NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
  • About Kellogg
  • Programs
  • Faculty & Research
  • Global
  • News & Events
  • Support Kellogg
Derek D. Rucker
Derek D Rucker

MARKETING
Associate Professor of Marketing
Richard M. Clewett Research Professor
Director of the Center for Global Marketing Practices

Print Overview
Dr. Rucker joined the Kellogg marketing department in Fall of 2005. Currently Dr. Rucker holds the Richard M. Clewett Professorship in Marketing. His primary research focuses on the study attitudes, persuasion, and consumer behavior. This work seeks to ask questions regarding what makes for effective advertising communications and seeks to understand the motives underlying consumer consumption. To answer these questions Dr. Rucker draws on his rich training in social psychology and evokes constructs of certainty, power, and human emotion. His work has appeared in numerous leading journals in psychology and marketing such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. In addition, his research has been covered in major media outlets such as The New York Times, Time Magazine, and ABC News.

Dr. Rucker currently teaches the advertising course at Kellogg. The course focuses on basic psychological principals to better understand how to plan and execute successful advertising. In recognition of his passion for teaching, Dr. Rucker was nominated as a finalist for the L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award. In addition to his work in the classroom, Dr. Rucker is a co-instructor of the annual Kellogg Advertising Superbowl Review. The review is in the spirit of Kellogg’s focus on experiential learning and is designed to cultivate basic principals learned in the classroom to critically evaluate advertising in a real world and high stakes environment.

Areas of Expertise
Advertising
Consumer Behavior
Print Vita
Education
PhD, 2005, Psychology, Ohio State University
MA, 2000, Psychology, Ohio State University
BA, 1998, Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Academic Positions
Assistant Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2006-present
Donald P. Jacobs Scholar in Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2005-2006

Grants and Awards
Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar, 2009
Richard M. Clewett Professorship in Marketing, 2008-2010
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award Finalist, Kellogg School of Management (2008)
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor Award Finalist, Kellogg School of Management, 2009
Park Outstanding Contribution to JCP Award, Runner Up (2011)
Fellow, Society for Experimental Social Psychology, 2011
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor Award Finalist, Kellogg School of Management , 2010

Editorial Positions
Associate Editor, Association for Consumer Research Proceedings , 2010

 
Print Research
Research Interests
Psychology of conviction (consumer certainty and power), emotions, attribution, and statistical methodology

