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<p>There is strong agreement among adults both within and across cultures as to which faces are attractive (Langlois et al., 2000), and these perceptions can affect social interactions via the ‘beauty is good’ stereotype (Dion, Berscheid, & Walster, 1972). Adults perceive faces that are symmetrical to be more attractive than faces that are less symmetrical (Perrett et al., 1999), and faces that approximate the population average to be more attractive than most other faces (Langlois & Roggman, 1990). I examined the development of the influence of symmetry and averageness on children’s judgments of facial attractiveness in the faces of children and adults. In the work presented in chapters 2 and 3, I presented children and adults with pairs of faces that had been transformed to be more symmetrical and less symmetrical (chapter 2) or closer and farther from their group average (chapter 3). On each trial, participants selected which face was more attractive from the pair. I found that symmetry did not influence 5-year-olds’ judgments of attractiveness, but it did influence 9-year-olds’ judgments of attractiveness although to a lesser extent than those of adults. I additionally found that averageness strongly influenced 5-yearolds’ attractiveness judgments, and the strength of the preference increased from age 5 to 9, and from age 9 to adulthood. These findings are the first demonstrations that symmetry and averageness influence attractiveness judgments prior to adolescence, and that they influence attractiveness judgments in children’s faces. To assess whether natural differences in face experience can affect how strongly averageness is preferred in different face categories, I tested children attending single-sex schools and expected averageness to influence attractiveness judgments more strongly in same-sex than opposite-sex faces of their own age (chapter 4). I did not find that pattern of results. Averageness might influence attractiveness judgments regardless of the age and sex of face because a minimum level of face experience could be adequate for attractiveness judgments based on a prototype and/or because of similarities among averages of different ages and sexes. Together, the findings of this thesis demonstrate that children assess facial attractiveness based on some of the same dimensions as do adults, but that children are more tolerant of deviations from averageness and symmetry. Developmental changes might reflect the refinement of a face prototype as experience with faces increase, increased visual sensitivity as the visual system develops, and/or increased salience of cues for mate choice after puberty.</p> / Doctor of Science (PhD)

Research shows that human facial and vocal features influence social perceptions of attractiveness and dominance. In general, more feminine facial and vocal features are perceived as more attractive in women and more masculine facial and vocal features are perceived as more attractive in men. More masculine facial and vocal features are generally perceived as more dominant in both women and men. Given that attractiveness and dominance closely relate to inter- and intra-sexual selection, respectively, and that leaders can influence an individual’s fitness, humans likely possess evolved mechanisms for assessing leadership ability. Thus, in prior work, facial and vocal features have been related to perceptions of leadership ability. In this dissertation, I address three previously unanswered questions. First, how do vocal acoustics influence perceptions of leaders and voting preferences? Second, how do vocal acoustics influence perceptions of leaders in different social contexts? Third, how do different methods of stimuli presentation influence the results of studies on face and voice perception? Herein, I demonstrate that participants prefer to vote for lower pitched men’s voices, and that it is unclear precisely how women’s voice pitch influences voting preferences. I also show that the influence of voice pitch on perceptions of leaders depends on the social context. Third, I establish that several methods of stimuli presentation are equally valid to use in studies on face and voice perception. Overall, the studies in this dissertation demonstrate that facial and vocal features influence perceptions of attractiveness, dominance, and leadership ability in a potentially adaptive manner. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Due to urbanization, Sweden’s municipalities have adapted their cities for population growth as peoples’ desire to live closer to service, jobs, and city activities have increased. This has left the rural areas with population decline as the focus have swifted towards the city areas and place attractiveness and service in the rural have decreased. Municipalities need to aim focus on rural areas again to enhance an attractive living environment for its residents, but also to increase population growth again. However, there is a problem on how profitable it is to invest new buildings and infrastructure in those areas.  This study focuses on Sundsvall municipality and its largest rural area, Indals- liden. It investigates opinions of current and recent residents on how the area can increase in attractiveness. The study points out what actions that three types of migrants (immigrants, emigrants, and home returners) want the municipality to prioritize in order to increase attractiveness and attract new residents, but also sustain a pleasant surrounding for existing residents. A rural coordinator explains the prioritized points, that have been analyzed in relative to the lifestyle migrant’s perspective. The results presents both similarities and differences between different groups of migrants on how to increase place attractiveness, but also differences and similarities between push- and pull factors that have driven them to move. Further, there are differences and similarities between the rural coordinator’s opinions and prioritized agenda, and the migrants. This study therefore concludes the importance of using the narrative of residents to ensure that the area stays attractive and have necessary service and infrastructure in order to attract new residents and provide a good living environment for current residents.

During the years, research has been conducted both regarding employer attractiveness, extended self, and Generation Z. The theories and the concept have sometimes been examined alone and sometimes some of them together. Furthermore, the commonly used EmpAt scale has been used quantitatively several times, but the qualitative use of it is more rare. Additionally, the extended self focus has previously been on consumer brands instead of employer brands. It was found that the theories and the concept have not been brought together in the particular qualitative way the authors intended to do. The aim of this thesis was to bring the three concepts together and fill the gap in the literature. More precisely, the aim was to find a connection between employer attractiveness and extended self, and apply the connection to Gen Z.  By bringing them together, the purpose was to examine newly graduates or soon to graduate Gen Z’s perceptions on what actually makes an employer attractive and create a more nuanced understanding. Something that was examined with the help of the extended self and employer attractiveness. The literature review presents the theories and the concept that later lays the foundation for the conceptual framework. The study was deductive, and the approach was qualitative. The conceptual framework was used in order to develop the interview guide that was used for the semi structured interviews. The individuals participating in the interviews were Gen Z that had or currently were studying a degree in Business Administration or Industrial Engineering and Management.  The findingings showcased that the participants' descriptions of what an attractive employer is correlated with characteristics and traits they themselves have. Which the EmpAt dimensions does not consider. However, EA acknowledges this to an extent. Furthermore, the findings showed that there were two factors that were not considered by the EmpAt dimensions that the participants found important. These were transparency and communication. Additionally, two dimensions were found to be more important than the rest for the collective. The two most important ones were social value as well as development value. This was important since the individuals found it crucial to have a good social environment and be able to develop within the employer. The other four dimensions were not of as great importance for the collective, but some individual participants found one or another more important. Therefore, illustrating that the importance of the dimensions are based on personal preference. The findings also showed that the participants related the employer brand and social environment to their extended self. This by discussing the same or similar traits and attributes when talking about themselves and a potential employer.

Ce travail doctoral porte sur l'accroissement des investissements directs à l'étranger dans les pays développés par les entreprises des marchés émergents (EMEs) et leur besoin à attirer et retenir les salariés de talents à l'Ouest. Au moyen de deux enquêtes distinctes nous abordons cette question avec trois études différentes mais complémentaires. La première étude se réfère à la théorie de « organization attractiveness » : Les EMEs ont-elles un handicap d'« emergingness » qui réduit leur attractivité en tant qu'employeur ? Dans le deuxième essai, nous nous appuyons de recherche relatif au « capital psychologique » : Les salariés ayant des niveaux plus élevés de capital psychologique sont-ils moins touchés par le handicap d'« emergingness » ? En utilisant la méthode du « policy capturing » le troisième essai répond à la question : Le handicap d'« emergingness » des EMEs a-t-il un impact sur la décision des salariés de talents de quitter leur emploi après une acquisition? Les résultats suggèrent que les EMEs ont une attractivité organisationnelle significativement plus faible que les entreprises des marchés développés et que les salariés ayant des niveaux plus élevés de capital psychologique sont plus attirés par des sociétés multinationales, et cela quel soit leur origine et que les EMEs subiront une perte de personnel post- acquisition plus élevée. Cette recherche met en évidence l'impact négatif du handicap d'« emergingness » rencontré par les EMEs sur les marchés occidentaux. Notre recherche suggère que les gestionnaires des EMEs devraient prendre en compte ce handicap en se concentrant sur les individus ayant des niveaux élevés de capital psychologique. / This doctoral research focuses on emerging market multinational corporations' (EMNCs) increasing outward foreign direct investment into developed countries and their need to attract and/or retain key Western talent. Using two separate surveys we address this lacuna with three research studies. The first essay uses theory from the organization attractiveness literature to answer the research question: Do EMNCs have a liability of emergingness lowering their attractiveness as employers? In the second essay, we draw upon the rising field of psychological capital to address the research question: Are individuals higher in psychological capital less affected by the liability of emergingness bias? Finally, using policy capturing modeled from the merger and acquisition literature stream, the third essay answers the research question: Does EMNC liability of emergingness impact post-acquisition turnover intentions? Findings in the first essay suggest that EMNCs have significantly lower organizational attractiveness than developed market firms. In the second essay, we find individuals higher in psychological capital more attracted to multinational corporations regardless of their origin. The third study suggests that EMNCs will have higher post-acquisition turnover than developed market firms. Theoretically, this research highlights the negative impact of the liability of emergingness faced by EMNCs in Western markets. Our research further suggests that EMNC managers responsible for recruiting and retention should recognize this bias by focusing on individuals with high levels of psychological capital.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att förklara hur svenska kvinnliga Millennials attityd och köpintention påverkas av influencers på Instagram inom modebranschen. För att besvara syftet har influencerns effektivitet analyserats genom fyra variabler; dessa är source credibility, source attractiveness, product match up och meaning transfer. Studien har grundats i teorier om celebrity endorsement och influencer marketing och olika sätt att mäta hur effektiva endorsern är. Hypoteser formades för att kunna bekräfta samband mellan de fyra variablerna och attityd och köpintention. Empirin samlades in via enkäter till kvinnliga Millennials i Norrbotten där respondenterna fick besvara frågor baserat på en bild och utifrån bilden besvara vilket ord som stämde bäst överens med deras åsikt. Uppsatsen testade nio hypoteser och fem av dessa kunde styrkas. Resultatet visade att source credibility påverkar köpintentionen, det finns ett samband mellan source attractiveness och attityd men attraktivitet är inte en tillräcklig stark källa för att övertyga konsumenter till köp. Product match up påverkar Millennials köpintention, meaning transfer har ett positivt samband till konsumenternas attityd och attityd påverkar köpintention. För vidare forskning föreslås en kvalitativ undersökning för att få djupare förståelse av Instagram-influencers påverkan paå Millennialskonsumenter. / The purpose of this report was to explain how Swedish female Millennials attitudes and their purchase intention were affected by influencers on social media. This has been done by analyzing four variables; source credibility, source attractiveness, product match up and meaning transfer. The study was based on theory about celebrity endorsement, influencer marketing and different ways of measuring how effective the endorser is. Hypotheses were formulated to be able to confirm relationships between the four variables, and attitudes and purchase intention. The data were gathered from female Millennials in Norrbotten via an online survey and the respondents got to answer questions based on a picture and answer what word which best described their opinion of the picture. The report tested nine hypotheses and five of these could be confirmed. The result showed that source credibility affects the purchase intention. There is a relationship between source attractiveness and consumer attitude, however attractiveness is not a strong enough source to convince the purchase intention of consumers. Product match up affects Millennials purchase intention, meaning transfer has a positive relationship towards consumer attitude, and attitude affects purchase intention. For future research, it is suggested to make a qualitative study in order to gain deeper understanding the effect of Instagram-influencers on Millennial consumers.