude Affects Information Processing and Behavior
Kenneth DeMarree, Cory Clark, S. Christian Wheeler, Pablo Briñol, Richard Petty. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. May 2017, Vol. 70, Pages 129-142.
Belief in the Immutability of Attitudes Both Increases and Decreases Advocacy
Omair Akhtar, S. Christian Wheeler. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology . October 2016, Vol. 111, Issue 4, Pages 475-492.
The Good and Bad of Ambivalence: Desiring Ambivalence Under Outcome Uncertainty.
Taly Reich, S. Christian Wheeler. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology . April 2016, Vol. 110, Issue 4, Pages 493-508.
Potential Growth Areas for Implicit Theories Research.
S. Christian Wheeler, Omair Akhtar. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2016, Vol. 26, Issue 1, Pages 137-141.
Wanting other attitudes: Actual–desired attitude discrepancies predict feelings of ambivalence and ambivalence consequences
S. Christian Wheeler. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014, Vol. 53, Pages 5-18.
‘We’ Are Not the Same as ‘You and I’: Causal Effects of Minor Language Variations on Consumers’ Attitudes Toward Brands
Aner Sela, S. Christian Wheeler, Gülen Sarial-Abi. Journal of Consumer Research. October 2012, Vol. 39, Issue 3, Pages 644-661.
Compensatory Nonconformity: Self-Uncertainty and Low Implicit Self-Esteem Increase Adoption and Expression of Minority Opinions
Kimberly Rios, S. Christian Wheeler, Dale T. Miller. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2012, Vol. 48, Issue 6, Pages 1300-1309.
Not All Selves Feel the Same Uncertainty: Motivated Assimilation to Primes among Individualists and Collectivists
Kimberly Rios Morrison, Camille S. Johnson, S. Christian Wheeler. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2012, Vol. 3, Issue 1, Pages 118-126.
A Multidimensional Association Approach to Sequential Consumer Judgments
David Sleeth-Keppler, S. Christian Wheeler. Journal of Consumer Psychology. January 2011, Vol. 21, Issue 1, Pages 14-23.
Self-ambivalence and resistance to subtle self-change attempts
Kenneth G. DeMarree, Kimberly Rios Morrison, S. Christian Wheeler, Richard E. Petty. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2011, Vol. 37, Issue 5, Pages 674-686.
Nonconformity Defines the Self: The Role of Minority Opinion Status in Self-Concept Clarity
Kimberly Rios Morrison, S. Christian Wheeler. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. March 2010, Vol. 36, Issue 3, Pages 297-308.
The “Shaken Self”: Product Choices as a Means of Restoring Self-View Confidence
Leilei Gao, S. Christian Wheeler, Baba Shiv. Journal of Consumer Research. June 2009, Vol. 36, Issue 1, Pages 29-38.
Circles, Squares, and Choice: The Effect of Shape Arrays on Uniqueness and Variety Seeking
Michael Maimaran, S. Christian Wheeler. Journal of Marketing Research. December 2008, Vol. 45, Issue 6, Pages 731-740.
Contextual priming: Where people vote affects how they vote
Jonah Berger, Marc Meredith, S. Christian Wheeler. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. July 1, 2008, Vol. 105, Issue 26, Pages 8846–8849.
A match made in the laboratory: Persuasion matches to primed social schemata
S. Christian Wheeler, Kenneth G. DeMarree, Richard E. Petty. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. July 2008, Vol. 44, Issue 4, Pages 1035–1047.
Does self-consciousness increase or decrease behavioral priming effects? It depends
S. Christian Wheeler, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Kenneth G. DeMarree, Richard E. Petty. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. May 2008, Vol. 44, Issue 3, Pages 882–889.
When the Same Prime Leads to Different Effects
S. Christian Wheeler, Jonah Berger. Journal of Consumer Research. October 2007, Vol. 34, Issue 3, Pages 357-368.
Material Priming: The Influence of Mundane Physical Objects on Situational Construal and Competitive Behavior Choice
Aaron C. Kay, S. Christian Wheeler, John A. Bargh, Lee Ross. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. September 2004, Vol. 95, Issue 1, Pages 83–96.
The Effects of Stereotype Activation on Behavior: A Review of Possible Mechanisms
S. Christian Wheeler, R.E. Petty. Psychological Bulletin. November 2001, Vol. 127, Issue 6, Pages 797-826.
Think Unto Others...The Self-destructive Impact of Negative Racial Stereotypes
S. Christian Wheeler, W.Blair G. Jarvis, Richard E. Petty. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. March 2001, Vol. 37, Issue 2, Pages 173–180.