Articles
Rucker, Derek D, Kristopher Preacher, Zakary Tormala and Richard Petty. 2011. Mediation Analysis in Social Psychology: Current Practices and New Recommendations. Social and Personality Psychology Compass . 5(6): 359-371.
Rucker, Derek D, David DuBois and Adam D. Galinsky. 2011. Generous Paupers and Stingy Princes: Power Drives Consumer Spending on Self and Others. Journal of Consumer Research. 37(6): 1015-1029.
Gal, David and Derek D Rucker. 2011. Answering the Unasked Question: Response Substitution in Consumer Surveys. Journal of Marketing Research. 48(1): 185-195.
Abstract
Labroo, Aparna and Derek D Rucker. 2010. The Orientation-Matching Hypothesis: An Emotion Specificity Approach to Affect Regulation. Journal of Marketing Research. 47(5): 955-66.
Rucker, Derek D, Adam D. Galinsky and David DuBois. 2010. The Accentuation Bias: Money Literally Looms Larger (and Sometimes Smaller) to the Powerless. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 4(3): 199-205.
Wen, Echo Wan, Derek D Rucker, Zakary Tormala and Joshua Clarkson. 2010. The Effects of Regulatory Depletion on Attitude Certainty. Journal of Marketing Research. 47: 531-41.
Wichman, Aaron, Pablo Briñol, Richard E. Petty, Derek D Rucker, Zakary Tormala and Gifford Weary. 2010. Doubting One’s Doubt: A Formula for Confidence?. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 46: 350-55.
Gal, David and Derek D Rucker. 2010. When in Doubt, Shout! Paradoxical Influences of Doubt on Proselytizing. Psychological Science. 21(11): 1701-1707.
Abstract
Rucker, Derek D and Adam D. Galinsky. 2009. Conspicuous Consumption versus Utilitarian Ideals: How Different Levels of Power Shape Consumer Consumption. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 45: 549-555.
Rucker, Derek D, Victoria DeSensi, Joshua Clarkson and Zakary Tormala. 2009. Beyond Attitude Consensus: The Social Context of Persuasion and Resistance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 45: 149-54.
Rucker, Derek D, Zakary Tormala and Joshua Clarkson. 2008. A New Look at the Consequences of Attitude Certainty: The Amplification Hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 95: 810-25.
Rucker, Derek D, Richard E. Petty and Pablo Briñol. 2008. What’s in a Frame Anyway?: A Meta-cognitive Analysis of One Versus Two Sided Message Framing on Attitude Certainty. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 18: 137-39.
Rucker, Derek D and Adam D. Galinsky. 2008. Desire to Acquire: Powerlessness and Compensatory Consumption. Journal of Consumer Research. 35: 257-267.
Tormala, Zakary, Derek D Rucker and Charles Seger. 2008. When increased confidence yields increased thought. A confidence-matching hypothesis. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 44(1): 141-147.
Preacher, Kristopher, Derek D Rucker and Andrew Hayes. 2007. Addressing Moderated Mediation Hypotheses: Theory, Methods, and Prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research. 42: 185-227.
Tormala, Zakary and Derek D Rucker. 2007. Attitude Certainty: A Review of Past Findings and Emerging Perspectives. Social & Personality Psychology Compass. 1(1): 469-492.
Preacher, Kristopher, Derek D Rucker and Andrew Hayes. 2007. Testing Moderated Mediation Hypothesis. Multivariate Behavioral Research. 42
Petty, Richard E., Carmen Valle, Derek D Rucker, Alberto Becerra and Pablo Briñol. 2007. The effects of message recipient power on persuasion: A self-validation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 93(6): 1040-1063.
Petrocelli, John, Zakary Tormala and Derek D Rucker. 2007. Unpacking Attitude Certainty: Attitude Clarity and Attitude Correctness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 92(1): 30-41.
Rucker, Derek D, Richard E. Petty. 2006. Emotional Intelligence. Psicothema. 18: 26-33.
Rucker, Derek D and Richard E. Petty. 2006. Increasing Effectiveness of Communications to Consumers: Recommendations Based on the Elaboration Likelihood and Attitude Certainty Perspectives. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. 25(1): 29-52.
Bizer, George Y., Zakary Tormala, Derek D Rucker and Richard E. Petty. 2006. Memory-Based Versus On-Line Processing: Implications for Attitude Strength. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 42(5): 646-653.
Barden, Jamie, Derek D Rucker and Richard E. Petty. 2005. Saying One Thing and Doing Another: Examining the Impact of Event Order on Hypocrisy Judgements of Others. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 31(11): 1463-1474.
Preacher, Kristopher, Derek D Rucker, Robert MacCallum and Al Nicewander. 2005. Use of the extreme groups approach: A critical reexamination and new recommendations. Psychological Methods. 10(2): 178-92.
Rucker, Derek D and Richard E. Petty. 2004. An Emotion Specificity Approach to Consumer Decision Making. Motivation and Emotion. 28(1): 3-21.
DeSteno, David, Richard E. Petty, Derek D Rucker, Duane Wegener and Julia Braverman. 2004. Discrete Emotions and Persuasion: The Role of Emotion-Induced Expectancies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 86(1): 43-56.
Bizer, George Y., Jon A. Krosnick, Allison L. Holbrook, S. Christian Wheeler, Derek D Rucker and Richard E. Petty. 2004. Impact of Personality on Cognitive, Behavioral, and Affective Political Processes: The Effects of Need to Evaluate. Journal of Personality. 72(5): 995-1028.
AbstractLink
Rucker, Derek D, Mark Polifroni, Philip Tetlock and Amanda Scott. 2004. On the Assignment of Punishment: The Impact of General-Societal Threat and the Moderating Role of Severity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 30(6): 673-684.
AbstractLink
Rucker, Derek D and Richard E. Petty. 2004. When Resistance is Futile: Consequences of Failed Counterarguing for Attitude Certainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 86(2): 219-235.
Rucker, Derek D and Richard E. Petty. 2003. Effects of Accusations on the Accuser: The Moderating Role of Accuser Culpability. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 29(10): 1259-1271.
MacCallum, Robert, Shabo Zhang, Kristopher Preacher and Derek D Rucker. 2002. On the Practice of Dichotomization of Quantitative Variables. Psychological Methods. 7(1): 19-40.
Rucker, Derek D and Anthony Pratkanis. 2001. Projection as an Interpersonal Influence Tactic: The Effects of the Pot Calling the Kettle Black. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 27(11): 1494-1507.
DeSteno, David, Richard E. Petty, Duane Wegener and Derek D Rucker. 2000. Beyond Valence in the Perception of Likelihood: The Role of Emotion Specificity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 78(3): 397-416.
