Cases and Technical notes by Luca Cian
Social Science Research Network, 2020
This case set draws on a summer internship in brand management to outline potential steps in brin... more This case set draws on a summer internship in brand management to outline potential steps in bringing a new food product to life. While there are general guidelines to the new product (brand, grocery aisle, and target market), the rest of the product development is up to the team of marketers and research and developers. The assignment is split into three parts to give students the opportunity to suggest next steps, and then learn what the team actually did in terms of market research and overall timeline. Part A sets up the task at hand for the proceeding parts and includes the background information. This part defines the new product as a snack geared toward Generation Z, specifically teenagers, that must be branded by a cereal brand. Provided with general insights about the target population in the exhibits, the student must determine what they should do first to understand Gen Z's snacking habits and make strides toward product development.Part B begins by explaining the actual next steps that were taken—in-home focus groups with teens and their parents—as well as why this was the chosen tactic. After explaining the market research tactics, the case skips to the insights the team developed, including a job map and four functional attributes. This part ends with the question of what to do as a next step since insights have been developed, but nothing physical has yet to be created. Part C starts with additional qualitative testing to refine concepts and begin the prototyping phase. This part wraps up the entirety of the case with choosing finalists through focus group interviews. As the summer internship comes to an end, the case does as well with an outline of future steps for the team to complete prior to launching the new product (such as surveys, mock shelf simulations, test markets, and the possibility of additional research to define packaging). This case set is a great example of one of the many projects that MBA students might face during their summer internships or full-time jobs, as well as an overall learning in decision-making without perfect information to keep an idea afloat. This case is ideal for in introduction to marketing research. Excerpt UVA-M-0999 Jun. 3, 2020 Snack Time with Generation Z (A) Meade Brewster stared at her empty screen, contemplating the conversation she just had with her manager. “Where do I even start?” she asked herself. It was day three of Brewster's 2019 summer internship as an assistant brand manager in the snacking division for General Mills (GM), after her first year at the Darden School of Business (MBA '20). Days one and two were easy—HR and marketing training all day long. She now knew how to input her time and search for brands and key performance indicators (KPIs) in Nielsen. But after just being briefed on her summer-long project, she felt lost all over again. Brewster's manager, Henry, explained the project like this: “The snacking business unit is down and a major focus as we enter FY2020 (see Exhibit 1), especially since all trends in the industry show consumer preferences toward snacking increasing. As you can imagine, there's been a lot of disruption in the marketplace recently with the growth of insurgent brands due to low barriers to entry. What we need you to do is create a new growth product line to compete in the snacking aisle.” Henry paused and looked at Brewster, who must have looked like a deer in headlights as she thought of the many options already
SSRN Electronic Journal
In March 2009, Ulrich Bez, CEO of British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., found himself grapp... more In March 2009, Ulrich Bez, CEO of British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., found himself grappling with some tough news from Switzerland. The company had just debuted a novel car concept, its first crossover model under its rarely used historic Lagonda brand, at the Geneva Motor Show, but the negative press criticizing the four-wheel drive, four-seater car's design and concept was troubling and unexpected. Excerpt UVA-S-0298 Rev. Mar. 15, 2018 Aston Martin: The Crossover Conundrum In crisis periods, such as the one we survived in 2008 and 2009, first and foremost you need strong leadership and judgement. —Ulrich Bez In March 2009, Ulrich Bez, CEO of British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. (Aston Martin), found himself grappling with some tough news from Switzerland. The company had just debuted a novel car concept at the Geneva Motor Show, its first SUV crossover model under its rarely used Lagonda brand, but the press criticizing the car's design and concept was troubling and unexpected. One popular industry blog went so far as to mock the car's visual identity: . . .
