Homo Consumericus

The Nature and Nurture of Consumption

Dr. Gad Saad is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University) and author of The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption. See full bio

November 15, 2009

How Much Should One Spend on An Engagement Ring?

The accepted wisdom regarding the amount of money that a man should spend on an engagement ring is that it should be equivalent to three months of his salary. A recent study published in Human Nature put this norm to the test, as well as explored factors that might affect the amount spent when purchasing an engagement ring. Read More

November 8, 2009

When God Is Watching, People Are More Generous.

Individuals who are primed about God are more generous when playing the dictator game (a two-person economic game). It would seem that the threat of having a cosmic omnipotent enforcer hanging over one's head and conscience increases one's likelihood of engaging in prosocial behavior. Read More

November 2, 2009

Who’s Your Daddy? Global Nonpaternity Rates.

Do you know what the probability is that a man other than the one who is officially known as the father has sired a given child? Read on to find out what the global nonpaternity rates are. This puts a whole new twist to the phrase "Who's your daddy?"

October 22, 2009

Receptivity to Men’s Courtship Advances and the Menstrual Cycle

You muster up your courage and tentatively approach the lovely woman sitting at the bar. At the end of the conversation, you ask: "Do you think that I can have your phone number? Perhaps we can go out sometime." Well, it turns out that the likelihood of obtaining the proverbial digits depends on where the woman is in her menstrual cycle. Read More

October 10, 2009

Obama Should Win All Six Nobel Prizes.

If Obama is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize, he is deserving of all six Nobel prizes. Warning: Some levity and sarcasm awaits the reader should you decide to read this post. If you have a messianic fervor for Obama, please avoid this post! Read More

October 8, 2009

Do Similar Spouses Yield Happier Marriages?

Do most people choose to marry similar or dissimilar others? Does the similarity index depend on a particular attribute (e.g., personality versus physical attractiveness)? Does the similarity between spouses result in happier marital unions or do opposites truly yield spicier and more fulfilling marriages? Read on to find out one of the secrets to a happy marriage. Read More

October 1, 2009

Is This Woman a Sexual Predator?

Several recent cases have brought back to national attention the horrors of child abductions carried out by recidivist sexual predators (e.g., Phillip Garrido who held Jaycee Lee Dugard captive for 18 years). That said some readers might remember a few years ago when the media proclaimed that there was a national epidemic of female teachers who were preying on their young students. Perhaps no case was as infamous as that of Debbie Lafave. Does she qualify as a sexual predator?

September 18, 2009

The Secret to an Effective Apology: It Must Be Costly!

An apology is much more likely to be considered honest and sincere if the apologizer bears a direct and tangible cost in the process of seeking forgiveness. Are you listening, Chris Brown and Kanye West? Read More

September 11, 2009

Conspiracy Theories as a Form of Religious Belief: The 9/11 Case

I'm struck by the similarities between their belief systems and associated cognitive processes (or lack thereof) and those inherent to religious narratives. By espousing such virulent nonsense, the conspiracists dishonor the memories of all those who perished on that fateful morning. Read More

September 8, 2009

Why Is Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay So Gripping?

Of all of the reasons that have been documented for restaurant failings on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, I propose that many of these are linked to the fragile and/or inflated egos of the restauranteurs in question. Read More

Books by Gad Saad, Ph.D.

The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption (Marketing and Consumer Psychology Series)

Evolutionary Psychology Basics

Our bodies evolved over eons, slowly calibrating to the African savanna on which 98 percent of our ancestors lived and died. So, too, did our brains. Evolutionary psychology postulates that the mind is shaped by pressure to survive and reproduce. We jealously guard romantic partners and cherish our closest relatives above all others, lest we fail to pass on our genes.

Go to the Evolutionary Psychology Basics page for more on Evolutionary Psychology including:

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Books by Gad Saad, Ph.D.

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