Home

Joshua John Clarkson (Ph.D. in Social Psychology, Ph.D. in Marketing) is a consumer psychologist who specializes in self-control and social influence. He received his B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in General Psychology, both at the University of North Florida, before receiving a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Florida. He has published over thirty peer-reviewed articles, and his most recent book, Mastering Self Control, was released in 2021. Dr. Clarkson is founder of Consumer Insights, LLC and is currently a Full Professor of Marketing at the University of Cincinnati.

.02

Books

Mastering Self Control (2021)

Grounded in nearly a century of scientific research, Mastering Self Control is an academic ‘how to’ in the mastery of self control. Though most of us have an acute awareness of the goals we want to achieve, we have little insight into how we respond to questions central to successful goal attainment. What is a realistic goal? Can we turn intentions to actions? Why do we need a support system? It is within this context that this volume identifies a series of actionable strategies to push readers to master self-control and consequently optimize goal progress.

‘Professor Clarkson effectively bridges the gap between physiological and evidence-based behavioral solutions. The book gives realistic action items to employ every day for long-term, sustainable change. It is a must-read for anyone looking to truly understand and create the most effective holistic approach for a healthy lifestyle.’
– Chris Powell, Host and Trainer of ABC’s ‘Extreme Weight Loss’

‘This is a thoroughly researched and engaging manual to help people reach their most valued goals. Full of both long-established and recently uncovered insights from cognitive science, athletic performance studies, and the treatment of addiction, the book offers a comprehensive guide to developing and maintaining optimal pathways to success.’
– Dr. Daniel C. Molden, Associate Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University

Buy on Amazon

Buy from Publisher

Self-Regulation and Ego Control (2016)
co-edited with Edward Hirt and Lile Jia

Self-Regulation and Ego Control is an edited volume that examines the physiological effects of depletion, the effects of psychological variables in self-control depletion effects, the role of motivational and goal states on self-control depletion effects, and a number of cognitive perspectives on self-control exertion. This insightful book begins with an introduction of self-control theories, ego depletion phenomena, and experimental examples of research in self-control, and concludes by delineating more inclusive and comprehensive models of self-regulation that can account for the full spectrum of findings from current research.

