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Kelly Goldsmith

Kelly Goldsmith is an American behavioral scientist and marketing professor renowned for her research on consumers' psychological and behavioral responses to goals, threats, , and , as well as for her participation as a contestant on the third season of the series Survivor: in 2001. Born and raised in the United States, Goldsmith earned her B.S. from and subsequently obtained her M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in marketing from , where her doctoral work focused on behavioral aspects of consumer decision-making. Early in her career, she served on the faculty at the at before joining the Owen Graduate School of Management at in 2017, where she currently holds the E. Bronson Ingram Chair in and serves as a full . In administrative roles at Vanderbilt, she has acted as Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives since 2025, Faculty Director of the Hoogland Undergraduate Program and Ingram Scholars Program since 2024, and Department Area Coordinator from 2022 to 2024. Goldsmith's scholarly contributions appear in leading journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, and prominent outlets, with her work bridging academic theory and practical applications for marketing strategies, corporate policies, and public . Her research has been recognized with awards including the 2021 Research Productivity Award, the 2020 Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, the 2020 Scholar designation, and the Sidney J. Award for Junior Faculty in 2012 and 2014. An acclaimed educator, Goldsmith has received multiple teaching honors at both Vanderbilt and Northwestern, and she frequently engages with broader audiences through media appearances in outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, and the BBC, as well as contributions to Chief Executive magazine. Her experiences on Survivor: Africa, where she was part of the Boran tribe and reached the final seven before being voted out, have notably influenced her studies on scarcity and human behavior under pressure.

Early life and education

Early life

Kelly Goldsmith was born on April 27, 1979, in , , to , an executive leadership coach and author with a in , and Lyda Goldsmith, a licensed clinical with a in . She has one brother, Bryan. Goldsmith grew up in Fairbanks Ranch, a near , in a 7,500-square-foot Tudor-style house featuring a pool. During her childhood, she attended for high school, graduating in 1997. At around age 11, she provided candid feedback to her father about his parenting, noting his frequent work demands and phone use at home, which highlighted early family dynamics centered on self-improvement and communication. Her parents' professional backgrounds profoundly shaped her early exposure to . Raised by parents who were "endlessly fascinated by why people did what they did," Goldsmith developed an early inclination to analyze motivations and decisions, influenced by her mother's expertise in and her father's in . She later adopted elements of her father's philosophy, emphasizing learning from the past to move forward. This foundation preceded her transition to at .

Education

Kelly Goldsmith earned a B.A. in from in 2001, graduating cum laude. Her interest in behavioral sciences was influenced by her family, as both her mother and father hold Ph.D.s in and , respectively. She then pursued graduate studies at Yale University, where she received an M.A. and M.Phil. in Marketing, followed by a Ph.D. in Marketing in 2009. During her time at Yale, Goldsmith's doctoral training emphasized consumer behavior and psychological responses, laying the foundation for her research in behavioral marketing.

Academic career

Positions held

Kelly Goldsmith began her academic career as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in 2009, following her PhD from Yale University, and held this position until 2017. In the fall of 2017, she joined Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management as an Associate Professor of Marketing with tenure, marking her transition to a leadership-oriented institution focused on behavioral science in marketing. She advanced to full Professor of at in 2021, effective that fall, recognizing her contributions to the field. In 2022, Goldsmith was appointed to the E. Bronson Ingram Chair, a distinguished endowed position that underscores her progression in marketing faculty roles emphasizing consumer behavior.

Administrative roles

Kelly Goldsmith has held several key administrative positions at , focusing on undergraduate business education and strategic initiatives. From 2022 to 2024, she served as Marketing Department Area Coordinator at the Owen Graduate School of Management. Since 2024, she has served as Faculty Director of the Hoogland Undergraduate Business Program, overseeing the curriculum and operations for the business minor within the Owen Graduate School of Management. In this role, she guides program development and student advising to enhance among undergraduates. Also since 2024, Goldsmith has been Faculty Director of the Ingram Scholars Program, acting as the chief administrator and spokesperson for this honors program that supports high-achieving business students through training and experiential opportunities. Her emphasizes fostering and in . In 2025, Goldsmith was appointed Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of , where she contributes to broader university efforts in pre-collegiate programs and innovative undergraduate strategies. This role builds on her prior administrative experience and supports her contributions to enhancing programs across . In recognition of her potential, she was selected as a fellow in the (SEC) Academic Leadership Development Program for 2023-2024, a competitive initiative designed to prepare faculty for higher administrative roles. Additionally, her excellence in teaching, integral to her administrative oversight of educational programs, earned her the Dean's Award for Teaching in 2020.