SSRN Electronic Journal
Well suited for MBA and undergraduate marketing programs, this case uses product positioning and ... more Well suited for MBA and undergraduate marketing programs, this case uses product positioning and placement during the early growth stages of a start-up's brand in the food industry to unfold circumstances that allow for an analysis of the firm's positioning and food marketing decisions. All products are plant-based foods distributed nationally in the United States. Seeking to target mainstream tastes and low price, tensions among the three pillars of the brand's marketing strategy, which are quality, accessibility, and sustainability, leave the case open to explore uncertainty, positioning, marketing mix, and consumer behavior. The A case opens with Josh Tetrick, Just's founder and CEO, facing an obstacle to the brand around accessibility. Target delisted all Just products in its stores after receiving an unverified, anonymous letter claiming that some of the products were unsafe and mislabeled. Although it only accounted for a small percentage of sales, losing Target affected Just's ability to meet its distribution goal to reach price-conscious consumers where they shopped and its greater goal to build a food system where everyone could eat well. Excerpt UVA-M-0956 Rev. Aug. 20, 2019 Just: Positioned to Target Mainstream Tastes? (A) Just CEO Josh Tetrick founded his food innovation start-up in San Francisco in 2011. Six years later, he was running the multi-million-dollar company based on “things he knew to be true.” The truth that had set Tetrick in motion was that the the arconventional food system left billions of people eating poorly or not at all. Another truth that guided Just was that many mainstream consumers rejected veganism, which ran counter to their identities. As such, Tetrick and his team were dead set on positioning the Just brand in such a way that it would appeal to mainstream consumers—not because Just products happened to be plant based or because they aimed to cause no unnecessary harm to the planet or to animals—but because Just products were high quality, accessible, and affordable. Indeed, the three pillars of the brand's marketing strategy were quality, accessibility, and sustainability. Just's mantra was that humankind had a system problem, not a people problem: it was too easy for mainstream consumers to do the wrong thing. In Tetrick's estimation, “The only way the good thing wins is when the good thing is so radically better than the not-so-good thing that you cannot help but do it. If it's not affordable and delicious, it's completely irrelevant to solving the problem.” . . .
SSRN Electronic Journal
This is a three-part, disguised case series. In June 2009, Diana Zanzi was hired by Ventoso Ship ... more This is a three-part, disguised case series. In June 2009, Diana Zanzi was hired by Ventoso Ship Supply, an Italian sailboat manufacturer, to help them understand their boats' puzzling selling patterns. Zanzi was informed that sales rates for two higher-end boat models were especially odd. Despite one's superior technical specifications, speed, amenities, and overall value-for-money, their higher end models were hard to sell. However, a lower-quality boat was sold at an astonishing rate. Existing survey work conducted by the company only served to confirm the rational assumption that customers generally preferred more technically advanced sailboats; as such, the survey would not solve the mystery. Tasked with solving this mystery, Zanzi was given the contact information for Ventoso's roster of potential customers and asked to conduct her own interviews to discover what could possibly explain customers' preferences when acquiring sailboats. Zanzi was told that consumers may not be consciously aware of how they choose sailboats, and so she needed to figure out a good method to understand these unconscious preferences. In part A of the series, the reader is faced with the task of designing a test that might reveal buyers' sailing-related thoughts. For instance, what should Zanzi ask consumers to understand their implicit and unconscious perceptions of the ideal sailboat? More importantly, the reader is invited to consider when and why such a tool is needed. In other words, what marketing technique should we use when consumers don't seem to be fully aware of their decision process? Excerpt UVA-M-0959 Rev. Jul. 9, 2018 Uncharted Waters at Ventoso Ship Supply: A Sensory Marketing Dilemma (A) When Diana Zanzi was hired by Ventoso Ship Supply (Ventoso), an Italian sailboat manufacturer, in June 2009 to help it make sense of its boats' mysterious selling patterns, she faced a unique dilemma. Riccardo Rossi, Ventoso's long-standing CEO, presented Zanzi with data on Ventoso's sailboats' recent sales performance. However, this data raised more questions than answers for Zanzi. In particular, there were two higher-end cruising boats, the Bella 55 and the Volo 155, that defied sales expectations. Despite the Volo 155's superior technical specifications, speed capabilities, modern amenities, and overall better value-for-money, the boat was hard to sell, while the Bella 55 sold at an astonishing rate. Both boats were sold from the same Ventoso sales centers, and neither model benefitted from any specific targeted marketing campaign for it. (See Exhibit1 for the technical specifications and sales records of the two boats; see Exhibits2a and 2b for data on the company's sales patterns in relation to boat quality and price.) . . .
