Samantha's research focuses predominantly on the first 3 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (poverty, hunger, and health/well-being).

Using a variety of research methods, such as online and laboratory experiments, longitudinal research, NGO-partnered field experiments, and cross-cultural research, Samantha studies questions that touch on consumer judgment and decision-making, consumer wellbeing, global poverty & inequality, prosociality, and moral psychology. Specifically, her research centers around two key questions:

1. When and why do psychological costs prevent eligible consumers from utilizing beneficial aid, and how can marketers reduce these barriers to increase take-up, utilization, and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations (to spread knowledge of aid programs and services)?
2. Why do consumers sometimes help less (effectively) than they could, and how can marketing strategies promote long-term and effective prosocial behavior?

Samantha's work on increasing the effectiveness of the charitable economy spans multiple countries, including the U.S., Kenya, South Africa, India, and Ecuador. She follows a full-cycle research model: starting with archival data and qualitative interviews, she builds novel consumer behavior theory, develops and tests theory-driven interventions to improve outcomes (e.g., aid take-up and well-being), and works with charity field partners to scale these interventions. When relevant, she also replicates findings and tests mechanisms via lab or online experiments.