Rom Schrift

Professor Rom Schrift is an assistant professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD in Marketing and Master’s in Philosophy from Columbia University Business School.

Professor Schrift studies consumer behavior focusing on judgment and decision making. More specifically, he explores the psychological processes that consumers undergo prior to reaching a decision, the formation of consumers’ preferences, and the roles of decisionalconflict and effort in choice. His work has been published in toptier academic journals, including Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Experimental Psychology, and Psychological Science. Professor Schrift’s research won several prestigious awards and recognitions, including multiple “Best Paper” awards, and the finalist for the recent “2016 William F. O’Dell Award.” He currently teaches systematic approaches to creativity at the Wharton School.

Professor Schrift teaches Creativity (MKTG 234/734) and Consumer Behavior (MKTG 211). He earned his MBA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a B.Sc. in Engineering from BenGurion University in Israel. Prior to his academic career, he worked as an R&D Engineer and as a consultant in the field of marketing research.

Shalena Srna, Rom Y. Schrift, Gal Zauberman (Under Revision), The Illusion of Multitasking and Its Positive Effect on Performance.

Description: In preparation for 2nd round review at Psychological Science.

Rom Y. Schrift, Jeffrey R. Parker, Gal Zauberman, Shalena Srna (Under Revision), MultiStage Decisions Processes: The Impact of AttributeOrder on How Consumers Mentally Represent Their Choice.

Description: Under 2nd round review at the Journal of Consumer Research.

Shalena Srna, Gal Zauberman, Rom Y. Schrift (Work In Progress), A Prediction Gap in Effect of Income Tax on Effort.

Yimin Cheng, Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Rom Y. Schrift (2016), Do Costly Options Lead to Better Outcomes? How the Protestant Work Ethic Influences the CostBenefit Heuristic in Goal Pursuit , Journal of Marketing Research, (forthcoming).

Yonat Zwebner and Rom Y. Schrift (Work In Progress), Conspicuous Conflict: how being observed while Making Tradeoffs Impacts Consumers’ Choice and Why.

Yonat Zwebner and Rom Y. Schrift (Work In Progress), The Pain of Choice: Preference Elicitation Modes, Effort and Conflict.

Rom Y. Schrift, Ran Kivetz, Oded Netzer (2016), Complicating Decisions: The Work Ethic Heuristic and the Construction of Effortful Decisions , Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145 (7), pp. 807829.

Rom Y. Schrift and Moty Amar (2015), Pain and Preferences: Observed Decisional Conflict and the Convergence of Preferences , Journal of Consumer Research.

Abstract: Decision making often entails conflict. In many situations, the symptoms of such decisional conflict are conspicuous. This paper explores an important and unexamined question: How does observing someone else experiencing decisional conflict impact our own preferences? The authors show that observing others’ emotional conflict and agony over an impending decision makes the observer’s preferences converge to those of the conflicted actor (i.e., choose similarly). Thus, this paper contributes to the social influence literature by demonstrating that observers’ preferences are not only influenced by an actor’s ultimate choice, but also by the process leading to this choice. For example, in one experiment, participants' real monetary donations to one of two charities converged to those of a paid confederate that agonized over the decision. Six studies demonstrate this effect and show that it is triggered by empathy and a greater sense of shared identity with the conflicted actor. Accordingly, the studies show the effect is more pronounced for individuals with a greater tendency to empathize with others, and that convergence occurs only if participants deem the actor’s conflict warranted given the decision at hand. The authors also demonstrate important implications of this effect in contexts of group decisionmaking. 

Rom Y. Schrift and Jeffrey R. Parker (2014), Staying the Course: The Option of Doing Nothing and Its Impact on PostChoice Persistence , Psychological Science, 25 (3), pp. 772780.

Abstract: Individuals regularly face adversity in the pursuit of goals that require ongoing commitment. Whether or not an individual persists in the face of said adversity greatly affects the likelihood that this individual will achieve his goal. The authors argue that a seemingly minor change in the individual’s original choice set—specifically, the addition of a nochoice option—will increase persistence along the chosen path. Drawing on selfperception theory, it is proposed that choosing from a set that includes a nochoice (do nothing) option informs the individual that he both prefers the chosen path to other(s) and that he considers this path alone to be worth pursuing: an inference that cannot be made in the absence of a nochoice option. This unique information strengthens the individual’s commitment toward his chosen path, and increases persistence. Three studies employing incentivecompatible designs support the authors’ predictions and rule out several rival accounts.

