His research is in the area of consumer decision making and decision neuroscience, with specific emphasis on the role of emotion in decision making, the neurological bases of emotion, and nonconscious mental processes in decision making. His recent work examines the potential for nonconscious placebo effects related to pricing and the empirical validity of the adage, “Eating Whets the Appetite,” with findings suggesting that food samples (“appetizers”) can have broader effects than previously conceived. An Associate Editor of the Journal of Consumer Research and on the editorial board of the Journal of Consumer Psychology and the Journal of Marketing Research, Professor Shiv has also served as a consultant for several marketing, law and investment firms.