Happiness isn’t just about chasing big, exciting moments. A lot of the science points to the smaller, everyday things that help people feel connected, calm and grounded. Simple habits like helping others when we see them struggling create a bigger impact than we often expect.
University of Delaware's resident "happiness expert" Amit Kumar, a psychologist and assistant professor of marketing in UD's Lerner College of Business & Economics, appeared on NPR's Hidden Brain to discuss that very topic.
Kumar discusses why sometimes it feels like we can't help others and how we can surmount those fears to build strong connections and also feel a greater sense of happiness.
To speak with Kumar about this topic, click his profile.
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With the NBA Finals back in New York and San Antonio, some fans holding pricey tickets face an emotional and financial decision: Savor a major life memory or cash out for big money to spend on something else? The University of Delaware's Amit Kumar has conducted research on these types of choices.
Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychological & brain sciences, says that it may come down to a choice between material possessions that people often buy because they think those things are going to make them happy and a satisfying experiential purchase that tends to "last" in a psychological sense.
The Spurs haven't been to the Finals since 2014. It's been 27 years for the Knicks – and 53 years since the team hoisted the championship trophy. So, in this case, the decision comes down to a large lump of money to spend on, say, a kitchen remodeling project or a new watch; versus the memory of witnessing a rare NBA Finals home game.
"If there's a consumer deciding between buying antique living room furniture to replace the set they already have in their house or instead spending that money on the experience of seeing the Knicks play the Spurs, they are likely to derive more enduring satisfaction from the memories of being at the game, the stories they tell about going and having been there, and the social interactions they have as a result," Kumar said.
He added that the lesson for people's everyday lives is really to tilt their spending in a way such that they spend a bit less on material goods and a bit more on experiences.
To connect with Kumar directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the "contact" button. To reach him directly, send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.
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As the world gears up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, experts from the University of Delaware are available to provide timely insight on the science, business, and human impact behind the global tournament.
Player Safety, Concussions and the Future of the Game Tom Kaminski, professor of kinesiology and applied physiology, is a leading authority on player safety and head injuries. As the sole U.S. representative on FIFA’s Heading Expert Group, Kaminski is helping shape international guidelines around heading in soccer—particularly for youth athletes. He can speak to concussion risks, prevention strategies, and how evolving safety standards are influencing the modern game.
Joining him is Tom Buckley, who also specializes in concussion research and athlete health, offering additional perspective on injury trends and recovery in elite competition.
The Business of the World Cup: Tourism and Global Impact Matt Robinson from UD’s Lerner College of Business and Economics explores how mega-events like the World Cup drive tourism, economic growth, and global connection. Robinson can discuss how host cities benefit, the long-term economic ripple effects, and how sports act as a powerful unifier across cultures.
Youth, Development and the Next Generation of Fans Sara Goldstein brings expertise in adolescent development, offering insight into how traditions with family shape youth identity, social development, and engagement with physical activity. Her perspective is especially relevant for younger audiences experiencing the World Cup through schools and community programs, including UD’s Lab School initiatives.
Inside the Game: Sports Analytics in Action With the rise of data-driven performance, UD’s new Sports Performance Analytics major is preparing students to analyze gameplay at the highest level.
Martin Heintzelman, department chair, can connect media with program leaders and practitioners including Jack Davis and Christina Rasnake, who are helping students apply real-time analytics to global competitions like the World Cup.
The Science Beneath the Game: Playing Surfaces World Cup matches are required to be played on natural grass—a costly and complex requirement, especially for indoor stadiums. Erik Ervin can discuss how turfgrass systems have evolved, the science behind maintaining elite playing surfaces, and the massive investment required to meet international standards.
Why Watching Together Matters Amit Kumar studies the psychology of happiness and shared experiences. He can speak to why gathering to watch World Cup matches—whether in stadiums, bars, or living rooms—boosts well-being and strengthens social bonds, making the tournament as meaningful off the field as it is on it.
Connect with UD experts to explore every angle of the 2026 World Cup – from the pitch to the people. Email mediarelations@udel.edu to connect with these experts.
Media
Biography
Amit Kumar is assistant professor of marketing at the University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business & Economics. He was previously assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He received his Ph.D. in social psychology from Cornell University and his A.B. in psychology and economics from Harvard University.