Book Chapters

Prevalence, Antecedents, and Consequences of Actual-Desired Attitude Discrepancies
S. Christian Wheeler, Kenneth G. DeMarree. Handbook of Research on Identity Theory in Marketing. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, December 2019, Pages 346–359.
Effects of Mere Exposure on Brand Liking
S. Christian Wheeler. Consumer Insights: Findings from Behavioral Research. Cambridge: Marketing Science Institute, 2011, Pages 67-68.

Working Papers

Personalization in Email Marketing: The Role of Non-Informative Advertising Content | PDF
Navdeep S. Sahni, S. Christian Wheeler, Pradeep K. Chintanguta, October 232016
Can Where People Vote Influence How They Vote? The Influence of Polling Location Type on Voting Behavior | PDF
S. Christian Wheeler, Jonah Berger, Marc Meredith2006

Teaching

Degree Courses

2020-21

MKTG 641: Behavioral Research in Marketing I

This course prepares the student to do empirical behavioral research. It will cover all aspects of the research process, from hypothesis generation to experimental design to data analysis to writing up your results and submitting them for...

STRAMGT 503: Spontaneous Management

In this class, you will learn techniques for improving your spontaneity, creativity, presence, and collaboration skills, all of which contribute to your becoming a more effective and inspirational leader. This class combines research on social...

2019-20

MKTG 641: Behavioral Research in Marketing I

This course prepares the student to do empirical behavioral research. It will cover all aspects of the research process, from hypothesis generation to experimental design to data analysis to writing up your results and submitting them for...

STRAMGT 503: Spontaneous Management

In this class, you will learn techniques for improving your spontaneity, creativity, presence, and collaboration skills, all of which contribute to your becoming a more effective and inspirational leader. This class is based on the techniques...

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

Other Teaching

Stanford Case Studies

Cialis: A Segmentation and Targeting Dilemma | M361
S. Christian Wheeler2016
Skype | M362
S. Christian Wheeler, Andrew Malcolm2016
LightFull Foods | E272
Katherine Bose, S. Wheeler2007
PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions (AAHS) | M312
Lyn,Denend , Brian Lowery, S. Wheeler2006

In the Media

Can Thinking About Shopping Change the Route You Take?
Science Daily, November 8, 2007
Voting-Booth Feng Shui
New York Times Magazine, 12 10, 2006
Polling site May Sway Your Vote, Study Says
The Arizona Republic, September 2006
Advertainment Tonight: How Entertainment and Advertising are Becoming One and the Same
The Wave Magazine, August 2005
Even Furniture Can Affect Business Attitudes
Silicon Valley Business Journal, December 29, 2004

Insights by Stanford Business

audioManaging in the Moment: How to Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
August 28, 2020
In this episode, we discuss how to embrace failure and incorporate play into work.
writtenWhat to Read This Summer
July 2, 2019
Escape the heat with books recommended by Stanford business professors.
written10 Most-Read Stories of 2017
December 4, 2017
Readers keyed into humor’s workplace value, the secret to improving communication skills, and advice from Sheryl Sandberg and Marc Andreessen.
writtenWhat Do We Really Want?
July 20, 2017
A new study examines the battle between idealized attitudes and those we actually have.
writtenAre We What We Buy?
June 13, 2017
A new study examines the role self-expression plays in online buying decisions.
writtenWhere Do Advocates Come From?
January 9, 2017
A strong sense of conviction can both encourage and discourage people from speaking out.
writtenIs Ambivalence Healthy? Researchers Have Mixed Feelings
November 11, 2016
It can ease the pain when you lose but backfire when you win.
writtenWhen Pronouns Get Personal
July 9, 2012
Research shows that the little word 'we' can make a big difference in attitudes toward brands.
writtenWhy a Ferrari May Make Imported Wine Seem Expensive
July 1, 2011
A professor of marketing says consumers equate "foreign" with "expensive."
writtenPeople in the Minority May Know Themselves Better
March 1, 2010
Research explores why some people hold minority opinions and also seek them out.
writtenCan Polling Location Influence How Voters Vote?
June 1, 2008
A study says the location of where voting takes place "would be more than enough to change the outcome of a close election."
writtenWhy You Should Segment Your Market
March 1, 2008
Consumers can respond to the same verbal, visual, or cognitive cue in very different ways, including having different buying behavior.
writtenEven the Furniture Can Affect Business Attitudes
October 1, 2004
A study shows that design cues can put people in a competitive or collaborative frame of mind.