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Drawing on the choice and self-referent processing literatures, we hypothesized that the act of making consumer choices will augment narcissism, because it directs attention to the self (i.e., increases selfreferencing). Results of three experiments provided support for the proposed path from choice to narcissism via self-referencing (indirect effect), but not for the path from choice to narcissism (total effect). This pattern, first reported in Experiment 1, held only for agentic choices (e.g., products for personal use), which prompt thoughts about the self, and not for communal choices (e.g., charitable organizations), which prompt thoughts about others (Experiment 2). Also, this pattern generalized across agentic choices of public and private products (Experiment 3). We consider theoretical and practical implications.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-08-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:37:48Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 toloy_ds_me_assis.pdf: 367840 bytes, checksum: ae38eafc81eeff2e0cc9a8806b04b951 (MD5) / O modo de produção capitalista se transformou ao longo da modernidade, neste período histórico observamos como os processos produtivos passaram de uma organização fordista para uma forma de organização pós-fordista na medida em que o trabalho imaterial ganhava força, tornando-se um fator importante para a concorrência que se inaugura na nova ordem mundial. No entanto, tais transformações não foram capazes de superar antigas questões como a determinação do indivíduo mediante o trabalho, tampouco os processos de alienação decorrentes das atividades produtivas. Tais alterações também não foram capazes de superar as relações travadas entre indivíduos e mercadorias, visto que o fetiche contido nesta não apenas seguiu operando, mas ao longo da modernidade encontrou vários dispositivos técnicos que lhe conferiram maior eficácia, levando o indivíduo a novas relações de consumo e novas formas de se relacionar socialmente mediante a legitimação das mercadorias. No entanto, esta mesma modernidade também foi palco para diversas formas de resistência e conquistas para os trabalhadores que, através de diferentes formas de organizações, produziram alterações significativas nas relações trabalhistas através das lutas por melhores condições de trabalho, remuneração, direitos, entre outros. Encontramos ao longo da modernidade um indivíduo atuante, capaz de se organizar e, apesar de sua ação não haver superado antigas contradições do modelo econômico de produção, entendemos que estes seguem produzindo novas sínteses frente a realidade que lhes é apresentada, produzindo assim movimentos de resistência frente as incessantes tentativas de captura do modelo econômico / Capitalist mode of production has changed throughout modernity and at this historic period we could notice how production processes have moved from an organization Fordist form to another organization called post-Fordist according to the growing immaterial labor, which become an important factor competition to the new international order. However, such transformations have not been able to overcome old issues such as determining the individual through the work, nor the processes of alienation resulting from productive activities. Such changes have not been able to overcome the relationships between individuals and goods waged since the fetish contained in this operating not followed, but over the modernity found several technical devices that gave it more effectively, leading the individual to new consumer relations and new ways of interacting socially through the goods legitimization. However, the same modernity also played many forms of resistance and victories to the workers, who have produced significant changes in labor relations through the struggle for better work conditions, compensation, rights, among others. Throughout modernity we found an individual active, able to organize and, despite its action will not have solved the contradictions of the old economic model of production, we understand that they continue to produce new syntheses facing the reality that is presented, thus producing resistance movements front of incessant attempts to capture the economic model

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This research reports on the energy transition that has taken place in the Bushbuckridge district between 1991 and 2002. It is a follow up to a similar study that was done in 1991 investigating a number of aspects of energy use. It uses the 1991 study as a baseline and aims to explore how the passage of time, growth of the local population and changes in incomes and the availability of fuels have affected the patterns of fuel use in the region in the past eleven years. A structured interview approach was used for most aspects of the study. The interview schedule included sections on types, amounts and reasons for use and non-use of 13 different energy sources as well as data on income levels, household size and other economic parameters. Analysis of the consumption patterns of the different fuel types revealed that between the two survey periods, households in the sample settlements went through some pronounced changes in patterns of fuel use, particularly those that had acquired electricity. The introduction of electricity in the region had certainly played a major role in spurring the energy transition. Fuels that were previously used for lighting, powering entertainment appliances and refrigeration had been displaced by electricity. In terms of cooking and other thermal application, however, the vast majority of households in all the sample settlements continued using fuelwood and complemented it to a lesser extent with paraffin and electricity. In both surveys, the use or non-use of available fuels in the region was influenced by several factors. Common reasons for non-use of certain fuel types included expense, lack of appliances, the risk involved in using such fuels and the preference for other fuels. Reasons for use were mainly related to the low cost of the fuel and the fuel’s ability to meet particular end uses. Although incomes in the region had increased between 1991 and 2002, they were still below the poverty line. Activities from which households obtained their income remained the same. Old age pension, migrant wages and the informal sector remained the largest contributors of income to most households. Other indicators of relative wealth and poverty, like ownership of vehicles, bicycles and beds remained the same.

