It's easier to communicate with people if you know how they think. So a background in social psychology gives Kirsten Robertson an edge when it comes to researching and teaching marketing behaviour.
Seeking to understand consumers has led Kirsten to investigate such diverse phenomena as student drinking and music piracy, with surprising results.
She's found attitudes that suggest we need to reconsider how we try to curtail binge drinking and illegal music downloads.
Anti-piracy messages push the idea that people shouldn't steal music from the internet because they wouldn't steal CDs from a store — but Kirsten has found that many people would also steal from stores if they could be sure of getting away with it.
“Rather than appealing to honesty, it might be more effective to focus the message more on the likelihood of being caught.”
Her research also suggests that we need to look at alternative ways of addressing efforts to reduce excessive drinking and its associated ills.
“There's not a lot to be gained by suggesting people should limit the number of standard drinks they have when few people can identify a standard drink, and when people tend to underestimate the amount they drink – particularly heavy drinkers.
“Few students take any notice of the standard drink message, and often shun responsible drinkers.
“We need to change people's attitudes to make responsible drinkers feel more comfortable and under less pressure.”
Some of Kirsten's other recent investigations include 'fizzy drink' consumption as a normal behaviour within the obesogenic environment, the influence of materialism on generosity, how 'at-risk' individuals' respond to direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs, negative consequences of advertising to children, and violence in interpersonal partner relationships.
“Advanced study of human behaviour, attitudes and perceptions can have a great deal of influence on social marketing campaigns.”
Kirsten is currently a co-investigator on the 45th phase of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development study.
Kirsten has also taught clinical communication skills to health students, and has received three awards in her role as supervisor to postgraduate students.
Kirsten transferred from the Department of Psychology to the Department of Marketing in January 2008. Coming from a social psychology background she has a strong interest in human behaviour, attitudes, and perceptions.
In addition to lecturing, Kirsten has also been involved in teaching clinical communication skills to medical and dental students and has spent five years working as a group facilitator.
Osborne, O., Thyne, M., Robertson, K., & Davey, J. (2023). Social capital and gambling risk perception 'a social marketing dilemma'.
Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking. Retrieved from
https://www.unlv.edu/igi
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
Robertson, K. J., Thyne, M., & Matheson, I. (2022). Barriers and facilitators of using dementia community support services provided by an Alzheimers organisation: Perceptions of informal caregivers receiving services.
Health & Social Care in the Community. Advance online publication.
doi: 10.1111/hsc.13796
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2021). Legalization of recreational cannabis: Facilitators and barriers to switching from an illegal to a legal source.
Preventive Medicine Reports,
24, 101639.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101639
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Williams, J., & Thyne, M. (2021). New Zealand consumer lifestyles.
Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of Social Issues,
1, 1-17.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2021). Preschoolers' request behaviour and family conflict: The role of family communication and advertising mediation styles.
Journal of Consumer Behaviour,
20, 1326-1335.
doi: 10.1002/cb.1938
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K. J., Thyne, M., & Matheson, I. (2022). Barriers and facilitators of using dementia community support services provided by an Alzheimers organisation: Perceptions of informal caregivers receiving services.
Health & Social Care in the Community. Advance online publication.
doi: 10.1111/hsc.13796
Journal - Research Article
Makhal, A., Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Mirosa, M. (2021). Normalising the "ugly" to reduce food waste: Exploring the socialisations that form appearance preferences for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Journal of Consumer Behaviour,
20, 1025-1039.
doi: 10.1002/cb.1908
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2021). Legalization of recreational cannabis: Facilitators and barriers to switching from an illegal to a legal source.
Preventive Medicine Reports,
24, 101639.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101639
Journal - Research Article
Tran, K. T., Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2021). Facilitators of students' moderate drinking in a wet versus dry drinking culture.
Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing,
33(3), 359-384.
doi: 10.1080/10495142.2019.1707742
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Williams, J., & Thyne, M. (2021). New Zealand consumer lifestyles.
Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of Social Issues,
1, 1-17.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2021). Preschoolers' request behaviour and family conflict: The role of family communication and advertising mediation styles.
Journal of Consumer Behaviour,
20, 1326-1335.
doi: 10.1002/cb.1938
Journal - Research Article
Fielding, D., Knowles, S., & Robertson, K. (2020). Materialists and altruists in a charitable donation experiment.
