Gad Saad (; ar, جاد سعد; born 13 October 1964) is a Canadian marketing professor at the
John Molson School of Business
The John Molson School of Business, commonly known as John Molson, is a business school located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The John Molson School of Business was established in 1974 by Concordia University.
Programs
Undergraduate programs
* ...
at
Concordia University
Concordia University (French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the th ...
. He is known for applying evolutionary psychology to
marketing
Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to empha ...
and
consumer behaviour
Consumer behavior is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and all the activities associated with the purchase, use and disposal of goods and services. Consumer behaviour consists of how the consumer's emotions, attitudes, and ...
.
He wrote a blog for ''
Psychology Today
''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direc ...
'' and hosts a YouTube channel titled "The Saad Truth".
Early life and education
Saad was born in 1964 in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family. His family fled in October 1975 to
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
, Canada, to escape the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
. His older brother,
David Saad
David Saad (born 1954) is a Lebanese judoka. He competed in the men's lightweight event at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Biography
Saad studied computer science in which he had a DEUG from University of Paris-Sud, BSc from Concordia University ...
, is a
judoka
is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...
who competed in the
men's lightweight event at the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
on behalf of Lebanon.
He obtained a B.Sc. (mathematics and computer science) and M.B.A. from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...
. Saad's doctoral adviser was J. Edward Russo, the mathematical and cognitive psychologist and behavioral decision theorist.
Saad's nephew is
Ariel Helwani
Ariel Helwani (born July 8, 1982) is a Canadian-American sports journalist, known for his coverage of mixed martial arts (MMA). He is best known for his work at ''MMA Fighting'', but has also worked for Fox and ESPN. Helwani is widely considered ...
, an
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...
journalist.
Saad is an
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
who describes himself as culturally
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
.
Career
Saad has been a professor of marketing at
Concordia University
Concordia University (French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the th ...
since 1994. As of 2020, he holds the Concordia University Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioural Sciences and Darwinian Consumption.
During this time he has also held visiting professorships at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...
,
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
, and the
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...
. He was an associate editor for the journal ''
Evolutionary Psychology
Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach in psychology that examines cognition and behavior from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify human psychological adaptations with regards to the ancestral problems they evol ...
'' from 2012 to 2015. He is an advisory fellow for the
Centre for Inquiry Canada
The Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) is a not-for-profit educational organization with headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Canadian organization was founded as a member and volunteer driven organization in 2007. It is the Canadian affili ...
.
Saad hosts a
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
show titled ''The Saad Truth''. As of February 2021, his channel has received more than 22 million views.
["Montreal professor known as 'The Gadfather' argues against political correctness"](_blank)
''Toronto Star'', Giuseppe Valiante. Canadian Press. 30 October 2016
Saad writes a blog for ''
Psychology Today
''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direc ...
'' titled ''Homo Consumericus''.
Research
One line of research that Saad has been exploring is how hormones affect consumers and the decisions they make. Examples of this research include how showy products affect testosterone levels,
how testosterone levels affect various forms of risk-taking, and how hormones in the menstrual cycle affect buying decisions. Another line of research has involved
gift giving
A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. An item is not a gift if that item is already owned by the one to whom it is given. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation ...
, including how men and women differ in why they give.
Coverage and interviews
Saad has been profiled in the ''
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...
''
and his life story was documented by the
Télévision française de l'Ontario. His views have also been mentioned in ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econ ...
'', ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'', ''
Chatelaine
Chatelaine may refer to:
*Chatelaine (chain), a set of short chains on a belt worn by women and men for carrying keys, thimble and/or sewing kit, etc.
* Chatelaine (horse), a racehorse
* ''Chatelaine'' (magazine), an English-language Canadian wom ...
'', ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'', ''
The Globe and Mail'',
and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''.
Saad had been a contributing author for ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' and ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''.
Saad appeared on
Reason TV
''Reason'' is an American libertarian monthly magazine published by the Reason Foundation. The magazine has a circulation of around 50,000 and was named one of the 50 best magazines in 2003 and 2004 by the ''Chicago Tribune''.
History
''Reaso ...
in November 2011.
In September 2015, Saad was interviewed by
TJ Kirk on the ''
Drunken Peasants Podcast''.
As of 2022, he had been featured on seven episodes of
Joe Rogan
Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC color commentator, podcaster, comedian, actor, and former television presenter. He hosts ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', a podcast in which he discusses current events, comedy, polit ...
's podcast ''
The Joe Rogan Experience
''The Joe Rogan Experience'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian, presenter, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. It launched on December 24, 2009, on YouTube by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban, who was its sole co-host and producer un ...
''.
In February 2022,
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
removed 70 episodes of the podcastincluding one where Saad was featuredreportedly at Rogan's own request.
Saad has also appeared on
Sam Harris
Samuel Benjamin Harris (born April 9, 1967) is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. His work touches on a range of topics, including rationality, religion, ethics, free will, neuroscience, meditation, psychedel ...
's ''Making Sense'' podcast (then titled ''Waking Up''),
''
The Adam Carolla Show'', ''
Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria'', and ''
The Rubin Report
''The Rubin Report'' is a conservative political news talk show hosted by Dave Rubin, airing on BlazeTV and YouTube. The full audio of each episode is additionally available for download as a podcast. In the show, Rubin interviews authors, activi ...
''.
Honours and awards
* Distinguished Teaching Award –
John Molson School of Business
The John Molson School of Business, commonly known as John Molson, is a business school located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The John Molson School of Business was established in 1974 by Concordia University.
Programs
Undergraduate programs
* ...
(2000)
[Concordia.ca Profile at Concordia]
/ref>
* Darwinism Applied Award – Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society (AEPS) (2014)
Bibliography
Books
* Saad, G. (2007). ''The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption''. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. . Book review
* Saad, G. (ed.) (2011). ''Evolutionary Psychology in the Business Sciences''. Springer: Heidelberg, Germany. . Book review
* Saad, G. (2011). ''The Consuming Instinct: What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography, and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature''. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. . Book review
* Saad, G. (2020). ''The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense''. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing. .
Selected journal articles
* "Sex Differences in the Ultimatum Game: An Evolutionary Psychology Perspective". ''Journal of Bioeconomics''. (2001).
* "The Effect of Conspicuous Consumption on Men's Testosterone Levels". ''Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes''. (2009).
* "Future of evolutionary psychology". ''Futures''. (2011).
* "Evolutionary consumption". ''Journal of Consumer Psychology''. (2013).
* "The framing effect when evaluating prospective mates: An adaptationist perspective". ''Evolution and Human Behavior''. (2014).
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saad, Gad
1964 births
Living people
Anglophone Quebec people
Canadian YouTubers
Canadian cognitive scientists
Academic staff of Concordia University
Conservatism in Canada
Cornell University alumni
Cornell University faculty
Critics of creationism
Critics of religions
Critics of multiculturalism
Critics of postmodernism
Dartmouth College faculty
Evolutionary psychologists
Jews from Quebec
Lebanese emigrants to Canada
Lebanese Jews
Male critics of feminism
McGill University Faculty of Management alumni
People from Beirut
Right-wing politics in Canada
Scientists from Montreal
Canadian political scientists
20th-century Canadian scientists
21st-century Canadian scientists
Secular Jews