Christopher K. HSEE

Christopher K. Hsee received his PhD in psychology from Yale University in 1993, became a tenured full professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2000, and is now a Dean’s Distinguished Chair Professor of Marketing at CKGSB. Hsee does research in areas including cognitive and social psychology, marketing, management, behavioral economics, culture and happiness. He has published over 90 academic papers, with a Google Scholar citation count of over 23,000 (as of 6/2022). He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the Society for Consumer Psychology, Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, and various teaching awards. Hsee was elected and served as the President of the Society for Judgment and Decision-Making.

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Psychology of Judgment and Decision-making, Consumer Psychology, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Emotion, Happiness and Subjective Wellbeing, Cross-culture Psychology, Behavioral Economics and Behavioral Game Theory

• Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Consumer Psychology (SCP)
• Nicosia Best Competitive Paper Award from the Association of Consumer Research (ACR)
• Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) “for sustained and outstanding distinguished contributions to psychological science”
• Former President of the Society of Judgment and Decision Making (SJDM)
• McKinsey Award for Excellence in Teaching from Chicago Booth
• Phoenix Award (for having greatly enriched the learning experiences of the students through voluntary extracurricular and community activities) from Chicago Booth

• Li, X., Hsee, C. K. & O’Brien, E. (2022). “It could be better” can make it worse: When and why people mistakenly communicate upward counterfactual information. Journal of Marketing Research, forthcoming.
• Yang, Y., Li, X., & Hsee, C. K. (2022). Relevance insensitivity: A framework of psychological biases in consumer behavior and beyond. Consumer Psychology Review, forthcoming.
• Hsee, C. K., Zeng, Y., Li, X. & Imas, A. (2021). Bounded rationality in strategic decisions: Undershooting in a resource pool-choice dilemma. Management Science, 67(10), 6553- 6567.
• Yang, A. & Hsee, C. K. (2021). Obligatory publicity increases charitable acts. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(5), 839-857.
• Yang, Y., Hsee, C. K. & Li, X. (2021). Prediction biases: An integrative review. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(3), 195-201.
• Zhang, S., Sussman, A. & Hsee, C. K. (2021). A dragging-down effect: Consumer decisions in response to price increases. Journal of Consumer Research, 47(5), 772-786.
• Li, X. & Hsee, C. K. (2021). The psychology of marginal utility. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(1), 169-188.
• Li, X., Hsee, C. K., & Wang, L. (2021). Incivility awareness could save lives. Behavioral Science & Policy, 7(1), 1-8.
• Li, X., Hsee, C. K., & Wang, L. (2021). People hedonically adapt more slowly to social income changes than to temporal income changes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 27(1), 46-56.
• Li, X., & Hsee, C. K. (2021). Free-riding and cost-bearing in discrimination. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 163, 80-90.
• Hsee, C. K., Yang, Y., & Li, X. (2019). Relevance insensitivity: A new look at some old biases. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 153, 13-26.
• Lu, Z., & Hsee, C. K. (2019). Less willing to pay but more willing to buy: How the elicitation method impacts the valuation of a promotion. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 32(3), 334-345.
• Hsee, C. K. & Ruan, B. (2019). Curiosity and its implications for consumer behavior. In D. Iacobucci (ed.) Review of Marketing Research.
• Li, X., & Hsee, C. K. (2019). Beyond preference reversal: Distinguishing justifiability from evaluability in joint versus single evaluations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 153, 63-74.
• Li, X., & Hsee, C. K. (2019). Being “rational” is not always rational: Encouraging people to be rational leads to hedonically suboptimal decisions. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 4(2), 115-124.
• Shen, L., Hsee, C. K. & Talloen, J. (2018). The fun and function of uncertainty: Uncertain incentives reinforce repetition decisions. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(1), 69-81.
• Ruan, B., Hsee, C. K. & Lu, Y. (2018). The teasing effect: An underappreciated benefit of creating and resolving an uncertainty. Journal of Marketing Research, 55(4), 556-570.