Buy on Amazon

Buy from Publisher

.03

Research

Year	Title
2022	Degree of group consensus shapes perceived power structures and decision-process evaluations of groups. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.Li, T., Parker, J., & Clarkson, J.J. (forthcoming). Coming soon
2022	Political ideology and cultural consumption: The role of cognitive flexibility in shaping liberal and conservative preferences for global-local experiences. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 7 (3), 266-275. Buechner, B.M., Clarkson, J.J., Otto, A.S., & Ainsworth, G. (2022). View PDF
2022	Working hard to take the easy way out: How the need for cognitive closure shapes strategic effort investment to ease future decision making. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 32 (2), 350-356.Otto, A.S., Clarkson, J.J., & Martin, N.S. (2022). View PDF
2021	Exposure to brands makes preferential decisions easier. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(4), 541-61.Rahinel, R., Ottos, A.S, Grossman, D., & Clarkson, J.J. (2021).View PDF
2021	When cause-related marketing backfires: Understanding the differential effects of one-for-one promotions for hedonic and utilitarian experiences. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 31(3), 532-550.Dugan, R. G., Clarkson, J.J., & Beck, J. (2021). View PDF
2021	Political ideology and executive functioning: The effect of conservatism and liberalism on cognitive flexibility and working memory performance. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(2), 237-247. Buechner, B.M., Clarkson, J.J., Otto, A.S., Hirt, E.R., & Ho, C.M. (2021). View PDF
2021	Mastering Self-Control Cambridge University PressClarkson, J.J. (2021). View Details
2020	Influencing those who influence us: The role of expertise in the emergence of minority influence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 89, 103976. Clarkson, J.J., Dugan, R.G., Crolic, C., & Rahniel, R. (2020). View PDF
2020	Consumer strategies to improve the efficacy of posted calorie information: How provincial norms nudge consumers to healthier consumption. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 54(1), 311-341. Otto, A.S., Davis, B., Wakefield, K., Clarkson, J.J., & Inman, J. (2020) View PDF
2019	Methods of Public Influence. In F.R. Kardes, P.M. Herr, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology. New York: Routledge. Clarkson, J.J., Beck, J.T., Otto, A.S., & Dugan, R.G. (2019). View PDF
2018	Circumventing resistance to novel information: Piquing curiosity through strategic information revelation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 81-87. Wright, S., Clarkson, J.J., & Kardes, F.R. (2018). View PDF
2017	Group identification as a means of attitude restoration. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 68, 139-145. Clarkson, J.J., Smith, E.R., Tormala, Z.L., & Dugan, R.D. (2017). View PDF
2017	The effect of an interprofessional heart failure education program on hospital readmissions. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 39, 78-84. Clarkson, J.N., Schaffer, S.D., & Clarkson, J.J. (2017). View PDF
2017	Facilitating emotional regulation: The interactive impact of resource availability and reward processing. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 69, 65-70. Roberts, M.R., Clarkson, J.J., Cummings, E.L.T., & Ragsdale, C.M. (2017). View PDF
2016	The malleable efficacy of willpower theories. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42, 1490-1504. Clarkson, J.J., Otto, A.S., Hirt, E.R., & Egan, P.M. (2016). View PDF
2016	Decision sidestepping: How the motivation for closure prompts individuals to bypass decision-making. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111, 1-16. Otto, A.S., Clarkson, J.J., & Kardes, F.R. (2016). View PDF
2016	On incidental catalysts of elaboration: Reminders of environmental structure promote effortful thought. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 64, 1-7. Rahinel, R., Amaral, N., Clarkson, J.J., & Kay, A.C. (2016). View PDF
2016	Self-Regulation and Ego Control. San Diego, CA: Elsevier.Hirt, E.R., Clarkson, J.J., & Jia, L. (Eds.) (2016). View PDF
2016	Perceived mental fatigue and self-control. In E.R. Hirt, J.J. Clarkson, & L. Jia (Eds.), Self-Regulation and Ego Control. San Diego, CA: Elsevier. Clarkson, J.J. Otto, A.S., Hassey, R.V., & Hirt, E.R. (2016). View PDF
2016	Restoration effects following depletion: Adventures in the uncanny resilience of man. In E.R. Hirt, J.J. Clarkson, & L. Jia (Eds.), Self-Regulation and Ego Control. San Diego, CA: Elsevier. Hirt, E.R., Clarkson, J.J., Egan, P.M., & Eyink, J.R. (2016). View PDF
2015	The self-control consequences of political ideology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112, 8250-8253. Clarkson, J.J., Chambers, J.R., Hirt, E.R., Otto, A.S., Kardes, F.R., & Leone, C. (2015). View PDF
2015	The bigger they come, the harder they fall: The paradoxical effect of regulatory depletion on attitude change. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 82-94. Petrocelli, J.V., Williams, S.A., & Clarkson, J.J. (2015). View PDF
2015	Revisiting the restorative effects of positive mood: An expectancy-based approach to self-control restoration. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 57, 87-99. Egan, P.M., Clarkson, J.J., & Hirt, E.R. (2015). View PDF
2013	The desire for consumption knowledge. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(6), 1313-1329. Egan, P.M., Clarkson, J.J., Janiszewski, C., & Cinelli, M.D. (2013). View PDF
2013	Motivated reflection on attitude-inconsistent information: An exploration of the role of fear of invalidity in self-persuasion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1559-1570. Clarkson, J.J., Valente, M.J., Leone, C., & Tormala, Z.L. (2013). View PDF
2013	The malleable influence of social consensus on attitude certainty. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49, 1019-1022. Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., Rucker, D.D., & Dugan, R.G. (2013). View PDF
2013	When ab ≠ c – c’: Published errors in the reports of single mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 45, 595-601. Petrocelli, J.V., Clarkson, J.J., Whitmire, M.B., & Moon, P.E. (2013). View PDF
2011	Cognitive and affective matching effects in persuasion: An amplification perspective. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 1415-1427. Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., & Rucker, D.D. (2011). View PDF
2011	Does fast or slow evaluation foster greater certainty? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 422-434. Tormala, Z.L., Clarkson, J.J., & Henderson, M.D. (2011). View PDF
2011	The impact of illusory fatigue on executive control: Do perceptions of depletion impair working memory capacity? Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2, 229-238. Clarkson, J.J., Hirt, E.R., Chapman, D.A., & Jia, L. (2011). View PDF
2011	A self-validation perspective on the mere thought effect. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 449-454. Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., & Leone, C. (2011). View PDF
2010	Perceiving stability as a means to attitude certainty: The role of implicit theories of attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 874-883. Petrocelli, J.V., Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., & Hendrix, K.S. (2010). View PDF
2010	The effect of regulatory depletion on attitude certainty. Journal of Marketing Research, 47, 531-541. Wan, E.W., Rucker, D.D., Tormala, Z.L., & Clarkson, J.J. (2010). View PDF
2010	When perception is more than reality: The effect of perceived versus actual resource depletion on self-regulatory behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,98, 29-46. Clarkson, J.J., Hirt, E.R., Jia, L., & Alexander, M.B. (2010). View PDF
2010	The psychology of fandom: Understanding the etiology, motives, and implications of fanship. In L.R. Kahle & A. Close (Eds.), Consumer Behavior Knowledge for Effective Sports Marketing (pp. 59-85). New York: Routledge. Hirt, E.R., & Clarkson, J.J. (2010). View PDF
2009	Does attitude certainty beget self-certainty? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 436-439. Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., DeSensi, V.D., & Wheeler, S.C. (2009). View PDF
2009	Beyond attitude consensus: The social context of persuasion and resistance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 149-154. Tormala, Z.L., DeSensi, V.D., Clarkson, J.J., & Rucker, D.D. (2009). View PDF
2008	A new look at the consequences of attitude certainty: The amplification hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 810-825. Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., & Rucker, D.D. (2008). View PDF
2008	Source trustworthiness and information processing in multiple persuasive message situations: A contextual analysis. Social Cognition, 26, 357-367. Tormala, Z.L., & Clarkson, J.J. (2008). View PDF
2007	Assimilation and contrast in persuasion: The effects of source credibility in multiple message situations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 91, 423-435. Tormala, Z.L., & Clarkson, J.J. (2007). View PDF
2006	Resisting persuasion by the skin of one's teeth: The hidden success of resisted persuasive messages. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 423-435. Tormala, Z.L., Clarkson, J.J., & Petty, R.E. (2006). View PDF
2006	Methods of Public Influence. In F.R. Kardes, P.M. Herr, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology. New York: Routledge. Clarkson, J.J., Beck, J.T., Otto, A.S., & Dugan, R.G. (2019). View PDF