Research contributions

Key research areas

Kelly Goldsmith's research primarily investigates consumers' psychological and behavioral responses to goals and threats, exploring how these factors influence processes in everyday contexts. Her work delves into the mechanisms by which individuals perceive and react to such stimuli, emphasizing the role of cognitive and emotional drivers in shaping preferences and actions. A central theme in Goldsmith's scholarship is the examination of vulnerability states—such as those induced by perceived threats or resource limitations—that motivate self-improvement efforts or alter under constraints. She analyzes how these states can lead consumers to prioritize certain behaviors, like seeking out alternatives or adjusting spending patterns, particularly when facing or . This focus highlights the adaptive nature of human responses in environments, where limited resources prompt strategic shifts in consumer . Goldsmith applies these insights to real-world scenarios, notably providing commentary on behaviors during the , including the widespread shortages of essentials like driven by perceived and threat. Her analyses underscore how collective uncertainty amplifies individual vulnerabilities, leading to and other reactive consumption patterns. Methodologically, Goldsmith employs experimental designs rooted in marketing psychology, often integrating interdisciplinary approaches from cognitive and social psychology, , and to test hypotheses in controlled settings. These methods allow for precise manipulation of variables like cues to observe behavioral outcomes, providing robust evidence for theoretical models of consumer responses.

Notable publications and impact

Kelly Goldsmith has published extensively in leading marketing and consumer psychology journals, with her work focusing on behavioral responses to scarcity, goals, and threats. Notable publications include "On the Psychology of Scarcity: When Reminders of Resource Scarcity Promote Selfish (and Generous) Behavior," co-authored with Caroline Roux and Andrea Bonezzi and published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2015, which has garnered 478 citations and explores how scarcity cues influence prosocial and selfish decisions. Another seminal paper, "The Effects of Scarcity on Consumer Decision Journeys," co-authored with Rebecca Hamilton and others and published online in 2018 and appearing in print in 2019 in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, has received 485 citations and examines how resource scarcity alters consumer paths from awareness to purchase. Additionally, "A Self-Regulatory Model of Resource Scarcity," co-authored with Christopher Cannon and Caroline Roux in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in 2019, has 367 citations and proposes a framework for understanding scarcity's self-regulatory effects. More recent contributions include "The Yin and Yang of Hard Times: When Can States of Vulnerability Motivate Self-Improvement?" co-authored with Christopher Cannon, Caroline Roux, and Ali Tezer in the Review of Marketing Research in 2024, which investigates how vulnerability can drive positive behavioral change. Other 2024 works include "An Integrative Theory of Resource Discrepancies," co-authored with Christopher Cannon and Caroline Roux in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, and "Introducing the ARTS Framework: A Tool for Constructive Re-inquiry," co-authored with Jillian Hmurovic and Cait Lamberton in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Goldsmith's research has appeared in other top outlets, such as the Journal of Marketing Research, including "Can Uncertainty Improve Promotions?" from 2010 with On Amir, cited 256 times for its analysis of uncertain incentives in retail. Goldsmith has served on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Marketing Research since 2014 and the Journal of Consumer Research, contributing to the peer-review process in these premier journals. She has also co-edited special issues for the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research on consumer responses to in 2021 and 2022. Her scholarly impact is evidenced by 3,053 total citations on as of November 2025, reflecting the influence of her work in top-tier journals like Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. These publications have practical applications in business, such as informing scarcity-based marketing strategies and policy responses to economic vulnerabilities, and in consumer policy during crises like the . In addition to her academic output, Goldsmith has co-authored practitioner-oriented articles with her father, executive coach , including "Getting Recognition Right" in Chief Executive magazine in 2023, which applies behavioral insights to and employee . More recent examples include "Lacking Engagement At Work? Answer These Questions" (February 2025), "Leading A Well-Balanced Life" (March 2025), and "Embrace Candor Over Compliments" (July 2025), all in Chief Executive.