Working Papers
Inesi, M. Ena, Simona Botti, David DuBois, Derek D Rucker and Adam D. Galinsky. Forthcoming. Power and Choice: Their Dynamic Interplay in Quenching the Thirst for Personal Control. Psychological Science.
Rucker, Derek D, Richard E. Petty. Forthcoming. What's in a Frame Anyway?: A Meta-cognitive Analysis of One Versus Two Sided Message Framing on Attitude Certainty. Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Rucker, Derek D, Angela Y. Lee and Pablo Briñol. 2011. Learning More Yet Knowing Less: The Effects of Information Acquisition on Subjective Knowledge and Information Processing.
Abstract
DuBois, David, Derek D Rucker and Zakary Tormala. 2011. From Rumors to Facts, and Facts to Rumors: The Role of Certainty Decay in Consumer Communications.
Qian, Yi and Derek D Rucker. Income Inequality and Counterfeiting.
Rucker, Derek D, Zakary Tormala, Richard E. Petty and Pablo Briñol. 2010. The Psychology of Conviction.
Clarkson, Joshua, Zakary Tormala and Derek D Rucker. 2008. Attitude Certainty: The Amplifcation Hypothesis.
Labroo, Aparna and Derek D Rucker. 2008. Avoiding Threat or Seeking Nurturance? Negative Emotions and Preferred Positive Outcomes.
Barden, Jamie, Derek D Rucker and Richard E. Petty. 2008. Judgments of Hypocrisy are in the Eye of the Beholder.
Rucker, Derek D and Richard E. Petty. 2008. The Knowledge Transference Hypothesis.
Rucker, Derek D, David DuBois and Zakary Tormala. 2008. WOM and the Transference of Certainty.
Book Chapters
Galinsky, Adam D., Derek D Rucker and Joe Magee. Forthcoming. "Power." In Interpersonal Relationshipd and Group Processes, vol. 2, APA Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology, edited by Jack Dovido and Jeffery Simpson, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Rucker, Derek D and Adam D. Galinsky. Forthcoming. "Compensatory Consumption." In Identity and Consumption, edited by Russell Belk and Ayalla Ruvio, New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Rucker, Derek D and Zakary Tormala. Forthcoming. "Metacognitive Theory in Consumer Research." In Social Metacognition (Frontiers in Psychology), edited by Pablo Brinol and Ken DeMarree, New York, NY: Psychology Press.
Rucker, Derek D. Forthcoming. "Advertising Strategy: Consumer Mindsets and Message Alignment." In Handbook of Marketing Strategy, edited by Venkatesh Shankar and Gregory Carpenter, Gloucestershire, UK: Elgar Publishing Limited.
Rucker, Derek D, Pablo Briñol and Richard E. Petty. "Metacognition: Methods to Assess Primary from Secondary Cognition." In Handbook of Cognitive Methods in Social Psychology, edited by Karl C. Klauer, Andreas Voss, and Christoph Stahl, 236-264. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Rucker, Derek D and Brian Sternthal. 2010. "Advertising Strategy." In Kellogg on Marketing, edited by Alice M. Tybout and Bobby Calder, New York, NY: Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2nd ed.
Rucker, Derek D and Brian Sternthal. 2009. "Acton, MA." In Advertising Strategy, Copley Custom Textbooks.
Rucker, Derek D, Richard E. Petty and Joseph Priester. 2007. "Understanding Advertising Effectiveness from Psychological Perspectives: The Importance of Attitudes and Attitude Strength." In The SAGE Handbook of Advertising, edited by Gerard J. Tellis, Tim Ambler, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Mazzoco, Philip, Derek D Rucker and Timothy Brock. 2005. "Assessing Advertising Effects: The Importance of Matching Measurement and Goals." In Applying Social Cognition to Consumer-Focused Strategy, edited by Frank R. Kardes, Paul M. Herr, Jacques Nantel, 297-318. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Rucker, Derek D, Zakary Tormala, Richard E. Petty. 2004. "Individual Differences in Resistance to Persuasion: The Role of Beliefs and Meta-Beliefs." In Resistance and Persuasion, edited by Eric S. Knowles, Jay A. Linn, 83-104. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Petty, Richard E., Zakary Tormala and Derek D Rucker. 2004. "Resistance to Persuasion: An Attitude Strength Perspective." In Perspectivism in Social Psychology: The Yin and Yang of Scientific Progress, edited by John T. Jost, Mahzarin R. Banaji, Deborah A. Prentice, William James Mcguire, Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Petty, Richard E., Derek D Rucker, George Y. Bizer and John Cacioppo. 2003. "The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion." In Perspectives on Persuation, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining, edited by John S. Seiter, Robert H. Gass, Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Petty, Richard E., David DeSteno and Derek D Rucker. 2001. "The Role of Affect in Attitude Change." In Handbook of Affect and Social Cognition, edited by Joseph P. Forgas, 212-236. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Other
Calkins, Timothy and Derek D Rucker. "GoDaddy and the Super Bowl." Financial Times, February 9, 2011.
Calkins, Timothy and Derek D Rucker. "Will Social Media Slay the Super Bowl?." Advertising Age, February 3, 2011.
Link
Gal, David and Derek D Rucker. "A Quick Fix for Faulty Surveys." Advertising Age, July 27.
Link
Calkins, Timothy and Derek D Rucker. "Why Issue-Based Advertising Is Like Walking a Minefield." Advertising Age, February 8, 2010.
Link
Rucker, Derek D. "Best Time to Advertise? When Consumers Are Too Tired for Anything Else." Advertising Age, Oct. 12.
Link
Calkins, Timothy and Derek D Rucker. "Does a $3M Super Bowl Ad Make Sense in a Recession?." Advertising Age, January 12, 2009.
Link
Calkins, Timothy and Derek D Rucker. "Don’t Overemphasize ROI as Single Measure of Success." Advertising Age, February 2008.
Rucker, Derek D. "The Role of Power in Consumer Behavior." Advances in Consumer Research.
Rucker, Derek D. "Anticipatory Attitude Change.".
Rucker, Derek D, Richard E. Petty, Carmen Valle, Alberto Becerra. "The Role of Power in Consumer Persuasion." Advances in Consumer Research.
Rucker, Derek D and Richard E. Petty. "When counterarguing fails: Effects on attitude strength." Advances in Consumer Research.
Rucker, Derek D. "Functional Food Labels: Experimental Evidence of the role of claims and endorsements." Journal of Nutrition, November.
Preacher, Kristopher and Derek D Rucker. "Dumbing it Down: The Dangers of Appealing to the Lowest Common Denominator." Dialogue.
Books
Sternthal, Brian and Derek D Rucker. 2011. Advertising Strategy. Acton, MA: Copley Custom Textbooks, 2nd Edition.