.04

Teaching

Whether an invited talk, a conference presentation, an undergraduate course, or a graduate seminar, the process of discussing, debating, and exploring ideas is enjoyable for me. Indeed, presenting (in any form) involves an interactive audience with the potential to offer real-time feedback. This is a process I find both refreshing and motivating. This is also a process I believe central to effective communication and thus effective teaching.

Current Courses

Consumer Behavior (undergraduate/MS/MBA)

Consumer Behavior is a specialized course in the emotional, mental, and behavioral responses that precede, determine, or follow the purchase, consumption, and disposal of goods and services. The primary objective of this course is to provide a broad understanding of consumer behavior by examining both classic and contemporary perspectives on fundamental issues within consumer behavior (e.g., information processing, decision making, social influence).

Influence Strategies (MS/MBA)

Social influence refers to the attempt of one party to gain compliance from another party. It is a universal feature of human existence and widely practiced by sellers. This course examines principles of social influence and their applications in marketing. Based on noted psychologist Robert B. Cialdini’s book Influence and grounded in classic and contemporary research on persuasion, students will learn the psychological secrets underlying powerful persuasion techniques used by advertisers, sales professionals, direct marketers, politicians, and others.

Sports Marketing (MS/MBA)

This course is a case-based masters course devoted to understanding the venue of Sports Events Marketing from the perspectives of both practitioners and academics. The emphasis is not on learning a multitude of new frameworks but on discussing topical issues in sports marketing. To accomplish the goal, the crux of the course is designed around industry experts, case-discussions, and individual lectures that will discuss the key issues within sports event marking.

Attitudes and Persuasion (PhD)

This course is a doctoral seminar focused on classic and contemporary issues in the domain of attitudes and persuasion. It covers classic topics in this domain, but each case emphasizes new findings, recent directions, and/or current controversies. Doctoral students who take this course will become familiar with research methods and major issues in attitudes research and will have a better understanding of how consumers form, use, change, and maintain their attitudes.

.05

Consumer Insights

Dr. Clarkson has been sharing his insights on influence tactics and self-control strategies at conferences and corporate events across the globe. To arrange an event, please reach out using the form here.

NOTE: For media/podcast interviews, please use the form below but note MEDIA REQUEST in the subject

.06

Contact

Feel free to get in touch & I’ll get back to you.

NOTE: For media/podcast interviews, please use the form below but note MEDIA REQUEST in the subject

Office

Department of Marketing
Carl H. Lindner College of Business
University of Cincinnati
429 Lindner Hall
2925 Campus Green Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0145

t: 513.556.7105
f: 513.556.0979