At the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business, Dr. Daniel Villanova researches the factors shaping consumer decisions — from pricing and financial information to AI-generated interactions with brands. His research gives businesses, students and other stakeholders deeper insight into how consumers interpret information, respond to marketing strategies and make decisions in complex digital environments.
An associate professor in the Department of Marketing and director of the department’s doctoral program, Villanova studies how consumers respond to pricing, debt, loans and other numerical information, including how subtle shifts in presentation influence purchasing behavior and financial decisions. His work has been published in leading marketing and consumer research journals.
Now, Villanova is applying that same research lens to one of the most rapidly evolving forces in business: artificial intelligence. His emerging work examines how consumers respond when companies disclose that customer communication or online responses are generated by AI rather than humans — an increasingly important question as brands integrate generative AI into marketing and customer service.
“Generally, consumers don’t like AI-generated responses from companies and brands, but some people are more accepting of it than others,” Villanova said. “I’m trying to understand those behaviors and explain why that variance exists.”
As AI rapidly reshapes marketing, customer service, and academic research itself, Villanova said the core questions behind his work remain centered on understanding human behavior and decision-making.
“We’re still studying the complex ways people process information and respond to the systems, technologies and messages shaping modern consumer behavior,” Villanova said.