Pomerance and Pfeiffer Earn Best Working Paper 

Professors Justin Pomerance and Bruce Pfeiffer received this year’s Best Working Paper award at the annual Society for Consumer Psychology conference in Las Vegas. 

While still in its early stages, their research examines how political ideology influences individuals’ willingness to engage in mental health care. 

Preliminary findings suggest that conservatives are generally less likely than liberals to participate in mental health-related activities, though this varies by activity type. Conservatives, who tend to perceive the world in more rigid categories, are more likely to avoid treatments such as therapy and medication, which explicitly signal mental illness. 

However, they show greater openness to activities like exercise and meditation, which serve multiple purposes beyond mental health. This allows them to engage in well-being practices without self-categorizing in a negative light. 

The authors plan to continue collecting data and aim to submit their work to a leading journal in marketing, consumer behavior, or psychology.