Bowen Ruan

Bowen Ruan

Bowen Ruan is a researcher, first author of the 2018 paper on the teasing effect and second author of the 2016 paper on the Pandora effect.

Who they are

Ruan worked with Christopher Hsee on both papers. The teasing effect paper, written with Zoe Lu, reports seven studies in which setting up and then resolving an uncertainty produced a more positive experience than giving the information at once. The Pandora effect paper reports four experiments in which curiosity led people to expose themselves to unpleasant stimuli.

The article on mystery boxes draws on both to explain why a hidden prize can be part of what a buyer wants.

Key papers

Ruan, B., Hsee, C. K. and Lu, Z. Y. (2018), Journal of Marketing Research 55(4).

Hsee, C. K. and Ruan, B. (2016), Psychological Science 27(5).

Key ideas

Setting up and resolving an uncertainty can improve an experience.

Curiosity can be strong enough to override expected discomfort.

Sources

  1. Ruan, B., Hsee, C. K. and Lu, Z. Y. (2018), Journal of Marketing Research 55(4), 556-570.
  2. Hsee, C. K. and Ruan, B. (2016), Psychological Science 27(5), 659-666.