Her research interests focus on two main areas: Culture and Consumer Behaviour – specifically the influence of culture on consumption and cross cultural research methodologies; and Marketing and Society – specifically consumer values and lifestyles, ethical business/consumption, and consumer socialisation.
Leah's current research projects include a study on the development of sustainable consumption knowledge among children, visions of a sustainable consumption future, the NZ consumer lifestyles study, and the Kids'Cam project looking at the extent of advertising to children using automatic cameras.
Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study.
Lancet Planetary Health,
6, e132-e138.
doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Woosnam, K. M., Watkins, L., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2022). Social distance between residents and tourists explained by residents’ attitudes concerning tourism.
Journal of Travel Research,
61(1), 150-169.
doi: 10.1177/0047287520971052
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
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Van Kerkhof, R. (2020). Challenge, constraint and commitment to change: A New Zealand Consumer Lifestyles Study. (pp. 1-35). Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. Retrieved from
https://www.otago.ac.nz/marketing/research/lifestyles
Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report
Watkins, L., & Aitken, R. (2020). The role of young consumers in moving to a sustainable consumption future. In L. McNeill (Ed.),
Transitioning to responsible consumption and production. (pp. 169-185). Basel, Switzerland: MDPI Books.
doi: 10.3390/books978-3-03897-873-2-9
Chapter in Book - Research
Watkins, L. (2009). A consideration of Confucian values in Japanese tourism behaviour. In K.-S. Fam, Z. Yang & M. Hyman (Eds.),
A handbook of Confucian/chopsticks marketing. (pp. 111-125). Wellington, New Zealand: Asia Business Research Coporation.
Chapter in Book - Research
Thyne, M., Woosnam, K. M., Watkins, L., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2022). Social distance between residents and tourists explained by residents’ attitudes concerning tourism.
Journal of Travel Research,
61(1), 150-169.
doi: 10.1177/0047287520971052
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study.
Lancet Planetary Health,
6, e132-e138.
doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4
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
Aitken, R., Watkins, L., Williams, J., & Kean, A. (2020). The positive role of labelling on consumers’ perceived behavioural control and intention to purchase organic food.
Journal of Cleaner Production,
255, 120334.
doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120334
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., Watkins, L., & Kemp, S. (2019). Envisioning a sustainable consumption future.
Young Consumers,
20(4), 299-313.
doi: 10.1108/YC-12-2018-0905
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
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., & Ford, J. (2019). Measuring and enhancing children’s sustainable consumption and production literacy.
Young Consumers,
20(4), 285-298.
doi: 10.1108/YC-11-2018-0880
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Gage, R., Smith, M. B., Chambers, T. J., Barr, M., Stanley, J., & Signal, L. N. (2019). Capturing the commercial world of children: The feasibility of wearable cameras to assess marketing exposure.
Journal of Consumer Affairs,
Winter, 1396-1420.
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Watkins, L., & Yoshida, M. (2018). Resident perceptions of tourism: The role of social distance.
International Journal of Tourism Research,
20(2), 256-266.
doi: 10.1002/jtr.2179
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., & Watkins, L. (2017). "Harm or good?": Consumer perceptions of corporate strategic giving in schools.
Journal of Consumer Affairs,
51(2), 406-432.
doi: 10.1111/joca.12124
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
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
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., & Mather, D. (2016). Conscientious consumers: A relationship between moral foundations, political orientation and sustainable consumption.
Journal of Cleaner Production,
134, 137-146.
doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.009
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
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Williams, J. (2016). Advertising's impact on pre-schoolers' brand knowledge and materialism.
International Journal of Consumer Studies,
40(5), 583-591.
doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12303
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Hinder, C., Lawson, R., Mather, D., Paul, A., Robertson, K., & Williams, J. (2015). The New Zealand consumer lifestyle segments.
New Zealand Sociology,
30(1), 111-130.
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., Aitken, R., & Watkins, L. (2014). Public policy and personal preference: A disconnect between beliefs regarding responsible drinking and the motivation to get drunk.
Public Health,
128(11), 1030-1032.
doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2014.08.006
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L. J., & Gnoth, J. (2011). Japanese tourism values: A means–end investigation.
Journal of Travel Research,
50(6), 654-668.
doi: 10.1177/0047287510382297
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., & Gnoth, J. (2011). The value orientation approach to understanding culture.
Annals of Tourism Research,
38(4), 1274-1299.
doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2011.03.003
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L. (2010). The cross-cultural appropriateness of survey-based value(s) research: A review of methodological issues and suggestion of alternative methodology.
International Marketing Review,
27(6), 694-716.
doi: 10.1108/02651331011088290
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L. (2008). Japanese travel culture: An investigation of the links between early Japanese pilgrimage and modern Japanese travel behaviour.
New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies,
10(2), 93-110.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., & Gnoth, J. (2005). Methodological issues in using Kahle's list of values scale for Japanese tourism behaviour.
Journal of Vacation Marketing,
11(3), 225-233.
Journal - Research Article