Consumers often assume that hand-prepared foods are fresher, higher quality and safer than factory-packaged alternatives, but a new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher suggests those assumptions may overlook important food-safety considerations—and that targeted messaging can significantly change purchase intentions. The research reveals that consumers in randomized experiments strongly favored hand-sliced deli meat over prepackaged options until they learned about the higher food-safety risks associated with human handling. This “handmade food halo,” the study asserts, causes consumers to associate human involvement with positive product attributes that don’t necessarily exist.

Career interest tests can be very helpful for teenagers and young adults deciding which careers to pursue. New research from Michigan State University challenges the assumption that vocational interests are only relevant for early career decision-making; rather, they remain relevant into adulthood.

A new University of Cincinnati study by marketing professor Kimberly Hyun shows how AI voice cloning and vocal similarity make sales pitches and phone scams more persuasive — and more dangerous.

In an increasingly volatile global trade environment, supply chain leaders are routinely required to make decisions influenced by macroeconomic forces like tariffs, trade restrictions, and geopolitical tensions. A new study in the Transportation Journal examines a critical but underexplored dimension of these decisions: how political ideology shapes professional judgment — even when individuals are presented with identical operational information.

A new study from University of Notre Dame marketing professor Vamsi Kanuri that examines how news site readers react when confronted with a digital newspaper paywall shows that while most do leave the site, paywalls still generate a boost in subscriptions.

Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, cannabis products often come packaged as colorful gummies, chocolates, candies and snacks that can look remarkably similar to items found in a grocery store aisle. A new Washington State University study suggests some of those products may also attract the attention of underage consumers. More than 80% of the 454 teens and young adults surveyed said some cannabis gummy and candy products would appeal to people under 21, even though they complied with Washington state’s cannabis packaging regulations. While cannabis products are sold only in licensed stores that minors cannot legally enter, young people may still encounter the packaging through family members, friends, social media or other sources.