Shannon M. Duncan

Welcome! 

I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Marketing Department at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Previously, I received my M.S. in Neuroscience and Education from Columbia University and my B.A. magna cum laude in Psychology from Marist College. Prior to starting the Ph.D., I also served as the Associate Director for the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia University.  

My research primarily focuses on motivation and judgment and decision-making. In particular, I examine the factors that can nudge consumers towards healthier choices.  One stream of research examines how to do this through tracking technology. For example, I ask questions like: How does checking the status of desired outcomes more (vs. less) frequently impact consumer satisfaction and motivation to re-engage with tracking technologies? Can encouraging consumers to make up for their failure while tracking their goal increase their motivation?  A second stream of research examines how to nudge consumers toward healthier decisions through choice architecture. In this stream, I ask questions like: Is it more effective to focus on how to get therapy or why to get therapy when nudging consumers to seek mental health treatment? Does prompting consumers to confirm their choice lead them to be more likely to switch to a more beneficial subscription plan?

Get in touch at smduncan@wharton.upenn.edu. 

Elsewhere online: Google Scholar | Wharton | LinkedIn