Professor Kumar’s research focuses on the scientific study of happiness and has been featured in popular media outlets such as The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Fortune Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Hidden Brain, The Huffington Post, National Geographic, The New York Times, NPR, Oprah Daily, Scientific American, Time Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, among others.
His scholarly work has been published in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Current Opinion in Psychology, Emotion, The Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, The Journal of Consumer Psychology, The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and Psychological Science.
He has been recognized as a prestigious MSI Young Scholar, an honor awarded to a select few scholars the Marketing Science Institute views as future leaders in marketing academia. He has also been honored as a fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology. His teaching resulted in him being named one of the best undergraduate business professors by Poets & Quants. His service to the field has included serving as co-chair of forums and roundtables for the Association for Consumer Research conference and as a member of the editorial review board for The Journal of Consumer Research. For more information about Professor Kumar, visit his personal webpage (www.kumar-amit.com).
Industry Expertise
Market Research
Consumer Goods
Areas of Expertise
Happiness
Consumer Behavior
Social Psychology
Behavioral Decision Making
Kindness
Answers
Gratitude and giving thanks has benefits for both the giver and the receiver. It makes both parties feel good, and provides a real-life human connection at a time when those are hard to come by. "Investing in doing is a better route to social connection than spending on having," says Amit Kumar of the University of Delaware. He has a number of ways to achieve happiness during the holidays. To contact Kumar directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the contact button. Interested reporters can also send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.
Media Appearances
The cost of loneliness can be death. Here’s how to find good friends
CNN online
2025-06-30
“Human beings just are a fundamentally social species. We have a fundamental need to belong,” said Dr. Amit Kumar, associate professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.
Here’s why planning a trip can help your mental health
National Geographic online
2024-10-07
Amit Kumar, one of the co-authors of the Cornell study and an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, explains that the benefits are less about obsessing over the finer points of an itinerary than they are about connecting with other people. One reason? Travelers “end up talking to people more about their experiences than they talk about material purchases,” he says. “Compared to possessions, experiences make for better story material.”
The Best Way to Split the Check at Group Dinners—and Not Leave Grumpy
The Wall Street Journal online
2024-05-15
Using peer-to-peer payment apps while dining out can make relationships feel transactional, says Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. Kumar studies happiness, including how money and payment apps impact it.
'It hasn't delivered': The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology
BBC online
2024-01-15
"It's not that self-checkout technology is good or bad, per se… [but] if we try self-checkout and realise we're not benefitting from it, we might switch back to not using it," says Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas, who studies consumer behaviour and decision-making.
“The voice carries what are referred to as paralinguistic cues, like intonation, pitch variance, that can convey emotion in a way that text can’t,” said Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology at University of Texas at Austin, who has studied voice versus text communications.
Random acts of kindness more impactful than people realize, study finds
The Hill online
2022-08-22
“People aren’t way off base,” study author Amit Kumar, a professor of Marketing at UT Austin McCombs School of Business said in a media release. “They get that being kind to people makes them feel good. What we don’t get is how good it really makes others feel.”
Acts of kindness have a bigger impact on well-being than you think, according to new research
Fortune Magazine online
2022-08-30
“It was clear that the performers underestimated the value of their kindness,” Amit Kumar, author on the study and assistant professor of marketing at the University of Texas Austin McCombs School of Business, tells Fortune. “The result on recipients is perhaps the most novel finding here.”
Deep Conversations Make Us Happier, Lead to Stronger Bonds
Discover Magazine online
2021-12-29
So, what’s stopping us from talking about what really matters? DiscoverMagazine.com spoke with research psychologist Amit Kumar about the psychological barriers that stop us from having intimate conversations and how to overcome them.
Let’s Dare to Have Deeper Conversations, Even With Strangers
Bloomberg online
2021-10-16
Not at all, according to a new study with the perfect title: “Overly Shallow?: Miscalibrated Expectations Create a Barrier to Deeper Conversation.” Its authors — Michael Kardas, Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley — conducted a series of experiments. In some, their subjects were financial executives at a conference; in others, employees at a financial services company or international MBA students.
