Her research is aimed at understanding how and why consumers persist at important long-term goals, and how to help them do so even in the face of short-term temptations. Dr. Zemack-Rugar explores sequences of choice in goal areas such as health, nutrition, savings, academics, fitness, and other goals central to consumer wellbeing. Her work has been published in elite journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. She seeks to create a deeper understanding of consumer motivation in ways that can increase both consumer welfare and company profits, creating a win-win.