Minority phenotype preference, or the negative frequency-dependent selection is a type of selection, where a feature is more preferred, the lower it's frequency is in the population. Even a weak effect in other-preference based sexual selection can result in a sustainable polymorphism. This study reviews the phenomenon in the context of human visual facial features. Common trends in attractiveness shape the morphology of the human face towards uniformity. Individual recognition however, as a condition for most social relations, uses the wast variability of different features. This variability could be formed and maintained by minority phenotype preference. In our study we tested the effect of minority phenotype preference in the selection for rare hair and eye colors. In 120 unique sets, each containing six photographs, we experimentally manipulated the frequency of each color type. These sets were then shown to 226 human raters. We tested whether the relative frequency of each color type affected the rating of individual stimuli. In hair color, significant effect of minority phenotype preference was detected when females rated the photographs of men. When males rated the photographs of females, the effect was significant in eye color only. Key words: face perception, sexual selection,...

M. Tech. (Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / In the case of cosmetic products, which convey both psychological and symbolic benefits to consumers, it is imperative for marketers to expand the scope of product trial as it presents a novel strategy for signalling the success of new products. In lieu of this, considerable attention should be accorded to the ubiquitous role of influential consumers who are instrumental in influencing the behaviour of other consumers through exemplary conduct and/or interpersonal word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. In this vein, this study sought to examine the influence of selected factors on market maven tendency and the ultimate trial of new cosmetic products by female consumers in the southern Gauteng. This presents the need to examine empirically the role of market mavens who play an indispensable role in filling the omitted information gaps existing within the market. Particularly, this research is in response to calls for unremitting replications of the work seeking to establish the nomological variables that are antecedent to the market mavenism construct. The study drew from the confluence of the Two-step flow theory and the Stimulus Organism Response (SOR) theory, which provided theoretical lenses in understanding how various stimuli could possibly influence the maven tendency (organism) and the ultimate trial of new cosmetic products (response) by those mavens situated in the southern Gauteng region of South Africa. In view of achieving the overarching objective of this study, a sample survey was conducted in 2018 using a sample of female market mavens that were selected on referral basis, after applying the snowball sampling technique. In the cross-sectional based sample survey, a self-administered questionnaire was utilised. Drawing from the responses, a trichotomisation was developed, enabling the researcher to categorise the participants by including those individuals reporting either low (n=86), moderate (n=141) or high (n=248) maven tendency scores. Resultantly, the findings from a cross-section of 475 female mavens were admissible for statistical analysis. Drawing from the statistical analysis, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) procedure steered the extraction of six components that are salient towards calibrating the tendency towards market mavenship among female consumers of cosmetic products. The scale items along these six components yielded acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged between 0.792 and 0.876), whereas the results of the descriptive statistics revealed mean score rankings above 4.0 across the six components, thereby signalling agreeability among the participants with regard to the determinants of market maven tendency. Likewise, weak to moderate correlation coefficients that were positive and statistically significant (p <0.01) were also established in this work (ranging between +0.297 and +0.639). This inferred the existence oflinear and direct relationships among the variables examined in this work. Based on this, it was possible to conduct a structural equation modelling procedure. Prior to testing the hypothesised relationships, model fit of the measurement model was evaluated. Moreover, analysis of the statistical accuracy measures in terms of the reliability and validity of the measurement model pointed to the existence of a six-variable structure of new product trial, comprising consumer innovativeness, aspirational attractiveness, social norms influence, advertising efficacy, market maven tendency and new cosmetic products’ trial. Correspondingly, the direction and prediction among these constructs was tested by specifying a structural model. The structural model yielded adequate fit indices. In terms of prediction, the four constructs, namely consumer innovativeness (ß=+0.441; Z=9.292; p<0.01), social norms influence (ß=+0.339; Z=7.272; p<0.01), advertising efficacy (ß=+0.293; Z=6.607; p<0.01) and aspirational attractiveness (ß=+0.182; Z=4.099; p<0.01) were proven to have positive and statistically significant predictive influence on market maven tendency, in that order. Together, the four stimuli are presumed to explain approximately 43 percent of the variance in the tendency towards market mavenship among the responding female consumers. Market maven tendency was confirmed as a predictor of new product trial in this research (ß=+0.478; Z=8.448; p<0.01). This latter path proved that the tendency towards market maven behaviour explains approximately 23 percent on the variance in new product trial among female mavens. These maiden findings suggest that it is possible to anchor the construct of market maven tendency along a broader behavioural science theory, comprising selected stimulus elements. In particular, the results derived in this study demonstrate the three-fold orientation of the female maven in terms of innate (consumer innovativeness), context-based (social norms influence and advertising efficacy) as well as the desired or sought-after (aspirational attractiveness) stimuli that influence market maven tendency. In addition, the study confirmed that new product trial could act as an invaluable tool for raising awareness about the features and benefits of new cosmetic products. Based on these results, it is recommended that marketing managers capitalise on the contribution of market mavens as auxiliary dispensers of new beauty product information.