SSRN Electronic Journal
This case set draws on a summer internship in brand management to outline potential steps in brin... more This case set draws on a summer internship in brand management to outline potential steps in bringing a new food product to life. While there are general guidelines to the new product (brand, grocery aisle, and target market), the rest of the product development is up to the team of marketers and research and developers. The assignment is split into three parts to give students the opportunity to suggest next steps, and then learn what the team actually did in terms of market research and overall timeline. Part A sets up the task at hand for the proceeding parts and includes the background information. This part defines the new product as a snack geared toward Generation Z, specifically teenagers, that must be branded by a cereal brand. Provided with general insights about the target population in the exhibits, the student must determine what they should do first to understand Gen Z's snacking habits and make strides toward product development.Part B begins by explaining the actual next steps that were taken—in-home focus groups with teens and their parents—as well as why this was the chosen tactic. After explaining the market research tactics, the case skips to the insights the team developed, including a job map and four functional attributes. This part ends with the question of what to do as a next step since insights have been developed, but nothing physical has yet to be created. Part C starts with additional qualitative testing to refine concepts and begin the prototyping phase. This part wraps up the entirety of the case with choosing finalists through focus group interviews. As the summer internship comes to an end, the case does as well with an outline of future steps for the team to complete prior to launching the new product (such as surveys, mock shelf simulations, test markets, and the possibility of additional research to define packaging). This case set is a great example of one of the many projects that MBA students might face during their summer internships or full-time jobs, as well as an overall learning in decision-making without perfect information to keep an idea afloat. This case is ideal for in introduction to marketing research. Excerpt UVA-M-0999 Jun. 3, 2020 Snack Time with Generation Z (A) Meade Brewster stared at her empty screen, contemplating the conversation she just had with her manager. “Where do I even start?” she asked herself. It was day three of Brewster's 2019 summer internship as an assistant brand manager in the snacking division for General Mills (GM), after her first year at the Darden School of Business (MBA '20). Days one and two were easy—HR and marketing training all day long. She now knew how to input her time and search for brands and key performance indicators (KPIs) in Nielsen. But after just being briefed on her summer-long project, she felt lost all over again. Brewster's manager, Henry, explained the project like this: “The snacking business unit is down and a major focus as we enter FY2020 (see Exhibit 1), especially since all trends in the industry show consumer preferences toward snacking increasing. As you can imagine, there's been a lot of disruption in the marketplace recently with the growth of insurgent brands due to low barriers to entry. What we need you to do is create a new growth product line to compete in the snacking aisle.” Henry paused and looked at Brewster, who must have looked like a deer in headlights as she thought of the many options already
SSRN Electronic Journal
In April 2017, Kevin Johnson took over the reigns as CEO of Starbucks, the iconic coffee giant. H... more In April 2017, Kevin Johnson took over the reigns as CEO of Starbucks, the iconic coffee giant. He faced a number of key decisions to keep the global retail giant competitive, but one in particular loomed large. Over the last few years, Johnson's predecessor, Howard Schultz, had increasingly used Starbucks as a progressive platform in an attempt to influence the world around its stores, whether he was aiming to smooth out race relations in the United States or support marriage equality. (Schultz was so vocal about these issues, in fact, that many people speculated he harbored secret political ambitions for his post-Starbucks career.) The case examines Schultz's memorable 2015 Race Together campaign and invites students to debate whether Johnson's work should be focused on (1) similar attempts to align Starbucks with progressive ideals and social causes, or (2) Starbucks' profitability and shareholder value alone. Were there certain times or circumstances where it was appropriate to engage in brand activism, and what impact might these initiatives have on brand integrity and the bottom line?In addition to inviting students to analyze the financial, branding, and employee- and customer-relations implications of social activism at Starbucks, the case also allows them to develop a framework for when and how brand activism might be appropriate in the future. Excerpt UVA-M-0964 Jul. 10, 2018 Brand Activism at Starbucks—A Tall Order? On April 3, 2017, Kevin Johnson, the newly minted CEO of coffee giant Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks), stepped into his Seattle office for his first day on the job. Johnson knew he faced a number of key decisions and competition from both large and small players as he led the company into its next phase. (For recent stock price performance compared to competitor Dunkin' Donuts, see Exhibit1.) One issue at the top of his mind was whether to continue the tendency of his predecessor, long-standing CEO Howard Schultz, to make public corporate declarations on divisive social issues, ranging from how to discuss racism to the legalization of marriage equality. Indeed, Schultz's legacy loomed large, as the legendary leader had gained consistent praise as one of the world's best-performing CEOs for the past few years. (For Harvard Business Review's 2015 CEO rankings, see Exhibit 2.) At a time when the United States seemed to be as divided as ever, with a new president (Donald Trump) in the White House and growing concerns about gun violence, bigotry, and homophobia worrying many in the nation, an increasing number of brands such as Starbucks were choosing to take public stances to support the missions in which they believed. Johnson, however, came to Starbucks from a technology background, where he sold to businesses and had limited interaction with individual consumers, and he was unfamiliar with how to best strike an intimate and nonalienating chord with customers walking into Starbucks cafes every day. . . .
