Profile
Steven Sweldens obtained his PhD in Marketing at Erasmus University in 2009, after which he became a marketing professor at INSEAD. There he taught courses in marketing strategy (MBA), social psychological foundations of management (PhD), experimental design (PhD) and marketing in the financial sector (executive education). His teaching skills were lauded every year with the INSEAD “Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in MBA Teaching.” At INSEAD, he published a case study on the Renova Paper Company, which became an instant best-seller, won the highest award at the Case Awards in 2012 and is now recognized as one of the ‘10 classic cases in Marketing’ according to the Case Center. In 2014, Steven returned to RSM Erasmus University where he teaches the marketing core course in RSM’s MBA and EMBA programs. The course offers a dynamic mix of theory, case discussions and simulation experience and is one of the most highly evaluated courses at RSM. It was therefore lauded with the RSM Dean’s “Innovative Teaching Award” in 2018. Most recently, Steven published a case study on TomTom, the navigation technology company, which again was lauded with multiple awards among which the Outstanding Case Writer award in 2020 and the Marketing Case award of 2021.
Steven’s academic research interests center on the psychological laws underlying advertising and the creation of brand attitudes. The importance of his research was recognized with several awards, winning for example the EMAC McKinsey Award for the best European Marketing Dissertation, was runner-up for the American Marketing Association John A. Howard Award for the worldwide best marketing dissertation, and won several Dutch national awards. His work was published in the top scientific journals in marketing (Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research), psychology (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Review) and organizational behavior (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes).
You can download his CV here.
Publications
Abstract (7)
Academic (7)
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Hütter, M., & Sweldens, S. (2013). I… Must… Resist: On the (Un)Controllability of Evaluative Conditioning. 285-286.
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Sweldens, S., Puntoni, S., Kruger, J., & Vissers, M. (2012). The Bias in the Bias: Socially Desirable Responding in Comparative Optimism.
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Zhang, K., Sweldens, S., & Wadhwa, M. (2012). When Temptations Collide: More Temptations Are Less Desired. 250-252.
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de Langhe, B., Sweldens, S., Osselaer, S., & Tuk, M. (2009). The Emotional Information Processing System is Risk Averse: Ego-Depletion and Investment Behavior. 604-605.
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Sweldens, S., Puntoni, S., & Tavassoli, NT. (2009). Gender Identity Salience and Perceived Vulnerability to Breast Cancer. 667.
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Sweldens, S., Osselaer, S., & Janiszewski, C. (2009). Evaluative Conditioning 2.0: Direct and Indirect Attachment of Affect to Brands. 676-677.
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Sweldens, S., Puntoni, S., & Tavassoli, NT. (2007). At Your Own Risk: The Influence of Self-Identity on Perceived Vulnerability to Identity-Specific Risks. 230-231.
Article (19)
Academic (18)
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Hütter, M., & Sweldens, S. (2024). How People (Fail to) Control the Influence of Affective Stimuli on Attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383239426_How_People_Fail_to_Control_the_Influence_of_Affective_Stimuli_on_Attitudes
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Lenkovskaya, M., & Sweldens, S. (Accepted/In press). How Numerical Cognition Explains Ambiguity Aversion. Journal of Consumer Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae041
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du Plessis, C., D'Hooge, S., & Sweldens, S. (2024). The Science of Creating Brand Associations: A Continuous Trinity Model Linking Brand Associations to Learning Processes. Journal of Consumer Research, 51(1), 29-41. Article ucad046. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucad046
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Brendl, M. C., & Sweldens, S. (2023). Defining the Stimulus in S–R Interventions: On the Need to Embrace Theory and Organism in S–O–R. Consumer Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1002/arcp.1098
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Gai, J., Tuk, M., & Sweldens, S. (2022). Light or Regular, Now or Later: The Impact of Advance Ordering and Restrained Eating on Choices and Consumption of Light and Regular Vice Food. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 7(4), 492-500. https://doi.org/10.1086/720446
