Courtney Szocs

Associate Professor in Marketing

Department Marketing
Office Address 458 Business Building
Email Address cks6084@psu.edu

Courtney Szocs

Associate Professor in Marketing

Department Marketing
Office Address 458 Business Building
Email Address cks6084@psu.edu

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Expertise

Sensory Marketing, Aesthetics & Design, Retailing, Food Marketing, Store Atmospherics, Managerially Relevant Consumer Behavior

Education

PhD, Marketing, University of South Florida, Tampa, 2014

MBA, Marketing, Cleveland State University, 2010

BS, Apparel Merchandising (Minor: Business Administration), Ohio State University, 2006

Courses Taught

MKTG 330 – Consumer Behavior (3)

Selected Publications

Szocs C., Kim Y., Lim M., Arroyo Mera C., Biswas D., "The store of the future: Engaging customers through sensory elements, personalized atmospherics, and interpersonal interaction." Journal of Retailing, vol. 99, no. 4, 2023, pp. 15

Biswas D., Hartmann P., Eisend M., Szocs C., Jochims B., Apaolaza V., Hermann E., López C. M., Borges A., "Caffeine’s Effects on Consumer Spending." Journal of Marketing, vol. 87, no. 2, 2023, pp. 149-167, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85139989390
Altmetric score 1005
Discussed by Wall Street Journal

Szocs C., Williamson S., Mills A., "Contained: why it’s better to display some products without a package." Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 50, no. 1, 2022, pp. 131-146, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85113657698

Williamson S., Szocs C., "Smiling faces on food packages can increase adults' purchase likelihood for children." Appetite, vol. 165, 2021, pp. 105301, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85106279345

Suher J., Szocs C., van Ittersum K., "When imperfect is preferred: the differential effect of aesthetic imperfections on choice of processed and unprocessed foods." Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 49, no. 5, 2021, pp. 903-924, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85106450286

Houghtaling B., Holston D., Szocs C., Penn J., Qi D., Hedrick V., "A rapid review of stocking and marketing practices used to sell sugar-sweetened beverages in U.S. food stores." Obesity Reviews, vol. 22, no. 4, 2021, pp. e13179, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85097625120

Biswas D., Szocs C., Abell A., "Extending the Boundaries of Sensory Marketing and Examining the Sixth Sensory System: Effects of Vestibular Sensations for Sitting versus Standing Postures on Food Taste Perception." Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 46, no. 4, 2019, pp. 708-724, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85075856023
Altmetric score 301
Discussed by US News & World Report

Biswas D., Szocs C., "The Smell of Healthy Choices: Cross-Modal Sensory Compensation Effects of Ambient Scent on Food Purchases." Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 56, no. 1, 2019, pp. 123-141, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85064825105
Altmetric score 596
Discussed by Time Magazine and Newsweek

Biswas D., Lund K., Szocs C., "Sounds like a healthy retail atmospheric strategy: Effects of ambient music and background noise on food sales." Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 47, no. 1, 2019, pp. 37-55, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85054392285
Altmetric score 404
Discussed by New York Times, Washington Post, and Newsweek

Szocs C., Lefebvre S., "Spread or stacked? Vertical versus horizontal food presentation, portion size perceptions, and consumption." Journal of Business Research, vol. 75, 2017, pp. 249-257, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85008400050

Biswas D., Szocs C., Chacko R., Wansink B., "Shining light on atmospherics: How ambient light influences food choices." Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 54, no. 1, 2017, pp. 111-123, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85016199651
Altmetric score 569
Discussed by Men’s Health

Szocs C., Biswas D., "Tasting in 2D: implications of food shape, visual cues, and oral haptic sensory inputs." Marketing Letters, vol. 27, no. 4, 2016, pp. 753-764, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84936797640

Szocs C., Lefebvre S., "The blender effect: Physical state of food influences healthiness perceptions and consumption decisions." Food Quality and Preference, vol. 54, 2016, pp. 152-159, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84979917174

Szocs C., Biswas D., Borges A., "Cheers to haptic sensations and alcohol consumption: How glassware weight impacts perceived intoxication and positive emotions." Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, vol. 1, no. 4, 2016, pp. 570-578, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85064326989

Szocs C., Biswas D., "Forks over spoons: The impact of cutlery on calorie estimates." Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, vol. 1, no. 1, 2016, pp. 161-174, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85055901032

Szocs C., Biswas D., "Aesthetics." (Wiley), 2015

Biswas D., Szocs C., "Sensory Marketing." (Wiley), 2015

Biswas D., Szocs C., Krishna A., Lehmann D. R., "Something to chew on: The effects of oral haptics on mastication, orosensory perception, and calorie estimation." Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 41, no. 2, 2014, pp. 261-273, api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84904161802

Editorships

Journal of Business Research, Associate Editor, January 2023 - Present

Journal of Retailing, Associate Editor, July 2022 - Present

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Other, June 2022 - Present

Journal of Retailing, Other, January 2019 - January 2022

Journal of Business Research, Other, January 2016 - Present

Journal of Consumer Marketing, Associate Editor, January 2015 - January 2020

Journal of Consumer Marketing, Other, January 2014 - January 2015