iv Abstract This thesis investigates the effects of government spend- ing on aggregate economic variables in the Czech Republic. The standard RBC and New Keynesian models assume only forward-looking households despite the evidence of a sig- nificant fraction of non-optimizing households. These mod- els do not provide reasonable predictions for the response of consumption: both models predict its fall following a gov- ernment spending shock. Therefore, a variant of the New Keynesian model, where rule-of-thumb households coexist with optimizing households, is used for the analysis. We have found that fiscal policy has a positive impact on output, although government spending multiplier does not exceed one. Also, the impact on consumption is positive for several periods following a fiscal spending shock, which is consistent with the evidence. JEL Classification: C32, E32, E62 Keywords: fiscal policy, fiscal multipliers, fiscal VAR, rule- of-thumb consumers

Syftet men denna studie är att förklara om tidskonsumtion som uttryck för Conspicuous Consumption kan påverkas av en människas personlighet utifrån The Big Five”. Studien baseras på en kvantitativ forskningsmetod samt en enkätundersökning genom ett bekvämlighetsurval som genererade 478 svar. Insamlade data analyserades i statistikprogrammet Jamovi. Resultatet visar att hypotes 1, 3 och 4 korroboreras medan 2 och 5 falsifieras. Utöver hypoteserna framkom det att neuroticism är positivt relaterat till tidskonsumtion samt att personer med höga poäng på openness inte lägger någon vikt vid en upptagen eller ledig livsstil eftersom båda anses generera status. Slutsatsen visar att trots att lyxkonsumtion och tidskonsumtion båda genererar status och är en del av Conspicuous Consumption styrs utövandet inte av samma personlighetsdrag. Studiens teoretiska bidrag syftar till att komplettera den begränsade forskningen angående Conspicuous Consumption och tidskonsumtion. Studiens praktiska bidrag har som syfte att öka personers medvetenhet kring hur de konsumerar sin tid samt vad de konsumerar sin tid på eftersom tidskonsumtion kan leda till negativa konsekvenser. Vidare forskning bör undersöka om samtliga personlighetsdrag är positivt relaterade till tidskonsumtion. Det vore även intressant att se om en mer detaljerad The Big Five-undersökning resulterar i starkare kopplingar till tidskonsumtion. / The purpose is to explain whether time consumption as an expression Conspicuous Consumption can be affected by a human ́s personality based on The Big Five. This study is based on a quantitative research method and a online survey based by a convenience samplet that generated 478 responses. Collected data were analyzed in the statistical program Jamovi. The results show that hypotheses 1, 3 and 4 are corroborated while 2 and 5 are falsified. In addition to the hypotheses, it was found that neuroticism is positively related to time consumption and that people with high scores on openness doesn ́t care if it ́s a busy or a free lifestyle because both are considered to generate status. Although luxury consumption and time consumption both generate status and are within Conspicuous Consumption, the use is not determined by the same personality traits. The theoretical contribution of the study aims to supplement the limited research on Conspicuous Consumption and time consumption. The purpose of the study's practical contribution is to increase people's awareness of how they consume their time and what they consume their time on as time consumption can lead to negative consequences. Further research should investigate whether all personality traits are positively related to time consumption. It would also be interesting to see if a more detailed The Big Five survey results in stronger links to time consumption.

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As the world moves towards a more sustainable future and consumers begin to research more sustainable ways to consume, many turn to second hand for purchasing apparel due to its supposed minimal effect on the environment. The second hand market is rapidly growing but research surrounding the implications of its growth is scarce. This study aims to research consumer habits in the second hand fashion market in Sweden. More specifically, if the Swedish second hand consumption reflects the fast fashion way of consuming, meaning purchasing vast amounts of apparel for minimal use. The study utilizes a mixed method of collecting data, both a qualitative and a quantitative method. A survey and interviews were conducted, mapping the consumption habits of second hand apparel of Swedish people in their early twenties. The results show that second hand consumption has some similarities to the fast fashion way of consuming but there are still several differences. There were signs that the second hand market is moving towards excessive consumption practices which the fast fashion industry has been criticized for in the past. The key similarities between second hand fashion consumption and fast fashion consumption observed in the participants were impulse buying, minimal usage of products, seeking trendy items and gaining hedonic pleasure.