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Hütter, M., & Sweldens, S. (2018). Dissociating controllable and uncontrollable effects of affective stimuli on attitutes and consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(2), 320-349. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx124
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Sweldens, S., Tuk, M., & Hütter, M. (2017). How to Study Consciousness in Consumer Research, A Commentary on Williams and Poehlman. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(2), 266-275. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx044
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Kim, J. C., Sweldens, S., & Hütter, M. (2016). The Symmetric Nature of Evaluative Memory Associations: Equal Effectiveness of Forward versus Backward Evaluative Conditioning. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7(1), 61-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550615599237
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Tuk, M., Zhang, K., & Sweldens, S. (2015). The propagation of self-control: Self-control in one domain simultaneously improves self-control in other domains. Journal of Experimental Psychology-General, 144(3), 639-654. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000065
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Sweldens, S., Puntoni, S., Paolacci, G., & Vissers, M. (2014). The Bias in the Bias: Comparative Optimism as a Function of Event Social Undesirability. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 124(2), 229-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007
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Sweldens, S., Corneille, O., & Yzerbyt, V. (2014). The Role of Awareness in Attitude Formation Through Evaluative Conditioning. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18(2), 187-209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868314527832
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Hütter, M., & Sweldens, S. (2013). Implicit misattribution of evaluative responses: Contingency-unaware evaluative conditioning requires simultaneous stimulus presentations. Journal of Experimental Psychology-General, 142(3), 638-643. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029989
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Tuk, M., Zhang, K., & Sweldens, S. (2013). Self-Control Spillover: Impulse Inhibition Facilitates Simultaneous Self-Control in Unrelated Domains. Advances in Consumer Research, 40, 858-859.
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Zhang, K., Sweldens, S., & Wadhwa, M. (2013). Negative Scope Sensitivity: The Collapse of Feeling-Based Valuation for Multiple Desirable Objects. Advances in Consumer Research, 40, 909-910.
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Hütter, M., Sweldens, S., Stahl, C., Unkelbach, C., & Klauer, KC. (2012). Dissociating contingency awareness and conditioned attitudes: Evidence of contingency-unaware evaluative conditioning. Journal of Experimental Psychology-General, 141(3), 539-557. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026477
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Puntoni, S., Sweldens, S., & Tavassoli, NT. (2011). Gender Identity Salience and Perceived Vulnerability to Breast Cancer. Journal of Marketing Research, 48(3), 413-424. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.48.3.413
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Sweldens, S., Osselaer, S., & Janiszewski, C. (2010). Evaluative Conditioning Procedures and the Resilience of Conditioned Brand Attitudes. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(3), 473-489. https://doi.org/10.1086/653656
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Sweldens, S., & Osselaer, S. (2010). Evaluatieve conditionering 2.0: directe versus indirecte transfer van gevoel naar merken. Ontwikkelingen in het Marktonderzoek / Jaarboek MOA, 2010(3), 43-59.
Professional (1)
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Puntoni, S., Sweldens, S., & Tavassoli, NT. (2011). Gender identity and breast cancer campaigns. RSM Insight, 7(3), 4-6. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/40036
Conference contribution (1)
Academic (1)
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Sweldens, S., Lerouge, D., Dewitte, S., Verlegh, PWJ., & Warlop, L. (2004). Perceived Uniqueness as a moderator for Reciprocity.
Conference proceeding (1)
Academic (1)
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Hütter, M., & Sweldens, S. (2013). On the Automatic Effects of Advertising: The Uncontrollability of Evaluative Conditioning Effects. In Advances in Consumer Research (Vol. 41, pp. 66)
Doctoral Thesis (1)
Internal (1)
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Sweldens, S. (2009). Evaluative conditioning 2.0. Direct versus associative transfer of affect to brands. [Doctoral Thesis, Erasmus University Rotterdam]. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).