Oxford Economic Papers,
72(1), 216-234.
doi: 10.1093/oep/gpz027
Journal - Research Article
Makhal, A., Thyne, M., Robertson, K., & Mirosa, M. (2020). “I don't like wonky carrots": An exploration of children's perceptions of suboptimal fruits and vegetables.
Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services,
54, 101945.
doi: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101945
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K. J., & Tustin, K. (2020). Control of recreational cannabis in a New Zealand University sample: Perceptions of informal and formal controls.
Substance Abuse: Research & Treatment,
14, 1-12.
doi: 10.1177/1178221820953397
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., Forbes, S., & Thyne, M. (2020). Perpetration of alcohol-related aggression by male and female college students: An examination of overt and relational aggression.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence,
35(5-6), 1454-1475.
doi: 10.1177/0886260517696872
Journal - Research Article
Tran, K. T., Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2020). Students’ perceptions of barriers to moderate drinking: A comparison between a wet and a dry drinking culture.
Journal of Social Marketing,
10(1), 105-124.
doi: 10.1108/JSOCM-09-2018-0102
Journal - Research Article
Khalil Zadeh, N., Robertson, K., & Green, J. A. (2019). Lifestyle determinants of behavioural outcomes triggered by direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines: A cross-sectional study.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health,
43(2), 190-196.
doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12883
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Robertson, K., Watkins, L., & Casey, O. (2019). Retailers targeting children with set collection promotions: The child’s perspective.
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management,
47(6), 643-658.
doi: 10.1108/IJRDM-08-2017-0180
Journal - Research Article
Tran, K. T., Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2019). Factors associated with intention to moderate drinking among student drinkers.
Social Marketing Quarterly,
25(4), 327-346.
doi: 10.1177/1524500419883970
Journal - Research Article
Fielding, D., Knowles, S., & Robertson, K. (2018). Alcohol, generosity and empathy.
Journal of Behavioral & Experimental Economics,
76, 28-39.
doi: 10.1016/j.socec.2018.07.005
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., & Tustin, K. (2018). Students who limit their drinking, as recommended by national guidelines, are stigmatized, ostracized, or the subject of peer pressure: Limiting consumption is all but prohibited in a culture of intoxication.
Substance Abuse,
12, 1-9.
doi: 10.1177/1178221818792414
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Green, J. A. (2018). Supporting a sugar tax in New Zealand: Sugar sweetened beverage ('fizzy drink') consumption as a normal behaviour within the obesogenic environment.
PeerJ,
6, e5821.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5821
Journal - Research Article
Khalil Zadeh, N., Robertson, K., & Green, J. A. (2017). ‘At-risk’ individuals’ responses to direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs: A nationally representative crosssectional study.
BMJ Open,
7(12), e017865.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017865
Journal - Research Article
Knobloch, U., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2017). Experience, emotion, and eudaimonia: A consideration of tourist experiences and well-being.
Journal of Travel Research,
56(5), 651-662.
doi: 10.1177/0047287516650937
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Hibbert, S. (2017). Drinkers' perceived alcohol-related expectancies: Informing alcohol warning messages.
Drugs: Education, Prevention, & Policy,
24(2), 197-205.
doi: 10.1080/09687637.2016.1188880
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., Robertson, K., & Borzekowski, D. (2017). Environmental influences on pre-schooler’s understanding of brand symbolism.
Marketing Intelligence & Planning,
35(7), 907-922.
doi: 10.1108/MIP-11-2016-0211
Journal - Research Article
Lawson, R., Robertson, K., & Wooliscroft, B. (2016). Health, vulnerability, and energy: Assessing energy markets and consumer agency in New Zealand.
Energy Research & Social Science,
19, 119-123.
doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2016.05.021
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K. J., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., & Watkins, L. (2016). Correlates of parental mediation of pre-schooler’s advertising exposure.
Young Consumers,
17(4), 337-349.
doi: 10.1108/YC-04-2016-00597
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Robertson, K., Thomas, T., & Ingram, M. (2016).
“It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness”: Expectancies associated with tween makeup ownership.
International Journal of Consumer Studies,
40(5), 543-551.
doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12299
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2016). Public and parental perceptions of and concerns with advertising to preschool children.
International Journal of Consumer Studies,
40(5), 592-600.
doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12304
Journal - Research Article