But though the things we buy might make us happy in the moment, that feeling atrophies over time. It’s what psychologists call the “hedonic treadmill,” says Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, whose research focuses on the science of happiness. “We get used to things that we have, and when new, shiny things are advertised, we feel like we need to keep getting more stuff to maintain those feelings.”
Psychologist Amit Kumar talks to NPR's "The Hidden Brain" to understand what keeps us from taking a moment to be kind, and how to overcome these barriers to create stronger, happier connections.
“Saying thanks can improve somebody’s own happiness, and it can improve the well-being of another person as well — even more than we anticipate, in fact,” says study co-author Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. “If both parties are benefitting from this, I think that’s the type of action we should be pursuing more often in our everyday lives.”
Texting all day? You’ll feel happier if you pick up the phone and chat.
The Washington Post online
2020-11-06
“We think it’s going to be awkward to talk to somebody, but that just turns out not to be the case,” said Amit Kumar, lead author of the study. “Instead … people form significantly stronger bonds when they’re talking on the phone than when communicating over email.”
Professor Amit Kumar comments on new research that builds on the vogue mantra of behavioral economics: "Live in anticipation, gathering stories and memories."
Amit Kumar, assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, said that "not knowing one’s positive impact can stand in the way of people engaging in these sorts of acts of kindness in daily life.”
Wise decisions are often guided by an accurate understanding of the expected values of different possible choices. In social contexts, wisdom comes from understanding how others are likely to respond to one's actions, enabling people to make choices that maximize both their own and others' outcomes. Our research suggests that miscalibrated social cognition may create a systematic barrier to wiser decisions in social life. From expressing appreciation to offering support to performing acts of kindness, this program of research indicates that decisions to engage with others are driven by how people expect a recipient to respond, but that people consistently underestimate how positively others will respond to their other‐oriented actions.
A little good goes an unexpectedly long way: Underestimating the positive impact of kindness on recipients
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
2023-01-01
2023
Performing random acts of kindness increases happiness in both givers and receivers, but we find that givers systematically undervalue their positive impact on recipients. In both field and laboratory settings (Experiments 1a-2b), those performing an act of kindness reported how positive they expected recipients would feel and recipients reported how they actually felt. From giving away a cup of hot chocolate in a park to giving away a gift in the lab, those performing a random act of kindness consistently underestimated how positive their recipients would feel, thinking their act was of less value than recipients perceived it to be.
A prosociality paradox: How miscalibrated social cognition creates a misplaced barrier to prosocial action
Current Directions in Psychological Science
2023-02-02
Behaving prosocially can increase wellbeing among both those performing a prosocial act as well as those receiving it, and yet people may experience some reluctance to engage in direct prosocial actions. We review emerging evidence suggesting that miscalibrated social cognition may create a psychological barrier that keeps people from behaving as prosocially as would be optimal for both their own and others’ wellbeing. Across a variety of interpersonal behaviors, those performing prosocial actions tend to underestimate how positively their recipients will respond.
The aptly buried “I” in experience: Experiential purchases promote more social connection than material purchases
Journal of Behavioral Decision Making
2024-03-26
Experiential purchases (focused on doing rather than having) provide more satisfaction than material goods. Here, we examine a different downstream consequence of spending money on experiences: fostering social connection. Consumers reported feeling more kinship with someone who had made a similar experiential purchase than someone who had made a similar material purchase—a result tied to the greater centrality of experiences to one's identity. This greater sense of connection that experiences provide applied even when someone else had made a similar, but superior purchase.
Let it go: How exaggerating the reputational costs of revealing negative information encourages secrecy in relationships
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
2024-06-01
Keeping negative interpersonal secrets can diminish well-being, yet people nevertheless keep negative information secret from friends, family, and loved ones to protect their own reputations. Twelve experiments suggest these reputational concerns are systematically miscalibrated, creating a misplaced barrier to honesty in relationships. In hypothetical scenarios (Experiments 1, S1, and S2), laboratory experiments (Experiments 2 and 6), and field settings (Experiments 3 and 4), those who imagined revealing, or who actually revealed, negative information they were keeping secret expected to be judged significantly more harshly than recipients expected to judge, or actually judged, them.