Inaugural speech (1)
Popular (1)
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Sweldens, S. (2018). Puppets on a String : Studying Conscious and Unconscious Processes in Consumer Research. Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM). Inaugural Addresses Research in Management Series http://hdl.handle.net/1765/106425
Review article (1)
Academic (1)
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Puntoni, S., Sweldens, S., & Tavassoli, N. T. (2011). Executive summary: Making cancer detection compelling. Business Strategy Review, 22(4), 72. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8616.2011.00801.x
Activities
Additional positions (2)
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RSM BVStart date approval: 26 Oct 2022End date approval: 25 Oct 2025Place: ROTTERDAMDescription: teach core course in Marketing in Executive MBA
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ISS Institute for Service LeadershipStart date approval: 16 Sep 2024End date approval: 15 Sep 2027Place: UTRECHTDescription: Lezing in Lezingenreeks "Psychologie van de Klant"
Additional activities (1)
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Journal of Consumer Research (Journal)Steven Sweldens (Editor)01 Jul 2014
Activity: Editorial work > Publication Peer-review (Academic)
Courses
Topics in Marketing Research A
- Study year: 2024/2025
- Code: BERMASC054
- Level: PhD
Marketing Strategy
- Study year: 2024/2025, 2023/2024, 2022/2023, 2021/2022
- Code: BM04MM
- Level: ERIM, Exchange, IM/CEMS, Master
Past courses
Current Topics in Marketing Research
- Study year: 2023/2024, 2022/2023, 2021/2022, 2020/2021, 2019/2020, 2018/2019, 2017/2018, 2016/2017, 2015/2016
- Code: BERMASC040
- ECTS: 5 Level: PhD
Thesis Proposal Writing
- Study year: 2019/2020, 2018/2019
- Code: BERMTP001
- ECTS: 5 Level: Master
ERIM Research Clinic Marketing
- Study year: 2017/2018, 2016/2017, 2015/2016
- Code: BERMRC003
- ECTS: 4 Level: Master
Specialization Module on Consumer Behavior
- Study year: 2017/2018, 2016/2017, 2015/2016
- Code: BERMASC039
- ECTS: 3 Level: Master
Featured in the media
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Furious UN chief slams fossil fuel ads. Will a ban help, or is he missing the point?
RSM Professor Steven Sweldens is quoted in this article about the advertising ban called for by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to mitigate climate change and why it might be misdirected.
Thursday, 6 June 2024 -
Omroep overdag reclamevrij: naar wie gaat die zak met advertentiegeld nu?
Steven Sweldens of RSM is mentioned in an article by the Volkskrant discussing commercials on the Dutch public broadcasting channels.
Thursday, 6 June 2019 -
Reclame roept reacties op die we niet kunnen beheren
A new study, co-conducted by Steven Sweldens, endowed professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing and ERIM Director of Doctoral Education at RSM, has shown that some forms of advertising can generate a reaction among consumers…
Tuesday, 10 April 2018 -
Wetenschappers tonen aan dat reclame echt werkt en vragen daarom om regulering
A new study, co-conducted by Steven Sweldens, endowed professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing and ERIM Director of Doctoral Education at RSM, has shown that some forms of advertising can generate a reaction among consumers…
Tuesday, 20 March 2018 -
'Reclame roept reacties op die we niet kunnen beheersen'
A new study, co-conducted by Steven Sweldens, endowed professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing and ERIM Director of Doctoral Education at RSM, has shown that some forms of advertising can generate a reaction among consumers…
Thursday, 15 March 2018 -
We hebben geen invloed op onze eigen reactie op reclame
A new study, co-conducted by Steven Sweldens, endowed professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing and ERIM Director of Doctoral Education at RSM, has shown that some forms of advertising can generate a reaction among consumers…
Wednesday, 14 March 2018 -
In Defence of Multitasking
The best time to attempt almost any demanding task is when you’re already “in the zone”. The tide of popular opinion seems to have turned against multitasking. Recent articles scoff at the notion that people could satisfactorily…
Tuesday, 21 February 2017 -
The Fine Line Between Optimism and Fakery
To fill in the gaps, my co-authors (Stefano Puntoni, Gabriele Paolacci, and Maarten Vissers of Rotterdam School of Management) and I revisited data from 28 past studies on optimism bias, encompassing 8,826 participants in all. Our…
Monday, 23 January 2017 -
Not everyone is happy with the billboards that smell like fries
Steven Sweldens, professor of consumer behavior and marketing at RSM is featured in this article about McDonald's experimentation with scent marketing. [In Dutch]
Featured on RSM Discovery
