Katherine A. Burson
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
701 Tappan St., Room R5484
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
Tel: 734-764-6873; Fax: 734-936-0279
e-mail: kburson@umich.edu
EDUCATION
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Ph.D. in Marketing, 2004.
Minors: Behavioral Science and Statistics
Dissertation Title: Ability miscalibration and its impact on consumer behavior
Dissertation Advisors: France Leclerc and Joshua Klayman
MBA in Marketing, 2004.
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Masters of Arts in Social Sciences (M.A), 1998.
Concentration in Behavioral Science.
Thesis Title: Regret avoidance: The influence of anticipated feedback in risky decisions
Thesis Advisor: Richard P. Larrick
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Bachelor of Arts (with High Honors) in Psychology, 1997.
Thesis Title: The effects of accountability, fiduciary role, and thoughts about investing on
risky decisions
Thesis Advisor: Sheldon Zedeck
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business, 2003 - present
Assistant Professor of Marketing
GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS
State Farm Companies Foundation Business Doctoral Award, 2003
Oscar Mayer Dissertation Fellowship, University of Chicago, 2002
Research Fellowship, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, 1998-2002
Summer Research Grant, University of Chicago, 1999
Psi Chi, University of California at Berkeley, 1997, for academic excellence in psychology.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Marketing Management – I (M300), (average rating 4.7 out of 5)
Advertising (M311) (average rating 4.6 out of 5)
Ph.D. Seminar in Consumer Behavior (M898)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Consumer behavior and decision-making:
Perceptions and self-assessment
Choice and differences for self and other
Response to information and feedback
Prospect Theory and self-other differences
PUBLICATIONS
Burson, K. A. (2004). The Effect of Interpersonal and Interproduct Comparison on Product Choice.
Advances in Consumer Research, 31.
Burson, K. A., Larrick, R. P., & Klayman, J. (2006). Skilled or unskilled, but still unaware of it: How
perceptions of difficulty drive miscalibration in relative comparisons. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 90(1), 60-77.
Selected Press Coverage:
“Most People Are Their Own Worst Judge,” Connecticut Post, June 4, 2004
story also appeared in: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 4, 2004; Forbes.com,
June 4, 2004; PalmBeachPost.com, June 4, 2004; drkoop.com, June 4, 2004
“You be the judge,” Industrial Engineer, September 1, 2004
“Misjudging Our Skills, Unhealthy Habits, Etc.,” Adweek, July 12, 2004
“We are our own worst judges: Study,” New Kerala (India), May 29, 2004
“Mirror fails to gauge our talents well,” Ann Arbor News, May 31, 2004
Burson, K. A. & Botti, S. (2006). Bursting another financial bubble: The influence of ability perception
on choice satisfaction. Advances in Consumer Research, 33.
Burson, K. A. & Klayman, J. (2006). Looking for Lake Wobegon: Why sometimes we are all below
average. Advances in Consumer Research, 33.
Burson, K. A., Faro, D., & Rottenstreich, Y. (2006). Two wrongs make a right? Accidental consensus in
predictions of others’ preferences under uncertainty. Advances in Consumer Research, 33.
Burson, K. A. (2007). Interpersonal miscalibration and its impact on product choice. Journal of Consumer
Research, 34(June), 104-110.
Selected Press Coverage:
“Pro or Amateur? Consumers Can Be Poor Judges of Their Skills: Study,” CBC News, May 11,
2007
“Self-Assessment and the Usual Foolishness,” New York Times, May 21, 2007
“Feature Presentation,” The New Yorker, May 28, 2007
“Shopper, Know Thyself,” themorningcall.com, July 15, 2007
“Are you ready for professional-grade golf clubs? How people misjudge their own skill level
when buying equipment” JCR website publicity feature, May 10, 2007
“Why Tiger Woods’ Putter May Not Be Right for You,” Science Daily (Press Release), October
13, 2007
Larrick, R. P., Burson, K. A., & Soll, J. B. (2007). Social Comparison and Confidence: When Thinking
You’re Better than Average Predicts Overconfidence. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes, 102(1), 76-94.
Burson, K. A., Faro, D., & Rottenstreich, Y. (2007). Can two wrongs make a right? Accidental consensus
in predictions of others’ preferences under uncertainty. Advances in Consumer Research, 35.
