This study extends the Theory of Planned Behavior by drawing on research investigating the 'halo effect,' which posits that physically attractive people are more likely to be hired, get a raise, perceived positively, and/or live happily within certain professions. Extant work has shown this trend is not generalizable across all fields. For example, scientists who are viewed as relatively unattractive and unsociable are perceived as producing higher quality research compared to their more attractive and sociable counterparts. The fitness industry, and the bodybuilding community in particular, presents an interesting issue where muscularity is an indicator of expertise and credibility, however, for female bodybuilders a muscular physique may diminish her perceived attractiveness and diminish such evaluations. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examines how muscularity influences assessments of attractiveness, credibility, and homophily and indirectly influences participants' attitudes and perceived control over theory own weight lifting behavior. Though the hypothesized model was not a good fit, an exploratory respecification of the proposed model shows physical attractiveness plays a central role in assessments of homophily, credibility, and attitude. / Master of Arts

Voice perception is an integral component to social connection and communication. Using the sound of a voice we infer information about a speaker’s physical, psychological, and emotional characteristics. These impressions that are formed have the potential to influence behavioural responses to others. This thesis examines some of the fundamental assumptions of voice perception by replicating and extending their findings. In chapter 2, the assumption that exposure to voices alters how attractive voices are was tested. We did not find evidence that increased exposure to high- or low- pitched voices affected attractiveness judgements. Given that exposure to voices did not alter their perceived attractiveness, we were curious to explore if attractiveness judgements were part of first impressions people formed from voices. In chapter 3, we explored what people consciously thought about when listening to voices. We then used machine learning to organize and analyse free form descriptions of participant impressions of voices. A diverse set of topics were used when talking about voices including gender, accent, and social traits. We also confirmed that valence, dominance, and attractiveness were all important social dimensions even when participants were not prompted by researchers to evaluate traits on those domains. We followed these results by testing if the same model of dominance, trust, attractiveness, and competence applied in a practical setting. We had participants judge the voices of doctors and nurses. Low-pitched female voices were perceived as more competent sounding than male voices when they were labelled as belonging to doctors. Low-pitched voices were judged as more dominant regardless of voice sex and profession and high-pitched female voices and low-pitched male voices were judged as most attractive regardless of profession. We replicated previous findings for attractiveness and dominance perceptions and extended the work by applying it to a novel context. Our findings challenge and expand on existing assumptions of voice perception. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis takes a multi-layered approach to examine and challenge existing assumptions regarding the influence of the perception of voice on social judgements. We evaluated whether listening to high- or low-pitched voices during an adaptation condition influenced attractiveness judgements in a similar fashion to what has been found previously in normality judgments. We explored the complexity of social voice judgements based on existing social perception models and first impressions people form from listening to voices. Finally, we addressed how those perceptions might influence person judgements in a novel setting. This work provides a glance into the cognitive, social, and evolutionary complexity of voice impressions but also how those perceptions are used in commonplace interactions.

Research question: How do the source credibility dimensions in influencer marketing affect the Swedish consumer's purchase intentions, based on different demographics?  Purpose:  The purpose of this study is to investigate which dimensions of social media influencers' perceived credibility mostly influence the purchase intentions of Swedish consumers​. Method: Quantitative method. Results: The study found that physical and social attractiveness significantly influence Swedish consumers' purchase intentions, with trustworthiness also positively correlated but less predictive in regression analysis. Expertise did not significantly affect purchase intentions. Age correlated positively with perceived expertise and negatively with attractiveness, while educational background had no significant impact on credibility dimensions​. Conclusion: The study concludes that physical and social attractiveness significantly impact Swedish consumers' purchase intentions, with trustworthiness also important. Expertise is valued more by older consumers, indicating that influencer marketing should focus on attractiveness for younger audiences and expertise for older ones.

Syfte med studien var att undersöka om det fanns skillnader mellan yngre och äldre när det kommer till en arbetsgivares attraktivitet. Undersökningen genomfördes på en industriorganisation i Mellansverige, genom en enkätstudie undersöktes fem dimensioner; ekonomi, social, intresse, utveckling och tillämpningutifrån mätinstrumentet Employer Attractiveness Scale (EmpAt). Deltagarna delades in i en av två åldersgrupper beroende på hur gamla de var. De som var mellan 18–39 år räknades in i gruppen yngreoch äldreom de var 40 år och uppåt. Totalt deltog 72 personer i studien, varav 31 yngreoch 41 äldre. Resultatet visade att det inte fanns någon signifikant skillnad mellan åldersgrupperna och vad de prioriterade vid val av arbetsgivare. Däremot fick dimensionen socialt värde det högsta medelvärdet oavsett ålder. / The purpose of the study was to examine whether there was any difference between younger and older people regarding the attractiveness of an employer. The survey was conducted on an industrial organization in central Sweden, through a survey study five dimensions were examined; economy, social, interest, development and application based on the measuring instrument Employer Attractiveness Scale (EmpAt). Participants were divided into an age group of two depending on how old they were. Those who were between 18-39 years old were included in the group young and olderif they were 40 years and up. A total of 72 people participated in the study, of which 31 were youngand 41 were older. The result showed that there was no significant difference between the age groups and what they prioritized when choosing an employer. However, the dimension social value received the highest mean value regardless of age.