Today, brick-and-mortar retailers are facing changes, as we are moving away from a service economy towards an experience economy. These changes reshape customers´ preferences. Reatilers have shown an inability to adapt to these changes, indicating that there is a need for further insights on the subject. To address this lack of knowledge, this thesis aimed at investigating the customer experience in brick-and-mortar fashion retailers in order to obtain knowledge about how experiential offerings create perceived value and customer satisfaction, which ultimately leads to store attractiveness.  This study focused on investigating the customer experience holistically, by using the "Experience Economy 4E construct" together with three dimensions of perceived experiential value as a theoretical framework. The application of this holistic approach to the customer experience has until now been relatively unexplored, which justify the purpose of this thesis.  This qualitative study was conducted by using six semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, the emprical data collection was analysed using a thematic analysis. This generated valuable insights to which aspects were considered to create positive as well as negative feelings, which consequently affect customer satisfaction and store attractiveness.  The result showed that experiential offerings from brick-and-mortar fashion retailers create perceived experiential value, which in turn leads to customer satisfaction and store attractiveness. Furthermore, the result indicated that educational experiences, esthetic experiences and social interactions are the primary value-creating sources.

This master thesis The magic and power of red lipsticks represents theoretical-empirical analysis that argues how red lipsticks influence our perception and how we communicate through them with our surrounding. The thesis stems from the basic assumption that red lipstick is truly important and bold communication mean that is able to talk to our surrounding in a completely different ways than other colors or color shades. The aim of the thesis was to find out whether the aforementioned assumption matches the reality. Key questions for this master thesis were as follows: How do women communicate with their surrounding through red color (red lipstick)? What do they expect from these communication means? How do they feel when they communicate through these means (when they wear red lipstick)? How to they perceive reactions for this mean of communication? What are these reactions like (men- and women- wise)? The master thesis is based on researches from the field of beauty, human attractiveness or perception of red color that have already been done and it presents several different theories about human beautification as well as cosmetics evolution and evolution of perception of beauty itself. Except these, the thesis focuses on media content and the ways in which media, mainly social media and other...

Human face is a complex semantic organ, which among others reflects also human individuality due to the high variance of facial morphologies. This study examines the relationship between psychological characteristics and social status. Moreover, we have analyzed variability in facial form and its relation to a particular social rank. The study was performed on a set of photographs containing 55 pictures of men in a management position. These photographs were evaluated by 47 male (average age - 22 years) and 77 female (average age 21,6 years) respondents. The data were analyzed by means of classical methods of statistical testing as well as geometric morphometrics methods. This study tests whether there is a relation between three psychological characteristics - dominance, attractiveness, trustworthiness - and social status. The effect of perceived dominance and attractiveness on social status were not significant. Nevertheless, we found statistically significant relationship between perceived trustworthiness and social rank. We were not able to detect morphological facial structures, which would distinguish the heads of department from the chief executive directors. However the parametric tests discovered statistically significant differences between the facial morphology of a trustworthy and...

The locations surrounding is a primary factor for office tenants when chosing space. What makes the location attractive, however, depends on a number of factors for instance the  office tenants' individual preferences. This thesis aims to Explain  how an area and it’s surrounding office buildings are affected by the establishment of a new commercial space. Futhermore, we have more closely studied Mood Stockholm which is one of the newest and most exciting commercial spaces in Stockholm. The area around Mood Stockholm was previously forgotten and lacked movement of people. Even though the property is located in Stockholm CBD which generally has a high demand and market rents, the property’s vicinity was not that attractive. The results of this study shows that the commercial space has brought life into the area by bringing an increase of people  and in turn a higher number of urban activities and services. The general street environment has also been improved. It can therefore be concluded that the commercial space has increased the  area's attractiveness.   The results also showed that the establishment of Mood Stockholm has increased the activity and movement in the area. This in turn has created a safer environment in the neighborhood. The establishment of the commercial space has Also  led to a higher demand for office premises in the neighborhood and increased rent levels. It has also been found that the area has gone from a level –B area to a level--‐A area which indicates an increased willingness to pay a higher price for the rented space. The attractiveness of the area, however, has also been affected by other factors where cooperation between property owners in the area have been shown to have a significant impact on the area's development.

