I am a consumer psychologist who explores how cultural values influence consumption decisions, how people respond emotionally in different situations, and how materialistic values influence the way we consume. I am particularly interested in understanding how consumers make choices that could impact their health and financial well-being and promote environmental sustainability.
Recent press
The presidential election and rising COVID cases prompt some to stockpile groceries again, Marketplace, November 4, 2020
How consumer culture has changed in recent decades, Wisconsin Public Radio, August 3, 2020
Wisconsin still going green during COVID-19 pandemic, giving sustainability advocates hope for future, Green Bay Press-Gazette, July 29, 2020
8 apps to help you save money on your utility bills, House Beautiful, April 23, 2020
Publications
“Skin Lightening and Social Capital: The Cultural Conceptions of Agency” in Marketing and Humanity: Discourses in the Real World.
“Conceptualizing the multiple dimensions of consumer financial vulnerability” Journal of Business Research.
“A Gift Economy Perspective on the Cycle of Financial Vulnerability,” Journal of MacroMarketing.
“The Ant and the Grasshopper: Understanding Personal Saving Orientation of Consumers,” Journal of Consumer Research.
Classes Taught
- Course number: CS 888: Course title: Advanced Consumer Behavior
- Course number: INTERHE 793: Course title: Research Methods

Department
- Consumer Science
Degree Program
- BS Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies
- BS Personal Finance
- PhD Human Ecology: Consumer Behavior and Family Economics
Education
- PhD, Business Administration, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- MA, Social Psychology, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- MBA, Marketing, University of California–Los Angeles
- BBA, Accounting, York University
Contact
Office: 4216 Nancy Nicholas Hall
Phone: 608-265-5954
Email: nywong@wisc.edu
Websites: