The University of South Australia has decided to open the doors on a new research institute dedicated to the many choices we have to make.

Academic expertise in choice behaviour research will flock to the new Institute for Choice, investigating new ideas and perspectives on decision-making in all parts of society.

The traditional fields of marketing, economics, mathematics, engineering, sociology and psychology all come together to influence choice and the research thereof, according to choice modelling research professor Jordon Louviere .

“It is a powerful tool for understanding and analysing why people behave the way they do, not only why they shop for certain products or brands of products, but other important decisions such as why they choose to educate their children in a certain way, why they take care of some aspects of their health but not others.

“For managers and leaders of modern companies the methodology also provides a multidisciplinary view on how decision making occurs and underpins analysis, for example, of new product development and provision of social services.”

The new Institute for Choice will partner with UniSA’s globally respected Ehrenberg Bass Institute for Marketing Science, but it is not in the same state. The Institute has its shop front in Sydney for better access to foreign markets and visiting experts.

“When it comes to research we are increasingly solutions-focussed and to take that approach we can’t afford to be bound by geography,” UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd says.

“The new Institute is based in Sydney because it is a key centre in the Asia-Pacific and is already a strong focus for business in the region. What the Institute can offer those businesses is access to leading academic and applied research relevant to consumer choice and consumer behaviours.”