Experts available: Holiday habits, shopping, scams, seasonal traditions
From gift-buying and online reviews to family dynamics, gratitude and seasonal traditions, the end-of-year holidays shape how people spend money, connect with one another and make decisions. 麻豆免费版下载Boulder experts are available to offer research-based insight into the psychology, technology and social forces influencing the holiday season.
Misleading online ratings and product reviews
Ying Zeng, assistant professor of marketing at the Leeds School of Business, studies digital marketing and consumer decision-making. She can discuss:
Online reviews and ratings: Why star ratings often reflect expectations and price rather than product quality, and how shoppers can misread 鈥済ood deals.鈥澛
AI and livestreaming commerce: How algorithms, livestream shopping and social platforms are reshaping how people discover, evaluate and buy products during the holidays.
- 搁别补诲:听Use AI to shop smarter鈥攏ot spend more鈥攖his holiday season
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Collector trends and blind-box culture: What toys like Labubu reveal about surprise, scarcity and the psychology behind impulse buying and collectibles.
Not a Christmas tree: An evergreen once-thought extinct takes root at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder
Malinda Berberio, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology greenhouse manager, is available to discuss the donation of a rare and critically endangered Wollemi pine鈥攆ondly nicknamed 鈥淲ally,鈥 which resembles a sparse Charlie Brown-style Christmas tree and has taken up roots on campus. Sometimes referred to as the 鈥渄inosaur tree,鈥 until relatively recently, it was thought to be extinct for more than two million years.聽
- 搁别补诲:听Wally the Wollemi finds a new home
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Navigating tough conversations
Leaf Van Boven, professor of psychology, studies political polarization, emotion and decision-making. He can discuss strategies for navigating divisive topics at the dinner table, including political partisanship and misinformation sharing.聽
Gratitude and relationships during the holidays
Tony Kong, professor of organizational leadership and information analytics at the Leeds School of Business, studies trust, prosocial behavior and gratitude. He can discuss why the way people express gratitude matters, how thoughtful appreciation strengthens relationships and reduces tension, and how gratitude plays a role in families, workplaces and communities during the holiday season.
Year-end fundraising tips
Liu Liu,聽assistant professor of marketing at the Leeds School of Business, studies of marketing and AI. She can discuss how to make the most of year end fundraising, why the sequence of emotions in a fundraising message鈥攕uch as moving from sadness to caring鈥攃an inspire more people to give.
Sustainable holidays
Phaedra Pezzullo, communications professor and director of the Sustainability and Storytelling Lab and author of 鈥淏eyond Strawmen,鈥 can discuss how to reduce plastic use this holiday season and why it鈥檚 important.聽
- 搁别补诲:听Rethinking Plastic