Sensory Marketing: advertising/visual aesthetics by Luca Cian
Journal of Marketing Research, 2014
The authors propose that static visuals can evoke a perception of movement (i.e., dynamic imagery... more The authors propose that static visuals can evoke a perception of movement (i.e., dynamic imagery) and thereby affect consumer engagement and attitudes. Focusing on brand logos as the static visual element, the authors measure the perceived movement evoked by the logo and demonstrate that the evoked dynamic imagery affects the level of consumer engagement with the brand logo. They measure consumer engagement through both self-report measures and eye-tracking technology and find that engagement affects consumer attitudes toward the brand. The authors also show that the perceived movement–engagement–attitude effect is moderated by the congruence between perceived movement and brand characteristics. These findings suggest that dynamic imagery is an important aspect of logo design, and if used carefully, it can enhance brand attitudes.
Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2014
We suggest that a consideration of consumer self-evaluations is fundamental to understanding the ... more We suggest that a consideration of consumer self-evaluations is fundamental to understanding the conditions under which it is more advantageous to present person or product pictures in print advertisements. We build on the basic human motives of self-enhancement and selfverification to propose that the specific self-esteem level of consumers, in the domain relevant for the category, differentially affects their responses to picture type. Specifically, for consumers with low (high) domain-specific self-esteem, depicting a product (person) in the advertisement enhances attitudes toward the advertisement more than depicting a person (product). In two studies, we demonstrate the proposed matching relationships using two different domains of consumer self-evaluation: appearance self-esteem and academic self-esteem. We also show that increased and more fluent generation of self-related mental imagery drives the observed improvement in attitudes toward the advertisement. Our findings suggest direct implications for advertising design.
Semiotica, 2012
The aim of this paper is to analyze a specific printed advertisement from two different semiotic ... more The aim of this paper is to analyze a specific printed advertisement from two different semiotic points of view. First, we apply the interpretative instruments provided by the Barthes' school of thinking (focused on the description of e xplicit signs taken in isolation). We then attempt to explore the same print employing the prospective of Greimas' structural semiotics (where a sign has meaning only when it is interpreted as part of a system).
Supplemental Material, jmr.18.0269-File003 for Advertising a Desired Change: When Process Simulat... more Supplemental Material, jmr.18.0269-File003 for Advertising a Desired Change: When Process Simulation Fosters (vs. Hinders) Credibility and Persuasion by Luca Cian, Chiara Longoni and Aradhna Krishna in Journal of Marketing Research
We propose that features of static visuals can lead to perceived movement (via dynamic imagery) a... more We propose that features of static visuals can lead to perceived movement (via dynamic imagery) and prepare the observer for action. We operationalize our research within the context of warning sign icons and show how subtle differences in iconography can affect human behavioral response. Across five studies incorporating multiple methodologies and technologies (click-data heat maps, driving simulations, surveys, reaction time, and eye tracking), we show that warning sign icons that evoke more (vs. less) perceived movement lead to a quicker propensity to act because they suggest greater risk to oneself or others and increase attentional vigilance. Icons used in our studies include children crossing signs near schools, wet floor signs in store settings, and shopping cart crossings near malls. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating dynamic elements into icon design to promote imagery and thereby elicit desired and responsible consumer behavior. O n a daily basis we consume countless public and private facilities, from swimming pools to beaches, neighborhood playgrounds to amusement parks, and parking lots to roads. While it is important to study what facilities we consume, it is also important to study how we consume them. Irresponsible consumption, such as ignoring warning signs and product labels, leads to costs that are incurred not only by the consumer and the company but also by society as a whole. For example, over 60,000 people each year require emergency room treatment for injuries sustained in swimming pool accidents in the Luca Cian
Journal of the Association for Consumer Research
This article provides a new perspective on collaborative art as a transformational force to stren... more This article provides a new perspective on collaborative art as a transformational force to strengthen community and enhance well-being. We outline a best practices-based framework to foster community-based, collaborative art such as cocreated community murals. Specifically, we identify a strategic and successive process for collaborative art initiatives by integrating the academic literature on art, aesthetics, community, and consumer research together with the practices of arts organizations working to transform communities through participatory, cocreated art. The article highlights the contributions of this work to academic research, public policy, and community organizing efforts and outlines questions to encourage more researchers and practitioners to investigate the dynamics of collaborative art to transform communities. People have an intuitive desire to have art around. (Golden 2015) E veryday aesthetic experiences have a profound impact on people's daily lives and their "identity and view of the world" (Duncum 1999, 295; Saito 2007). Unlike "high art" that is exhibited inside a museum or on the walls of an art gallery, everyday aesthetics-community-based murals and sculptures-form the streetscape of daily life in a locality. These public artworks, often displayed on the exterior of a school, community center, or neighborhood business, are accessible to everyone in a community and can be experienced without the barriers of cost and class. Such public art initiatives can be transformative for a community, particularly if that community collaborates in the creation of the art and the artwork represents core community values. For example, Mural Arts Philadelphia (MAP; see app. C; apps. A-V are available online) engages Philadelphia neighborhoods in community-based collaborative art initiatives to transform otherwise empty walls in largely underserved neighborhoods into murals that portray community heroes, neighborhood stories, and innovative designs (Golden, Rice, and Kinney 2002). Community-based, collaborative art initiatives
