Hi, I'm Robina.

I'm a Consumer Behavior researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. I study when and why people try to venture beyond what they regularly experience and already know. I also study how they respond to these new memories and pieces of knowledge.

So far, my research examines the role of the protagonist mindset, perceived busyness, and curiosity in these ventures. 

I ask questions like... 

How do people decide whether to pursue experiences beyond their ordinary routines? Are certain people more delighted by these experiences?

When do people want to learn unknown information? How does their curiosity affect the way they interpret this information?

When are people willing to take risks or go beyond their comfort zone? 

My Key Focuses: Interest, Novelty, Curiosity, Narratives, Leisure, Adventure, Delight, Memory 

I am also interested in how consumers respond to the unknown at a more granular level. There are often times when consumers may be missing (potentially important) information. For example, while shopping you may see a product and not yet know what the price is. While waiting for a package to be delivered, you might not know exactly how much time is left before your package arrives. Marketers have to make decisions about how and when to present this kind of information. 

I try to better understand the circumstances in which consumers care to learn this information and feel curious about it. I also am interested in how marketing decisions about how information is presented affect consumer evaluations of the product or the experience of waiting for the product. 

Working Papers on this Topic: 

• Curious Case of Delayed Information
  When Delayed Attributes are Overweighted in Product Evaluations 

Early-stage Work on this Topic: 

• Knowing How Much Time is Left: The Effect of Progress Updates on Feelings of Impatience while Waiting