• Yang, A., & Hsee, C. K. (2018). Idleness versus busyness. Current Opinion in Psychology, 28, 15-18.
• Zhu, M., Yang, Y. & Hsee, C. K. (2018). The mere urgency effect. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(3), 673-690.
• Tu, Y. & Hsee, C. K. (2018). Hedonomics: On subtle yet significant determinants of happiness. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), e-Handbook of Well-Being. Noba Scholar encyclopedia series: Subjective well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF publishers.
• Tennant, R. & Hsee, C. K. (2017). Hedonic non-durability revisited: A case for two types. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 146(12), 1749.
• Zhang, S., Hsee, C. K. & Yu, S. (2017). Small economic losses lower total compensation for victims of emotional losses. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 144, 1-10.
• Shen, L. & Hsee, C. K. (2017). Numerical nudging: Using an accelerating score to enhance performance. Psychological Science, 28(8), 1077-1086.
• Jia, J., Jia, J., Hsee, C. K. & Shiv B. (2017). The role of hedonics in reducing perceived risk: Evidence from post-earthquake mobile-app data. Psychological Science, 28(1), 23-35.
• Hsee, C. K. & Ruan, B. (2016). The Pandora effect: The power and peril of curiosity. Psychological Science, 27(5), 659-665.
• Tu, Y. & Hsee, C. K. (2016). Consumer happiness derived from inherent preferences versus learned preferences. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 83-86.
• Hsee, C. K., Yang, Y. & Ruan, B. (2015). The mere reaction effect: Even non-positive and non- informative reactions can reinforce actions. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(3), 420-434.
• Hsee, C. K., Yang, Y., Zheng, X. & Wang, H. (2015). Lay rationalism: Individual differences in using reason versus feelings to guide decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 52(1), 134-146.
• Shen, L., Fishbach, A. & Hsee, C. K. (2015). The motivating uncertainty effect: Uncertainty increases resource investment in the process of reward pursuit. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(5), 1301-1315.
• Hsee, C. K., Rottenstreich, Y. & Tang, J. (2014). Asymmetries between positives and negatives. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 8(12), 699-707.
• Hsee, C. K., Tu, Y., Lu, Y. & Ruan, B. (2014). Approach aversion: Negative hedonic reactions towards approaching stimuli. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(5), 699- 712.
• Hsee, C. K., Zhang, J., Lu, Y. & Xu, F. (2013). Unit-asking: A method to boost donations and beyond. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1801-1808.
• Hsee, C. K., Zhang, J., Wang, L. & Zhang, L. (2013). Magnitude, time and risk differ similarly between joint and single evaluations. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 172-184.
• Hsee, C. K., Rottenstreich, Y. & Stutzer, A. (2013). Suboptimal choices and the need for experienced individual well-being in economic analysis. International Journal of Happiness and Development, 1(1), 63-85.
• Dai, X. & Hsee, C. K. (2013). Wish versus worry: Ownership effects on motivated judgment. Journal of Marketing Research, 50(2), 207-215.
• Hsee, C. K., Zhang, J., Cai, C. F. & Zhang, S. (2013). Overearning. Psychological Science, 24(6), 852-859.
• Hsee, C. K., Shen, L., Zhang, S., Chen, J. & Zhang, L. (2012). Fate or fight: Exploring the hedonic costs of competition. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 119(2), 177-186.
• Shen, L., Hsee, C. K., Wu, Q. & Tsai, C. I. (2012). Overpredicting and underprofiting in pricing decisions. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 25(5), 512-521.
• Yang, A. X., Hsee, C. K., Liu, Y. & Zhang, L. (2011). The supremacy of singular subjectivity: Improving consumer decisions by removing specifications and comparisons. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21(4), 393-404.
• Yang, A. X., Hsee, C. K. & Zheng, X. (2011). The ABIS: A survey method to distinguish between absolute versus relative determinants of happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(4),729-744.
• Shen, L., Hsee, C. K., Zhang, J. & Dai, X. (2011). The art and science of guessing. Emotion, 11(6),1462.
• Botti, S. & Hsee, C. K. (2010). Dazed and confused: How the temporal costs of choice freedom lead to undesirable outcomes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 112(2), 161-171.
• Hsee, C. K., Yang, A. & Wang, L. (2010). Idleness aversion and the need for justified busyness. Psychological Science, 21(7), 926-930.