Parker, Jeffrey R. and Rom Y. Schrift (2011), The Rejectable ChoiceSet: How Seemingly Irrelevant NoChoice Options Affect Consumer Decisions , Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 48, pp. 840854.

Past Courses

MKTG211 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

This course is concerned with how and why people behave as consumers. Its goals are to: (1) provide conceptual understanding of consumer behavior, (2) provide experience in the application of buyer behavior concepts to marketing management decisions and social policy decisionmaking; and (3) to develop analytical capability in using behavioral research.

MKTG234 CREATIVITY

The ability to solve problems creatively and generate change is a recognized standard of success and plays an important role in gaining a competitive advantage in many areas of business management. This course is designed to teach students several creative problem solving methodologies that complement other managerial tools acquired in undergraduate and graduate studies. The course offers students the opportunity to learn how to solve problems, identify opportunities, and generate those elusive ideas that potentially generate enormous benefits to organizations. The objectives of this course are to enhance the students' (a) creativity, (b) ability to innovate and (c) ability to identify, recruit, develop, manage, retain, and collaborate with creative people. ,The course includes: 1. A review of the literature on creativity, creative people, innovation, and design as well as the leadership and management of creative people and innovation. 2. Hands on learning of approaches for generating creative ideas. Students will have the opportunity of implementing the techniques studied in class. 3. Applications of creativity to selected management domains Approaches to the generation of creative options are not limited to the development of products and services or businesses, but can be applied to all areas of management, business, and life. The purpose of these sessions is to explore the applications of creative approaches to marketing, advertising, organizational design, negotiations, and other management challenges. 4. Integration Both via individual assignments and a group project in which interdisciplinary teams of students generate a creative product/service/customer.

MKTG734 CREATIVITY

The ability to solve problems creatively and generate change is a recognized standard of success and plays an important role in gaining a competitive advantage in many areas of business management. This course is designed to teach students several creative problem solving methodologies that complement other managerial tools acquired in undergraduate and graduate studies. The course offers students the opportunity to learn how to solve problems, identify opportunities, and generate those elusive ideas that potentially generate enormous benefits to organizations. The objectives of this course are to enhance the students' (a) creativity, (b) ability to innovate and (c) ability to identify, recruit, develop, manage, retain, and collaborate with creative people. ,The course includes: 1. A review of the literature on creativity, creative people, innovation, and design as well as the leadership and management of creative people and innovation. 2. Hands on learning of approaches for generating creative ideas. Students will have the opportunity of implementing the techniques studied in class. 3. Applications of creativity to selected management domains Approaches to the generation of creative options are not limited to the development of products and services or businesses, but can be applied to all areas of management, business, and life. The purpose of these sessions is to explore the applications of creative approaches to marketing, advertising, organizational design, negotiations, and other management challenges. 4. Integration Both via individual assignments and a group project in which interdisciplinary teams of students generate a creative product/service/customer

Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar, 2017 Finalist, William F. O’Dell Award, Journal of Marketing Research, 2016 The Franco Nicosia ACR Best Competitive Paper Award, 2015 The Claude Marion Endowed Faculty Scholar Award, 2014 Dean’s Research Grant, 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award, Undergraduate Division, The Wharton School, 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award, Undergraduate Division, The Wharton School, 2012 AMA / John A. Howard, Doctoral Dissertation Competition, Honorable Mention, 2011 Mary Kay Doctoral Dissertation Competition, Honorable Mention, 2011 Best Competitive Paper Award, Society for Consumer Psychology, 2011 Best Student Paper Award, Society for Consumer Psychology, 2010

Knowledge @ Wharton

Feel the Pain: How Conflict Influences Decisionmaking, Knowledge @ Wharton 01/12/2016 Can Creativity Be Taught?, Knowledge @ Wharton 08/27/2014 How the Option to Do Nothing Can Help You Get Things Done, Knowledge @ Wharton 02/26/2014