<p>This study examines the effects of a person's appearence on grading. 80 teachers in Swedish have assessed a text, illustrated with a picture of the supposed author. The pictures were varied by attractiveness, personality in looks, and gender. Furthermore, a text illustrated by a drawing and an unillustrated text were also used in the study. The texts were sent to the teachers by e-mail and assessed on a scale from 1-10 and the Swedish grading scale IG-MVG (Did not pass – Passed – Passed with credit - Passed with great credit). The photos used had been assessed by university students with regards to attractiveness, intelligence, sympatethicness and ambitiousness. The later three categories were put together in a category named Personality in Looks. No significant effects of looks on grading were found in this study. However, substantial differences indicated that attractiveness seems to have a slight negative effect on grading and that the category Personality in Looks seems to have a slightly positive effect. Gender differences were nearly significant, in favour of the male authors.</p>

This study examines the effects of a person's appearence on grading. 80 teachers in Swedish have assessed a text, illustrated with a picture of the supposed author. The pictures were varied by attractiveness, personality in looks, and gender. Furthermore, a text illustrated by a drawing and an unillustrated text were also used in the study. The texts were sent to the teachers by e-mail and assessed on a scale from 1-10 and the Swedish grading scale IG-MVG (Did not pass – Passed – Passed with credit - Passed with great credit). The photos used had been assessed by university students with regards to attractiveness, intelligence, sympatethicness and ambitiousness. The later three categories were put together in a category named Personality in Looks. No significant effects of looks on grading were found in this study. However, substantial differences indicated that attractiveness seems to have a slight negative effect on grading and that the category Personality in Looks seems to have a slightly positive effect. Gender differences were nearly significant, in favour of the male authors.

Attractiveness matters in business markets, because firms do not dedicate resources equally to all partners. Instead they invest more resources in partners with higher relational attractiveness. Firms need to become attractive in order to gain access to more resources or to be able to work with more skilled or reputable partners. This dissertation studies the construct of relational attractiveness of the customer (RAC), defined as the attractiveness of a business relationship with a particular customer in the eyes of the supplier. The research also investigates corporate online references (COR), because gaining powerful referrals is one of the driving forces behind creating attractiveness in business markets. The study is a three-stage research project drawing on an empirical investigation comprising two focus groups, 79 interviews, a survey of 107 suppliers and online referral data from 1002 companies. These studies investigate the conditions and configurations leading to high or low relational attractiveness, and the motivational conditions and structure of a specific corporate online referral network. Bearing in mind that attractiveness exists in the eyes of the beholder, Study I resolves the previously unclarified problem of how attractiveness can be achieved in different ways. Social Exchange Theory helps to identify conditions of RAC: Trust, Dependency, Financial, Non-Financial Rewards and Costs. In Study II conditions of Trust and Dependency are further developed into Relational Fit and the Comparison Level of Alternatives that address the mutuality and network perspectives of relationship development. The time perspective is introduced to the configurational analysis of RAC through the Maturity condition. As it is revealed in Study I and II, Nonfinancial Rewards are important in creating attractiveness and one of their essential forms is referrals that are addressed in more detail in Study III. This PhD research takes a configurational approach to attractiveness and explores different causal recipes in order to reach the same outcome. In order to investigate the relational complexity of attractiveness, fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) is applied throughout the three studies combined with some other methods, such as content analysis and Social Network Analysis (SNA). QCA is a data analytic strategy that combines within-case analysis and formalised cross-case studies in order to identify multiple configurations leading to the same outcome. Hence, QCA deals more efficiently with the equifinality of complex business problems compared with traditional data analysis methods. Equifinality means that there are various ways in the causal system of achieving the desired outcome. QCA is sufficient in handling methodological challenges such as multi-causality (an outcome of interest rarely has a single cause), interrelatedness (causes are usually not independent of one another) and asymmetry (a specific cause may have different effects on the outcome depending on the context). By challenging existing knowledge, the results show that there is no one best way to achieve relational attractiveness. It is achievable even if Trust and Financial Rewards are not present. Very high RAC was typically achieved in less mature relationships. During the initiation of referral relationships in the case of COR, the expected increase in the initiators` attractiveness in the eyes of potential future partners also plays a vital role. The generalizability of the findings has some limitations, especially regarding the qualitative study where the results are appropriate to falsify some theories (for example, the primary importance of Financial Rewards) but their impact is more related to theoretical development than to statistical generalizability.

