In negotiations about price, buyers use vigilant strategies to minimize money paid out whereas sellers use eager strategies to maximize money received. These roles fit people differently. People who tend to use vigilant strategies feel better and are more demanding as buyers, and people who tend to use eager strategies feel better and are more demanding as sellers.

$1 today or $10 next week? We tend to want to do things now -- whether it's receiving a prize or paying a fine. My research investigates why we discount future gains and losses too much and why situational factors matter. For example, if the default is now (your iPod will ship today, or you can get a discount to ship it next week), we really want it now. If the default option is later (your iPod will ship next week, or you can pay extra to ship it today), we still want it now, but not quite as much.

Do individual differences (IDs; e.g., conscientiousness, analytical vs. intuitive style) matter? IDs are more likely to be predictive if they are matched to the task (i.e., decision style measures & decision tasks) or in interaction with situational factors and/or other IDs. The Decision Making Individual Differences Inventory (DMIDI) catalogues and describes over 160 ID measures commonly used in decision research.