Newswise — WACO, Texas (Nov. 21, 2014) — Shop until you drop, eat until you pop, be merry and don’t stop.

Those are the messages people are hit with in November and December, as Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays bring the annual temptations for excess. But experts at Baylor University advise you take a deep breath and mull things over first.

Remember to feel gratitude for what you have, which can leave a satisfied feeling inside longer than the Thanksgiving turkey does, one psychologist suggests. Before grabbing the coupons and heading out the door for holiday shopping, consider what one business professor calls “the dark side of consumer behavior.” And amid the holiday ho-ho-ho, remember those who are dealing with grief and loss this season, says an assistant professor in the School of Social Work.

(View a list of all Baylor experts on the Baylor Media Communications website.)

Here are some seasonal topics that Baylor experts can address:

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Rochelle R. Brunson, Ph.D., senior lecturer in family and consumer sciences and program coordinator for apparel merchandising at Baylor, has done research in customer service, global sourcing and social entrepreneurship. Her areas of expertise include retail buying, Omni-Channel merchandising, global sourcing, social entrepreneurship, retail marketing and merchandising.

Contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321; or [email protected]

Consumer Attitudes and Decision-making

Chris Pullig, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing and chair of the marketing department in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, is an expert on consumer attitudes and decision-making. His research and teaching is focused on three related areas: 1) how consumers evaluate brands, 2) marketing and branding in the global marketplace, and 3) ethics and the role of marketing in promoting pro-societal causes. He has published research in a variety of journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, and others.

Gratitude, Materialism and Morality

Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, studies the psychology of religion and the psychology of forgiveness and gratitude. She also has research experience in the psychology of morality. Tsang has been published in a number of journals, including “The Journal of Positive Psychology,” “The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion” and the “Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.” A recent study she co-authored — “Why are materialists less happy? The role of gratitude and need satisfaction in the relationship between materialism and life satisfaction” — appeared this year in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

Consumer Behavior and Holiday Shopping

An expert in consumer behavior, James Roberts, Ph.D., is the Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. He has spent much of his professional career studying the “dark side” of consumer behavior. A primary emphasis of Roberts’ research over the past decade has been the psychology of consumer behavior and more recently he has tread on sacred ground, conducting research on cell phone addiction in the U.S. Roberts’ book “Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy,” was published in 2011 by Harper Collins. In “Shiny Objects,” he investigates whether money and possessions can, as promised by Madison Avenue, make us happy.

Loss and Grief During the Holidays

Helen W. Harris, Ed.D., assistant professor in the Baylor School of Social Work, is an expert on the impact of loss and grief. She can offer tips for those who are bereaved and discuss the importance of listening and caring for those who are experiencing their first holiday without their loved ones, Recently, Harris provided tips on how to respond to those who are grieving.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.