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

January 28, 2009

I’ll Have Large Fries, a Hamburger, a Diet Coke, and an MBA. Hold the Pickles.

The "student as customer" metaphor is rampant within the business school ethos. This has yielded a commodification of the MBA degree resulting in a decreased status of this otherwise valuable graduate degree. It is imperative that sound pedagogic rationales drive MBA curricula and not responses to "market realities." Read More

January 21, 2009

Self-Deception on American Idol… Is It Adaptive?

Why do some dreadfully bad singers on American Idol seem genuinely surprised to hear negative feedback regarding their singing abilities (or lack thereof)? Clearly, they appear to be grossly overconfident about their talents, and in so doing they are ultimately engaging in self-deception. Read on to find out possible Darwinian roots of such madness! Read More

January 15, 2009

Why Is Stephen Colbert So Sexy?

It has been said that women desire men who are funny and witty whereas men desire women who find them funny and witty. In other words, when a man says that he loves his wife's sense of humor, he is more often than not saying that he loves the fact that she finds him funny! Humor is an attractive trait to possess in part because it is a proxy measure for intelligence, a sexually selected trait. Read More

January 8, 2009

Exploring the Items Used to Measure Benevolent Sexism.

Several comments were posted in response to my critique of benevolent sexism. Those who disagreed with my position seemed to suggest that I did not have a full grasp of the meaning of the term. In today's post, I provide the exact set of psychometric items that are used to measure benevolent sexism. I trust that the readers can accordingly decide for themselves whether benevolent sexism is indeed a problem worthy of our collective intervention. Read More

January 7, 2009

The Acronym for Benevolent Sexism is BS: The Linguistic Irony is Delicious.

According to benevolent sexism, chivalry toward a woman and/or seeking to protect her if she is being harmed, are reprehensible acts. Hey lady: I know that you are drowning in a pool. However, I am afraid to jump in to save you. I’d hate for people to think that I am being chivalrous and/or heroic. I’ll just pretend that I am not hearing your cries for help. Boy, the sun is hot today. Time to get a nice tan. Good luck lady. Read More

January 2, 2009

There Will be Universal Peace on Earth When Martians Attack Us.

There are many causes for war including economic, political, ideological, and religious motives. Perhaps of greatest importance from a psychological perspective, humans’ innate proclivity to engage in coalitional thinking (us versus them) makes it particularly easy to succumb to the temptation of war. Contrary to the myth of the Noble Savage, humans do not have an innate disposition for peaceful coexistence. Read More

December 27, 2008

Is God Fickle in His Allegiance to Specific Sports Teams?

Despite His busy schedule, God appears to have an inordinate amount of available time to intervene in determining the outcome of sports matches. From individual acts such as making a shot in basketball, scoring a goal in soccer, or making a putt in gulf, to team outcomes such as winning the Super Bowl or the World Cup, athletes and coaches are convinced that God is on their side. These divine attributions put a whole new twist on the fundamental attribution error (pun intended)! Read More

December 19, 2008

The Brand Loyalty of Religion is Unsurpassed.

Richard Jeni (1957-2007), the American comedian, once quipped regarding religious conflicts: “You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend.” Whereas most individuals choose their friends, few will freely choose their imaginary friends. Tell me your parents’ religion and I’ll predict your religion with near-complete certainty. This is the reason that no product could ever engender the brand loyalty of religion. Read More

December 15, 2008

Charles Darwin, Santa Claus, and the Gift Giving Ritual.

Perhaps the most memorable event during the Christmas season is the customary exchange of gifts. How do individuals allocate their gift giving budgets across the important people in their lives (e.g., mates, family members, and close friends)? It turns out that evolutionary theory has much to offer in understanding this important consumption ritual. Read More

December 11, 2008

Does This Fetus Look Like Me? Absolutely…According to My Mother-in-Law.

When a baby is born, the mother along with her relatives, are much more likely to observe a resemblance between the infant and his/her father. Evolutionists have argued that this phenomenon is ultimately rooted in the desire of the mother’s family to assuage a man’s fear associated with paternity uncertainty. I am here to report the first documented case of this effect in utero! 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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