Journal of Marketing Research
Ads promising a desired change are ubiquitous in the marketplace. These ads typically include vis... more Ads promising a desired change are ubiquitous in the marketplace. These ads typically include visuals of the starting and ending point of the promised change (“before/after” ads). “Progression” ads, which include intermediate steps in addition to starting and ending points, are much rarer in the marketplace. Across several consumer domains, the authors show an ad-type effect: progression ads foster spontaneous simulation of the process through which the change will happen, which makes these ads more credible and, in turn, more persuasive than before/after ads (Studies 1–3). The authors also show that impairing process simulation and high skepticism moderate the ad-type effect (Studies 4–5). Finally, they show effect reversals: if consumers focus on achieving the desired results quickly, and it is possible to do so, progression ads and the associated process simulation backfire in terms of credibility and persuasion (Studies 6–7). These findings contribute to existing research by ide...
We propose that features of static visuals can lead to perceived movement (via dynamic imagery) a... more We propose that features of static visuals can lead to perceived movement (via dynamic imagery) and prepare the observer for action. We operationalize our research within the context of warning sign icons and show how subtle differences in iconography can affect human behavioral response. Across five studies incorporating multiple methodologies and technologies (click-data heat maps, driving simulations, surveys, reaction time, and eye tracking), we show that warning sign icons that evoke more (vs. less) perceived movement lead to a quicker propensity to act because they suggest greater risk to oneself or others and increase attentional vigilance. Icons used in our studies include children crossing signs near schools, wet floor signs in store settings, and shopping cart crossings near malls. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating dynamic elements into icon design to promote imagery and thereby elicit desired and responsible consumer behavior. O n a daily basis we consume countless public and private facilities, from swimming pools to beaches, neighborhood playgrounds to amusement parks, and parking lots to roads. While it is important to study what facilities we consume, it is also important to study how we consume them. Irresponsible consumption, such as ignoring warning signs and product labels, leads to costs that are incurred not only by the consumer and the company but also by society as a whole. For example, over 60,000 people each year require emergency room treatment for injuries sustained in swimming pool accidents in the Luca Cian
Sensory Marketing and conceptual metaphors by Luca Cian
Journal of Consumer Research, 2015
Emotion and rationality are fundamental elements of human life. They are abstract concepts, often... more Emotion and rationality are fundamental elements of human life. They are abstract concepts, often difficult to define and grasp. Thus throughout the history of Western society, the head and the heart, concrete and identifiable elements, have been used as symbols of rationality and emotion. Drawing on the conceptual metaphor framework, we propose that people understand the abstract concepts of rationality and emotion using knowledge of a more concrete concept-the vertical difference between the head and heart. In six studies, we show a deep-seated conceptual metaphorical relationship linking rationality with "up" or "higher" and emotion with "down" or "lower." We show that the association between verticality and rationality/emotion affects how consumers perceive information and thereby has downstream consequences on attitudes and preferences. We find the association to be most influential when consumers are unaware of it and when it applies to an unfamiliar stimulus. Because all visual formats-from the printed page to screens on a television, computer, or smartphone-entail a vertical placement, this association has important managerial implications. Our studies implement multiple methodologies and technologies and use manipulations of logos, websites, food advertisements, and political slogans.
Journal of the Association for Consumer Research
Verticality (the position of a physical object along the vertical dimension) is a basic aspect of... more Verticality (the position of a physical object along the vertical dimension) is a basic aspect of human life. As such, it is co-opted for multiple metaphorical associations. In this review, building on the conceptual metaphor theory, we examine how the vertical dimension is metaphorically connected with critical constructs such as power, valence, concreteness, direction, and rationality/emotions, with important consequences for consumer experience and response. We introduce the verticality-manipulation taxonomy, which highlights new ways to think about the research on this topic. This taxonomy has five dimensions: the object’s verticality, the viewer’s verticality, the imagined verticality, the vertical associations, and the abstract domains. We then identify open issues and conflicting results in the current literature, and we indicate some insights for further research on this topic. We also summarize the key managerial implications arising from the wealth of research on this topic.