Burson, K. A., Larrick, R. P., and Lynch, J. Jr. (forthcoming). Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other:
Expanding and Contracting Numerical Dimensions Produces Preference Reversals. Psychological
Science.
PAPERS UNDER REVIEW
Burson, K. A., Faro, D., & Rottenstreich, Y. (first round). Providing Multiple Units of a Good Attenuates
the Endowment Effect. Quarterly Journal of Economics.
WORKING PAPERS
Burson, K. A., and Botti, S. Bursting Another Financial Bubble: The Influence of Ability Perceptions on
Choice Satisfaction. Targeting Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Burson, K. A., Faro, D., & Rottenstreich, Y. (revising for resubmission, Organizational Behavior and
Human Decision Processes). Opposing Errors in Predictions of Others’ Preferences Under Uncertainty.
Burson, K. A. & Klayman, J., (revising for resubmission, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes). Judgments of Performance: The Relative, the Absolute, and the In-Between.
Burson, K. A. & Larrick, R. P. (working paper). Dissonance Reduction Deferred: The Effects of
Anticipated Feedback. Targeting Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Burson, K. A., Larrick, R. P., and Lynch, J. Jr. (revising for resubmission, Journal of Marketing
Research). The Role of Attribute Discriminability in Product Preference.
Gershoff, A. and Burson, K. A. (working paper). It’s Not Just Me: The Role of Inferred Distributions of
Others in Estimates of Relative Standing.
Larrick, R. P., & Burson, K. A. (working paper). Self-enhancement and anticipated feedback: What you
don't know can't hurt you.
WORK IN PROCESS
Endowing Muggers: Scope Effects and Packing (with Robert Smith)
Broken Boxes: The Effects of Breaking Seals on Valuation (with Andrew Gershoff)
RECENT CONFERENCES and PRESENTATIONS
“Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other: Consequences of Expanding and Contracting Numerical
Dimensions”
presented at the University of Michigan Marketing Brownbag Seminar, February, 2009.
“Providing Multiple Units of a Good Moderates the Endowment Effect”
presented at the Consumer Behavior Research Camp, January, 2009.
presented at the Hosmer Faculty Seminar Series, Ross School of Business, November, 2008.
presented at the annual conference of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, November, 2008.
presented at the International Conference on the Foundations and Applications of Utility, Risk and
Decision Theory, July, 2008.
presented at the Behavioral Decision Research in Management conference, April, 2008.
presented at the University of Michigan Decision Consortium, April, 2008.
presented at the University of Chicago Center for Decision Research Brownbag, April, 2008.
presented at the annual conference of The Society for Consumer Psychology, February, 2008.
“Two Wrongs Make a Right? Accidental Accuracy in Predictions of Others’ Preferences Under
Uncertainty”
presented at Association of Consumer Research, September, 2007.
presented at the Carnegie Mellon Behavioral Decision Research Seminar, September, 2007.
presented at the 36th annual European Marketing Association Conference, May, 2007.
presented in the University of Michigan M&O brownbag, March, 2007.
presented at the Wharton Decision Process Brownbag, January, 2007.
“Investors Can’t Choose Their Fund and Feel Good, Too”
presented at Association of Consumer Research, September, 2008.
presented at the Mid-Northwestern Consumer Behavior Winter Carnival and Research Camp, January,
2007.
AD HOC REVIEWER
Association for Consumer Research
Journal of Consumer Research
European Marketing Association
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
European Journal of Social Psychology
National Science Foundation
U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation
Journal of Behavioral Decision Making
Psychological Science
SERVICE
Dissertation Committee, Sarah Konrath, 2007
Dissertation Committee, Hyunjin Song, 2007
Program Committee Member, ACR, 2007
Hiring Committee, Fall 2007
Judge, BOSS Marketing Case Competition, April 2006
Advisor, Independent Study, Fall 2004, Winter 2005, Fall 2005, Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Winter
2009
Advisor, Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Tal Halpern, 2005
Marketing Subject Pool Manager, 2005-2007
Rookie Hiring Committee, Summer and Fall 2006, Summer and Fall 2008
Non-Rookie Hiring Committee, Fall 2007-present
Committee member, 2nd Year Exam, Sinem Atakan, 2007
Advisor, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, Marti Rosenberg, Daniel Harris, Shirley Cho,
Fall 2006-Winter 2007
Speaker for Michigan Advertising and Marketing Club, 2007, 2009
Rookie Hiring Committee, Summer and Fall 2008