Research Interests

Quantitative modeling of social influence and shared consumption, Firm and user generated contents, Bayesian statistical inference, Machine learning, Business networks, Entertainment industry

Research

Ph.D. Office during Michigan years
The two main research streams that I am broadly interested in are (1) Quantitative modeling of firm- and user-generated contents and (2) Quantitative modeling of social influence in business and consumer settings. Please see a list of selected projects below. For a full list, please refer to CV.

​I have experience with a wide range of quantitative research methods, ranging from working with network data, image processing, to running experiments using surveys and physiological measures. 

Quantitative modeling of firm and user generated contents

"The Moral Significance of Aesthetic Quality in Nature Imagery"
​​- with Julia Lee Cunningham & Anocha Aribarg  ​
- Published at ​Psychological Science, 33 (9) 2022   
  • Using image analysis involving machine learning and experimental studies, we show the causal effect of visual aesthetics on social media engagement and moral concern, which is explained by self-transcendent emotions (awe and inspiration) and purity associated with an image
​"Does Topic Consistency Matter? A Study of Critic and User Reviews in the Movie Industry" 
​​​- with Annie Ding, Xin (Shane) Wang & Shijie Lu   
- Published at Journal of Marketing, 2022
  • This research shows the topic consistency, or the degree of content overlap between critic and user review content, increases movie demand, and suggest one potential mechanism

Quantitative modeling of social influence

​"Social versus Economic Factors in Network Formation:  An Empirical Analysis of the Multi-level Marketing Industry" 
​​- with Puneet Manchanda  (working paper) 
"The Impact of Network and Spatial Embeddedness on Salespeople Inactivity in Direct Selling Organizations" 
​​- with Puneet Manchanda  (working paper) 
​"How Shared Consumption Enhances Entertainment Experiences" 
​​​- with Anocha Aribarg & Natasha Zhang Foutz 
- ​Featured in Marketing Science Institute ( MSI ) Working Paper Series, Report No. 16 - 126