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Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur en kommun med en generellt långvarig befolkningsminskning arbetar med platskvaliteter och attraktionsvärden ur ett planerings- och invånarperspektiv. Det besvaras genom att studera hur platskvaliteter och attraktionsvärden tar sig uttryck i planeringsprocessen i Ödeshögs kommun, hur dess invånare beskriver vad som förhöjer och försämrar kommunens attraktivitet samt potentiella förbättringsmöjligheter. Uppsatsen tar avstamp i forskning kring krympande kommuner, platskvaliteter och attraktionsvärden, samt tidigare exempel på hur platser som upplevt en befolkningsminskning arbetar med attraktivitet. För att studera problemområdet har en dokumentanalys av Ödeshögs kommuns översiktsplan gjorts och intervjuer med tjänstepersoner från kommunen genomförts. Dessutom gavs invånare möjlighet att delta i en enkätundersökning. Resultatet visar vilka platskvaliteter och attraktionsvärden som framhävs ur ett planerings- och invånarperspektiv och hur kommunen planerar för fortsatt utveckling. / The purpose of this thesis is to study how a municipality with a generally long-term population decline works with quality of place from a planning and resident perspective. This is answered by studying how quality of place is expressed in the planning process in Ödeshög municipality, and how its residents describe what increases and reduces the attractiveness, as well as potential improvements. The thesis is based on research regarding shrinking municipalities, quality of place, and previous examples of how places that have experienced a population decline work with attractiveness. To study the matter, a document analysis of the municipality's comprehensive plan, interviews with officials and a survey aimed at residents were carried out. The result shows the place qualities that are emphasized from a planning and a resident perspective and how the municipality plans for further development.

Att företag använder sig av influencers som ett marknadsföringsverktyg på sociala medier blir allt vanligare att se. Precis som det engelska ursprungsordet influence betyder så handlar influencer marketing om att varumärken använder personer med stora nätverk av följare för att påverka andra konsumenter till varumärkeskännedom och köpbeslut. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur varumärken använder sig utav influencers som ett marknadsföringsverktyg för att skapa trovärdighet genom samarbeten på sociala medier. Studien har undersökt vad det finns för möjligheter samt problem som denna typ av marknadsföringsverktyg kan innebära. För att undersöka frågeställningen har författarna intervjuat två medelstora influencers och två stora varumärken inom skönhet. Deras expertis och kunskap inom influencer marketing har bidragit till ett exceptionellt forskningsmaterial för denna studie. Slutsatsen visade på att varumärken som använder influencers som ett marknadsföringsverktyg gör det i syfte att stärka relationen till sina kunder, samtidigt som de vill öka sin varumärkeskännedom. Influencers som samarbetar med varumärken anser sig själva inspirera sina följare att prova nya varumärken, samtidigt som de ger en ärlig och rättvis recension. Detta sammanlänkar de tre delarna som ingår i marknadsföringsverktyget, vilket är influencer, mottagare och varumärke. / The fact that companies use influencers as a marketing tool on social media is becoming increasingly more common. Just as the English origin word influence means, influencer marketing is about brands using someone with a large number of followers and a power to affect and influence other consumers to brand awareness and purchasing decisions. The purpose of this study is to investigate how brands use influencers as a marketing tool to create credibility through collaborations on social media. The study will examine what opportunities there are as well as problems that this type of marketing tool can entail. To answer the research question, the authors have interviewed two medium-sized influencers and two major beauty brands. Their expertise and knowledge in influencer marketing have contributed to an exceptional research material for this study. The conclusion showed that brands that use influencers as a marketing tool do it, in order to strengthen the relationship with their customers, while at the same time increase their brand awareness. Influencers who work with brands consider themselves to inspire their followers to try new brands, while giving them an honest and fair review. This conclusion links the three parts included in the marketing tool, which are influencers, recipients and brands.

This thesis introduces sociolinguistic phenomenon called street compliment, that has not been studied much in Czech Republic. It is a form of a comment given in public places by unacquainted persons, most commonly by men to women but not exclusively. Based in the feminist tradition the research was realized as a set of semi-structured interviews with eight female participants. The research revealed how the participants understand the phenomenon and how the heteronormative configuration of society is being perpetuated. The interpretation of street compliment as a form of a compliment is based on the discourse of female atractiveness and a strong sexual drive at males. The street compliment can be used to express sexual interest, to perform masculinity or to perform identity overall. The street compliment as a display of masculine behaviour towards a legitimate target, that is to say attractive woman, refers to the use of street compliment as a mean of disciplination of female subjects. The participants agreed that they do not utter street compliments because of its convenience. Instead they would express their interest in a group of friends without exteriorizing it. On one side the participants create subversive discourses, however it is common to observe symbolic violence done to them, amongs other...