• Hsee, C. K. & Zhang, J. (2010). General evaluability theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4), 343-355.
• Hsee, C. K., Yang, Y., Li, N. & Shen, L. (2009). Wealth, warmth and well-being: Whether happiness is relative or absolute depends on whether it is about money, acquisition, or consumption. Journal of Marketing Research, 46(3), 396-409.
• Hsee, C. K., Xu, F. & Tang, N. (2009). Two recommendations on the pursuit of happiness. Journal of Legal Studies, 37, 115-132.
• Morewedge, C. K., Kassam, K. S., Hsee, C. K. & Caruso, E. M. (2009). Duration neglect depends on stimulus familiarity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 138(2), 177-186.
• Hsee, C. K., Yang, Y., Gu, Y. & Chen, J. (2009). Specification seeking: How product specifications influence consumer preferences. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(6), 952-966.
• Tsai, C. I. & Hsee, C. K. (2009). A behavioral account of compensation awarding decisions. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 21, 1-15.
• Hsee, C. K., Hastie, R. & Chen, J. (2008). Hedonomics: Bridging decision research with happiness research. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 224-243.
• Hsee, C. K. & Tsai, I. C. (2008). Hedonomics in consumer behavior. In C. P. Haugtvedt, P. M. Herr & F. R. Kardes (Eds.), Handbook of Consumer Psychology (pp 639-658). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Hsee, C. K., Dubé, J. P. &Zhang, Y. (2008). The prominence effect in Shanghai apartment prices. Journal of Marketing Research, 45(2), 133-144.
• Hsee, C. K. & Tang, J. (2007). Sun and water: On a modulus-based measurement of happiness. Emotion, 7(1), 213-218.
• Hsee, C. K. & Hastie, R. (2006). Decision and experience: Why don’t we choose what makes us happy? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10(1), 31-37.
• Zhang, J., Hsee, C. K. & Xiao, Z. (2006). The majority rule in individual decision making. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 99(1), 102-111.
• Hsee, C. K., Rottenstreich, Y. & Xiao, Z. (2005). When more is better? On the relationship between magnitude and subjective value. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(5), 234-237.
• Leclerc, F., Hsee, C. K. & Nunes, J. (2005). Narrow focusing: Why the relative position of a good in its category matters more than it should? Marketing Science, 24(2), 194-205.
• Hsee, C. K. &Zhang, J. (2004). Distinction bias: Misprediction and mischoice due to joint evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(5), 680-695.
• Hsee, C. K. & Rottenstreich, Y. (2004). Music, pandas, and muggers: On the affective psychology of value. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 133(1), 23-30.
• Nunes, J., Hsee, C. K. & Weber, E. U. (2004). Why are people so prone to steal software? The effect of cost structure on consumer purchase and payment intensions. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 23(1), 43-53.
• Hsee, C. K., Zhang J. & Chen J. (2004). Internal and substantive inconsistencies in decision making. In D. Koehler & N. Harvey (eds.) Blackwell Handbook of Judgment and Decision-making, Oxford, England: Blackwell.
• Hsee, C. K., Zhang, J., Yu, F. &Xi, Y. (2003). Lay rationalism and inconsistency between predicted experience and decision. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 16(4), 257-272.
• Hsee, C. K., Yu, F., Zhang, J. & Zhang, Y. (2003). Medium maximization. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(1), 1-14.
• Schweitzer, M. E. & Hsee, C. K. (2002). Stretching the truth: Elastic justification and motivated communication of uncertain information. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 25(2), 185-201.
• Loewenstein, G. F., Weber, E. U., Hsee, C. K. & Welch, N. (2001). Risk as feelings. Psychological Bulletin, 127(2), 267-286.
• Rottenstreich, Y. & Hsee, C. K. (2001). Money, kisses, and electric shocks: On the affective psychology of risk. Psychological Science, 12(3), 185-190.
• Hsee, C. K. (2000). Attribute evaluability: Its implications for joint-separate evaluation reversals and beyond. In D. Kahneman & A. Tversky (eds.), Choices, Values and Frames (pp. 543-563). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
• Hsee, C. K. & Kunreuther, H. C. (2000). The affection effect in insurance decisions. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 20, 141-159.
• Weber, E. U. & Hsee, C. K. (2000). Culture and individual judgment and decision-making. Journal of Applied Psychology, 49(1), 32-61.
