Ed O'Brien

Biography

Ed O'Brien studies consumer behavior and hedonic/experiential consumption. He's especially interested in time effects (e.g., how consumers' enjoyment of a product changes across usage) and how this connects to core marketing functions in a firm. For example, in one line of work he studies the psychology of repeat purchasing, which bears on customer relationship management (e.g., how firms can increase customer retention). In another line of work he studies consumers' hedonic trajectories, which bear on customer experience management (e.g., how firms can reduce boredom and design more enjoyable customer journeys).

O’Brien's research is published in top marketing and psychology journals and is featured in major media outlets. He has won numerous research awards (e.g., ISSEP Best Paper Award, published in Consumer Psychology Review), career awards (e.g., APS Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions; SAGE Young Scholar Award; ISCON Early Career Award; APS Rising Star Award), and teaching awards (e.g., Poets & Quants Top 40 Under 40 Most Outstanding Business School Professors).

O’Brien earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and a BS in psychology (summa cum laude) from Saint Joseph’s University with University Scholar distinction (top member of graduating class).

Academic Areas

• Behavioral Science