The research in natural &amp; organic cosmetics field is particularly scant, and especially in Sweden, no research has been done on the industry of natural &amp; organic cosmetics. In consideration of the global eco-trend and also in order to overcome this research gap, this current thesis is focused on studying Swedish natural &amp; organic cosmetics industry, which nowadays appears to be competitive and challenging as never before. Sweden is one of the most environmentally conscious countries where the consumption of cosmetics reached 15 billion SEK in 2011. There are number of companies and brands which categorize them as natural, and continuously look for ways to attract new and keep existing customers. The increased consumer demand for natural &amp; organic products can be observed, consumer awareness coupled with willingness to purchase products that fit their principles and values, as well as consumer price-sensitivity as a result of global recession and their pursuit of making the best value of money. The requirement of natural beauty products are increasing and are available on environmentally-conscious Swedish market. The motivation behind this study is to enhance understanding about the natural &amp; organic cosmetics industry in Sweden, and take a deeper look by over viewing some companies which are presented on this market. Understanding the industry structure is particularly important. Modified Porter’s five forces model has been used in this thesis in order to make the industry analysis.

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本研究主要目的在探討外表、聲音與性別角色對異性吸引之影響，因此以呈現目標人物之照片、錄音帶及性別角色特質描述來操弄目標人物的外表吸引力（高、低）、聲音吸引力（高、低）及性別角色傾向（符合性別角色刻板印象、不符合性別角色刻板印象）三個獨變項，並以人際判斷量表為依變項，採用受試者間設計，請受試者對所呈現之目標人物作印象判斷，最後再將趼究結果進行統計分析，以了解受試者對異性吸引在此三項特徵上受影響的情形。 　　本研究之有效受試者為２８８位大專學生（包括政大與中國工商大專生，其男女生各１４４名），研究程序乃是請他們在看了目標人物的照片、聽了目標人物的聲音及看完同班同學對目標人物看法的描述後，以所發給的「人際判斷量表」對目標人物做一些印象判斷（實際目的則是測量其異性吸引程度）。 　　研究結果發現：（一）高外表吸引力或高聲音吸引力者較低外表吸引力或低聲音吸引力者顯著的引起男女生受試者較愉快的情緒經驗及較高的喜歡與交往的動機，亦即異性吸引程度較高。（二）「外表吸引力」與「聲音吸引力」有交互作用存在，且發現就男生受試者而言，「聲音吸引力」與「性別角色」二變項也有交互作用存在。（三）目標人物之不同性別角色特質描述對男女生受試者之情緒及異性吸引有不同的影響。就男生受試者而言，目標人物之性別角色特質描述符合性別角色刻板印象者較不符合性別角色刻板印象者引起受試者較愉快的情緒經驗及較高的喜歡與交往的動機；就女生受試者而言，則結果與男生正好相反，即目標人物之性別角色特質描述不符合性別角色刻板印象者較符合性別角色刻板印象者引起受試者較愉快的情緒經驗及較高的喜歡與交往的動機。（四）受試者的外表吸引力自評、聲音吸引力自評、性別角色刻板印象高低、是否已有男（女）朋友等干擾變項均不會影響目標人物之外表吸引力高低、聲音吸引力高低及性別角色傾向對異性吸引之影響效果。 　　本研究最後乃針對不符合假設之結之結果提出討論，並提出本研究之建議，以供未來研究、兩性關係的調適及教育輔導上之參考。 / This study examined the effects of physical attractive-ness,vocal attractiveness and sex-roles orientation on opposite-sex attraction. 288 subjects(144 male and144 female)were shown an opposite-sex target's photograph of high or low physical attractiveness,a tape of high or low vocal attractiveness,and a description of the target who appeared to be sex-role-congruent or incon-gruent in his(her) trait. Then subjects judged the target's attraction on the Interpersonal Judgment Scale. Result indicated that(1)high physically or vocally attractive evoked significantly more pleasant mood and greater attraction than low physically or vocally attractive target. (2)the interaction between physical attractiveness and vocal attractiveness was significant, and also found that the interaction between vocal attractiveness and sex-roles was significant for male subjects. (3)the target's different description of sex-roles evoked different effects for male and female subjects. For male subjects, the target's sex-role was congruous with sex-role stereotypes that evoked more pleasant mood and greater attraction than sex-role was not congruous with sex-role stereotypes. For female subjects, the target's sex-role was not congruous with sex-role stereotypes that evoked more pleasant mood and greater attraction than sex-role was congruous with sex-role ster-eotypes. (4)analysis did not reveal the impacts of self rating of subjects' own physical and vocal attractiveness, sex-role stereotypes, and whether had or not boyfriends (girlfriends) on opposite-sex attraction. The suggestions for further studies and implications of this study for our understanding of the effects of physical and vocal attrac-tiveness, and sex-roles on opposite-sex attraction are discussed.