• Hsee, C. K. (1999). Value-seeking and prediction-decision inconsistency: Why don’t people take what they predict they’ll like the most? Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 6(4), 555-561.
• Weber, E. U. & Hsee, C. K. (1999). Models and mosaics: Investigation of cross-cultural differences in risk perception and risk preference. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 6(4), 611-617.
• Hsee, C. K., Loewenstein, G. F., Blount, S. & Bazerman, M. H. (1999). Preference reversals between joint and separate evaluation of options: A review and theoretical analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 125(5), 576-590.
• Hsee, C. K. & Weber, E. U. (1999). Cross-national differences in risk preferences and lay predictions for the differences. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 12, 165-179.
• Hsee, C. K. (1998). Less is better: When low-value options are valued more highly than high- value options. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 11(2), 107-121.
• Hsee, C. K. & Leclerc, F. (1998). Will products look more attractive when presented separately or together? Journal of Consumer Research, 25(2), 175-186.
• Weber, E. U., Hsee, C. K. & Sokolowska, J. (1998). What folklore tells us about risk and risk taking: Cross-cultural comparisons of American, Chinese and German proverbs. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 75(2), 170-186.
• Weber, E. U. & Hsee, C. K. (1998). Cross-cultural differences in risk perception, but cross- cultural similarities in attitudes towards perceived risk. Management Science, 44(9), 1205-1217.
• Hsee, C. K. & Weber, E. U. (1997). A fundamental prediction error: Self-other discrepancies in risk preference. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 126(1), 45-53.
• Hsee, C. K. (1996). The evaluability hypothesis: An explanation for preference reversals between joint and separate evaluations of alternatives. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 67(3), 247-257.
• Hsee, C. K. (1996). Elastic justification: How unjustifiable factors influence judgments. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 66(1), 122-129.
• Hsee, C. K. (1995). Elastic justification: How tempting but task-irrelevant factors influence decisions. Organizational Behavioral and Human Decision Process, 62(3), 330-337.
• Hatfield, E., Hsee, C. K., Costello, J., Weisman, M. S. & Denney, C. (1995). The impact of vocal feedback on emotional experience and expression. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 10(2), 293-313.
• Hsee, C. K., Salovey, P. & Abelson, R. P. (1994). The quasi-acceleration relation: Satisfaction as a function of the change in velocity of outcome over time. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 30(1), 96-111.
• Salovey, P., Hsee, C. K. & Mayer, J. D. (1993). Emotional intelligence and the self-regulation of affect. In D. Wegner & J. Pennebaker (Eds.), The Handbook of Mental Control (pp 258-277). Eaglewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Hsee, C. K., Hatfield, E. & Chemtob, C. (1992). Assessments of the emotional states of others: Conscious judgments versus emotional contagion. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 11(2), 119-128.
• Hsee, C. K. & Abelson, R. P. (1991). The velocity relation: Satisfaction as a function of the first derivative of outcome over time. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(3), 341-347.
• Hsee, C. K., Abelson, R. P. & Salovey, P. (1991). The relative weighting of position and velocity in satisfaction. Psychological Science, 2(4), 263-266.
• Hsee, C. K., Hatfield, E., Carlson, J. & Chemtob, C. (1990). The effect of power on susceptibility to emotional contagion. Cognition and Emotion, 4(4), 327-340.

*If a coauthor’s name is italicized, it means he/she was a student or supervisee of mine during part or the entire project.

Papers under Review and Working Papers (A Partial List):

• An anomaly in debt repayment (with Sussman, A. & Zhang, S.)
• Curiosity: An uncertainty-resolution account (with Ruan, B.)
• A framing effect in strategic decisions (with Imax, A. & Li, X.)
• A framing effect in the judgment of discrimination (with Li, X.)
• A context-fit theory of consumer decision-making (with Li, X.)
• Short-asking with long-entreating (SALE): A psychologically-based sales promotion strategy (with Lu, Z.)
• Internecine behavior and loss spirals (with Imas, A., Li, X. & Zeng, Y.)
• A systematic bias in a two-person resource pool-choice dilemma (with Li, X., Imas, A. & Zeng, Y.)