Behavioral Pricing Dissertation
Introduction
Richard Schaefer has won the Fordham Pricing Center's competition for the best dissertation proposal on the behavioral aspects of pricing
The Fordham Pricing Center congratulates Richard Schaefer of winning this year’s competition for the best dissertation proposal on the behavioral aspects of pricing. Richard studies at the University of Texas at Austin, working under the supervision of Prof. Vijay Mahajan and Prof. Raghunath Singh Rao. His dissertation proposal entitled "Pricing Self-Improvement Programs" examines contract pricing for self-improvement programs such as health clubs, diet programs, and credit counseling services by incorporating a consumer self-signaling model that accounts for the complex relationship between goal pursuit and short-term impulses for instant gratification. Additional details on this research and the 2015 Doctoral Dissertation Competition can be found at