 
Print Teaching
Teaching Interests
Advertising strategy
Full-Time / Part-Time MBA
Advertising Strategy (MKTG-454-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Marketing, Marketing Management

$250 billion is spent on advertising in the United States. Much of it has no effect--not because of an absence of creativity, but because the problem is due to an absence of a compelling ad strategy to serve as a foundation for developing creative executions and media plans. This course provides a balanced analysis of advertising strategy and execution. The first half focuses on selecting an attractive target for advertising and developing an effective brand position. This section stresses the importance of customer insight as a basis of creating coherence between target and position. Following the approach of the introductory marketing course, students examine in depth how planning is made operational in terms of advertising and other communication devices. The remainder of the course examines the execution of the strategy. We also examine ways to evaluate the likely impact of ad copy and review approaches to measuring the effectiveness of advertising as a vehicle for enhancing the impact of ad campaigns.

Sports Marketing and Management (MKTG-951-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Marketing, Marketing Management , Media Management

This course examines the problems of attracting sports fans in an increasingly competitive, fragmented, and global entertainment marketplace. It surveys the current state of sports marketing practices and discusses specific strategies and tactics of fan connection. Topics include sports branding, star power, globalization, event marketing, interactive media and technology, fantasy sports and the ways that marketers can implement change to engage fans. Students study the specific set of challenges and opportunities facing sports and entertainment properties and apply the class concepts to their own final project, in which they develop a brand transformation plan for an existing sports property. As a case study of marketing in the sports world, the course is designed to deliver insights and strategies for marketers not only interested in pursuing careers in the sports and entertainment industries but in other sectors as well.