Media and public appearances

Survivor: Africa

Kelly Goldsmith participated in the third season of the American reality competition series Survivor, titled Survivor: Africa, which was filmed in Kenya's Shaba National Reserve in 2001 and aired on CBS from October 11, 2001, to January 10, 2002. At the time, the 22-year-old behavioral research analyst from Rancho Santa Fe, California, was the youngest contestant in the cast of 16. Goldsmith started on the Boran tribe, where she aligned with the majority Boran alliance comprising Lex van den Berghe, Tom Buchanan, Ethan Zohn, and Kim Powers. Her early gameplay was relatively under-the-radar, focusing on building relationships within the group while contributing to camp life, including bringing crochet needles and yarn as her luxury item to craft items like towels during downtime. On Day 13, the series introduced its first tribe switch, relocating Goldsmith, , and Buchanan to the rival Samburu tribe, where they joined Lindsey Richter, Quinton, Carl Bellamy, and Johnson, creating a fragile dynamic with the three members in the minority. Goldsmith played a pivotal role in the subsequent Tribal Council by revealing past voting history from , which triggered a —drawing rocks—that led to Richter's elimination on Day 18, solidifying 's influence despite the switch. The tribes merged into Moto Maji on Day 20 with 10 players remaining, shifting further. A key tension arose from a by , who believed Goldsmith had betrayed the alliance by voting against him earlier on the original tribe; in reality, the dissenting vote had come from "T-Bird" , who had been switched to . This misunderstanding fueled distrust, though Goldsmith later voted to eliminate Clarence Black, a fellow original , as part of shifting loyalties. At the Day 24 Tribal Council, Goldsmith attempted a bold strategic flip, aligning with the Samburu minority (Quinton, Bellamy, , and ) for a 5-4 vote to oust van den Berghe. However, Quinton defected at the last moment to side with the alliance, resulting in Goldsmith's elimination by a 5-4 vote and placing her ninth overall as the first jury member. On the jury, she observed the remainder of the game and ultimately voted for to win the million-dollar prize in a 5-2 final vote over Kim . Reflecting on her experience years later, Goldsmith expressed pride in her resilience during physical challenges, despite not being the most athletic player, and highlighted personal growth from navigating the social intricacies of the game at such a young age, including moments of levity like reading while sequestered as a .

Other media and speaking engagements

Following her appearance on Survivor: Africa, Goldsmith leveraged her newfound visibility into additional media opportunities, including a guest spot on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2002. She also contributed behind the scenes as a casting associate for CBS on Survivor: Vanuatu in 2004, helping select several contestants for the season. In 2019, Goldsmith delivered a TEDxNashville talk titled "How to Make the Most Out of Not Having Enough," where she explored the scarcity mindset and its potential benefits for individual and societal decision-making, drawing from her behavioral science research and personal experiences. Goldsmith has provided expert commentary on consumer behavior in major outlets, including features in on topics such as election-related shopping anxiety and scarcity-driven hoarding during the (e.g., comparisons to toilet paper shortages). She has also appeared in Time discussing how dieting enhances perceived pleasure in indulgences like , in the on post-pandemic spending habits amid return-to-office trends, and in BBC Future on the psychology of guilt amplifying enjoyment. Additionally, she serves as a regular contributor to Chief Executive magazine, co-authoring articles with her father, , on leadership topics like work-life balance, , and candid feedback. As a keynote speaker, Goldsmith contributed to SXSW 2025 with a panel on "From FOMO to Fulfillment: The Science of Consumer Behavior," addressing motivations driven by , meaning, and . In February 2025, she moderated University's Executive Women in event, facilitating discussions on equity, personal journeys in , and advancing gender balance in professional settings. Her speaking engagements often center on themes of , , and under , informed by her expertise in behavioral responses to threats and goals. Goldsmith shares insights on behavioral science through social media and podcasts, including Instagram posts (@profgoldsmith) on scarcity and consumer psychology, and appearances on shows like "The Psychology of Scarcity During the Coronavirus" discussing uncertainty's impact on behavior.

Personal life

Goldsmith married Reid Shriner in 2013. They have twin children, born in early 2015.

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