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Cases and Technical notes by Luca Cian
Sensory Marketing: advertising/visual aesthetics by Luca Cian
Sensory Marketing and conceptual metaphors by Luca Cian
the firm (e.g., online chatbots, service robots), as core attributes of interactive products (e.g., Siri, Alexa), and are integral in the new product development process (e.g., social media content algorithms). Benefits affecting all the steps in the customer journey (e.g., fewer costs,
higher ability to meet customer needs and process complex information) have driven this trend (Puntoni et al. 2021). However, simply having AI technology doesn’t automatically lead to a better customer experience and could, in some cases, deter customers.
Although it is not yet clear if consumer responses to AI differ from responses to technology more generally, recent research has shown that firms should be judicious in how they incorporate and depict their use of AI in consumer-related contexts.
Below, we provide three research-based strategies that can help firms improve customer experience when using AI-based services and products (see Kim et al. [2023] for a more comprehensive review of the academic literature in this area). Our first section focuses on the design of AI interfaces; our second considers whether to implement AI systems that replace humans; and our third looks at AI mistakes after implementation, consumer reactions to these mistakes, and how to respond as an organization.
New York City Department of Social Services uses AI
to give citizensrecommendations on disability benefits, food assistance, and health insurance.
INSIGHT CENTER
Technology and Transformation
Examining the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
However, simply offering AI assistance won’t necessarily lead to more successful transactions. In fact, there are cases when AI’s suggestions and recommendations are helpful and cases when they might be detrimental. When do consumers trust the word of a machine, and when do they resist it? Our research suggests that the key factor is whether consumers are focused on the functional and practical aspects of a product (its utilitarian value) or focused on the experiential and sensory aspects of a product (its hedonic value).
Here, we tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on four climate mitigation outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing intention, and an effortful tree-planting behavioral task. Across 59,440 participants from 63 countries, the interventions’ effectiveness was small, largely limited to non-climate-skeptics, and differed across outcomes: Beliefs were strengthened most by decreasing psychological distance (by 2.3%), policy support by writing a letter to a future generation member (2.6%), information sharing by negative emotion induction (12.1%), and no
intervention increased the more effortful behavior–several interventions even reduced tree planting. Finally, the effects of each intervention differed depending on people’s initial climate beliefs. These findings suggest that the impact of behavioral climate interventions varies across
audiences and target behaviors.
information about family history and lineage—affects people's sense of social connectedness and perceived meaning in their lives. In addition, we investigate how ancestral information affects individuals' motivations to
engage in self-care behaviors or behaviors that enhance their legacy. The primary goal of this research is to identify a novel antecedent of meaning in life—past rather than present social connections and to understand how
receiving ancestral information affects future behavior and decisions. We randomly assigned individuals to receive information about (1) their ancestry, (2) others' ancestral information, or (3) their current social networks.
From our data (N = 365), we did not find statistically significant differences among the three conditions on social connectedness and life meaning. Thus, the role of ancestral information in improving social connection and life meaning remains inconclusive. We discuss the implications of these results for future research on social connection and life meaning.
public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the
pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership,
and public health
not everyone adhered to them. Thus, learning more about the characteristics determining attitudinal and behavioral responses
to the pandemic is crucial to improving future interventions. In this study, we applied machine learning on the multinational data
collected by the International Collaboration on the Social andMoral Psychology of COVID-19 (N = 51,404) to test the predictive efficacy
of constructs fromsocial,moral, cognitive, and personality psychology, aswell as socio-demographic factors, in the attitudinal and behavioral
responses to the pandemic. The results point to several valuable insights. Internalized moral identity provided themost consistent
predictive contribution—individuals perceiving moral traits as central to their self-concept reported higher adherence to preventive
measures. Similar results were found for morality as cooperation, symbolized moral identity, self-control, open-mindedness,
and collective narcissism, while the inverse relationship was evident for the endorsement of conspiracy theories. However, we also
found a non-neglible variability in the explained variance and predictive contributions with respect to macro-level factors such as
the pandemic stage or cultural region. Overall, the results underscore the importance of morality-related and contextual factors in
understanding adherence to public health recommendations during the pandemic