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Jodie Whelan
Marketing professor
Consumer researcher
Vanier scholar

Jodie Whelan, PhD

Hello! I'm Jodie. I am an associate professor of marketing at York University in Toronto, Canada. My research investigates how childhood experiences and situational influences shape adult consumer behaviour, and in particular, how people interact with and relate to brands. Working at the intersection of marketing and psychology, I primarily use experimental and survey methods to explore to what extent interpersonal tendencies can be transferred to the consumer domain and when or why the consumer domain alters these tendencies in meaningful (and interesting) ways.

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What I Do

Marketing professor

I teach marketing to undergraduate and graduate students at York University in Toronto, Canada.

Consumer researcher

I study consumer psychology and publish in top peer-reviewed journals. I primarily investigate consumer-brand relationships and the effect of childhood experiences on adult consumer behaviour.

Media

I am available for media appearances related to marketing and consumer psychology.

Student Testimonials

She is the best prof ever.

Undergraduate student

Undergraduate student

York University

An example of how all profs should be. Jodie G. Whelan actually cares about what she's teaching, and it's contagious and helps me learn. She simplifies complex concepts so effortlessly it's extremely impressive.

Undergraduate student

Undergraduate student

York University

Professor Whelan is probably one of the best professors that have ever taught me! She is fair, insightful, very aware and educated when it comes to consumer behavior and is so passionate about her job. Her passion is contagious and the class environment she provided made all her students feel welcome and safe to participate.

MSc student

MSc student

Professor Whelan is by far one of the best professors I have had at York. She is extremely understanding, explains concepts well, and is extremely engaging. I will definitely be taking more classes with her in the future because of how much knowledge I have gained from this course.

Undergraduate student

Undergraduate student

York University

Professor J. Whelan is a true gem for the dept of marketing in my view. I will rate the Professor 10/10 in all attributes. She went above and beyond by helping me outside of the course work by applying the course concepts to real life business issues which I rate. Professor was always open to discuss ideas through email and showed interest in my pursuit of applying course concepts to other topics (politics). She was well prepared in all her teachings and never a lecture where she is not happy to see the students.

Undergraduate student

Undergraduate student

York University

The instructor for this course was fantastic. I have taken a course with her before and very much enjoyed her lecture style and how she engages the class. If given the opportunity I would take another course taught by her in a heartbeat. She definitely has a good way of making you understand the course material and engaging with you. Grading and making for the course always seems fair and honest as well.

Undergraduate student

Undergraduate student

York University

Resumé

9 Years of Experience

Employment

2019 – current
York University

Associate Professor (tenured)

School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

2014 – 2019
York University

Assistant professor (tenure-track)

School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Education

2014
Western University

PhD Business Administration (Marketing)

Ivey Business School
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar

2009
Queen's University

Bachelor of Commerce

Smith School of Business

Publications

Whelan, Jodie and Sean T. Hingston (2022), “Pathogens, Privilege, and Purity: How Pathogen Threat and Childhood Socioeconomic Status Influence Consumers’ Condemnation of Purity Violations,” Journal of Business Research, 142 (March), 636–647.

 

Whelan, Jodie and Miranda R. Goode (2021), “Reminders of Money Increase Patient Empowerment,” Canadian Journal of Administrative Studies, 39 (1), 64-80.

 

Whelan, Jodie, Sean T. Hingston, and Matthew Thomson (2019), “Does Growing Up Rich and Insecure Make Objects Seem More Human? Childhood Material and Social Environments Interact to Predict Anthropomorphism,” Personality and Individual Differences, 137, 86-96.

 

Whelan, Jodie and Sean T. Hingston (2018), “Can Everyday Brands be Threatening? Responses to Brand Primes Depend on Childhood Socioeconomic Status,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, 28 (3), 477-86.

 

Whelan, Jodie, Miranda R. Goode, June Cotte, and Matthew Thomson (2016), “Consumer Regulation Strategies: Attenuating the Effect of Consumer References in a Voting Context,” Psychology & Marketing, 33 (November), 899-916.  

 

Whelan, Jodie, Allison R. Johnson, Tara C. Marshall, and Matthew Thomson (2016), “Relational Domain Switching:
 Interpersonal Insecurity Predicts the Strength and Number of Marketplace Relationships,” Psychology & Marketing, 33 (June), 465-79.

 

Jeffrey, Jennifer, Jodie Whelan, Dante Pirouz, and Anne Snowdon (2016) “Boosting Safety Behavior: Descriptive Norms Encourage Child Booster Seat Usage amongst Low Involvement Parents,” Accident Analysis and Prevention, 92 (June), 184-88.

 

Whelan, Jodie and Niraj Dawar (2016), “Attributions of Blame Following a Product-Harm Crisis Depend on Consumers’ Attachment Styles,” Marketing Letters, 27 (June), 285-94.

 

Allison R. Johnson, Jodie Whelan, and Matthew Thomson (2012), “Why Brands Should Fear Fearful Consumers: How Attachment Style Predicts Retaliation,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22 (April), 289-98.

Contact

Get in Touch

Toronto

whelanj@yorku.ca

Media inquiries welcome

Let's chat!