While online shopping has high social acceptance and support from mature related industries in China, a considerable number of consumers choose to shop offline. The purpose of this study is to explore the specific factors that give consumers the intentions to shop offline. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is adopted as the theoretical framework to give a holistic view of intention-forming. Multiple-case studies are performed in this qualitative research. We study the contents of the interviews via TPB. Fifteen Chinese consumers take part in the research as the respondents in semi-structured interviews. After coding transcriptions, we explore detailed factors and divide them into three aggregates from TPB: attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. The analysis of the interviews also supports the transformation of three dimensions of TPB.

Background: Customers find great psychological satisfaction and pleasure when shopping. Customer satisfaction is crucial for a business's success, and increasing it will strengthenfinancial performance and competitiveness. Offline shopping still dominates the customersindustry, although customers are increasingly choosing online shopping as a result offast-growing technological developments in society. However, physical experiences shouldnot be left behind due to customer’s satisfaction from the instant gratification they desire. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain how customer perceived value, customerexpectations, and touch experience have an impact on customer satisfaction in an offlineshopping context. Methodology: This research is conducted through a deductive and quantitative approach,which has an explanatory aim. Three hypotheses have been deducted from theoreticalconcepts found from previous research. The data collection method was collected through aninternet-based, self-completion questionnaire, to see if the hypotheses were supported or not.A total of 105 respondents participated in the study. Findings: The findings indicate that customer perceived value H1, which explains a positiveimpact on customer satisfaction in the context of offline shopping, cannot be supported due tostatistical insignificance. Customer expectation, as presented through H2, and touchexperience, as presented through H3, were found to have a statistically significant andpositive impact on customer satisfaction. The conceptual model was revised in this studybased on the new findings, retaining the acceptable assumptions as the new model. Conclusion: In offline shopping, the positive impact of customer expectation on customersatisfaction is the most obvious, followed by the touch experience. Customer perceived valuehas no positive impact on customer satisfaction, and the reason for this situation may be thatthe perceived value of customers differs among different consumption levels.

This paper studies the relationship between e-commerce diffusion and number of local establishments in the Nordic regions. The analysis is built upon a model which specifies an industry model with consumers search costs buying from heterogenous producers by Goldmanis et al (2010).  E-commerce technology features, such as price comparison websites, have dramatically lowered consumers’ search costs in the online market. Regressions will be tested on the retail sale of three different sectors: food and tobacco, information and communication equipment, and cultural and recreation goods sectors. The results will be compared to the total retail sale sector, and towards the online-only retail sector. Many jobs are on the line if the trend continues to close down local retail stores, and this paper will give an update on where the number of local retail establishments are heading for both policymakers and firm management. / Den här studien undersöker sambandet mellan e-handels påverkan på antal lokala varuhandel butiker i nordiska regionen. Analysen bygger på en modell som specificerar konsumenters sökkostnader inom en industri som köper från heterogena producenter av Goldmanis (2010). Prisjämförelse hemsidor har drastiskt sänkt konsumenters sökkostnader efter det lägsta priset för en given vara inom e-handel. För att undersöka hur lokala butiker har påverkats kommer regressioner att genomföras för att testa sambandet mellan ökad e-handel och antalet lokala butiker inom industrierna mat och tobaks, IT och kultur. Resultaten kommer att jämföras med den totala handeln för all varuförsäljning, samt mot e-handeln. Många jobb kan komma att försvinna inom en snar framtid om trenden hos företag fortsätter att stänga lokala butiker. Den här studien kommer att ge en uppdaterad bild hur det ser ut för antalet lokala butiker i den nordiska regionen som kommer att vara användbart för beslutsfattare och ledningen inom företag som verkar inom varuhandel.

Over the recent years, we have seen an immense increase in technology. Though the Internet can be convenient to students, it can also bear negative repercussions. Cyberbullying has impacted millions of people across the nation hindering them in many ways. The Bullying occurs through different outlets, from websites, emails to text messages. Victims cannot truly escape the matter because it follows them wherever they may go. The intent of this thesis was to see who the victims of cyberbullying are, what the aftermath effect is, and whether they notify an adult about their situation. Using data from the School Crime Supplement based on the National Crime Victimization Survey, the findings suggest that females are victims of cyber bullying more frequently than males and that adults are not commonly notified when victimization occurs. Furthermore, the repercussions of victimization include fear of harm or attack, as well as skipping classes to avoid the problem. By exploring cyberbullying and its effect, through time studies such as this one will raise awareness in society and contribute towards the solution of cyberbullying.

Millennials are the world's digital natives and its largest generation. A general perception of this generation is that they lack engagement in social-political issues. This study explores how Millennials are engaging in social media activism and whether online activism is driving offline activism behaviors. A quantitative survey of 306 participants was conducted to learn more about the gratifications Millennials obtain through social media and whether associations exist between their online and offline activism behaviors. The results showed that Millennials engage in online activism behaviors to a greater extent than offline activism behaviors. Millennials primarily gratify intrinsic needs for interaction and belonging by engaging in social media activism behaviors. So-called “slacktivism” behaviors were most common among Millennials engaging in online activism. Similarly, online activism behaviors that require greater investment from Millennials were a good predictor of activism behaviors that occur offline. Results also demonstrate that, at an individual identification level, Millennials self-perceptions as activists predicted engagement in both online and offline activism.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(情報学) / 甲第24856号 / 情博第838号 / 新制||情||140(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院情報学研究科知能情報学専攻 / (主査)教授 鹿島, 久嗣, 教授 河原, 達也, 教授 森本, 淳 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Informatics / Kyoto University / DFAM

People in different environments encounter various mood disorders. The flattened internet perhaps offered chances for conveying more balanced therapy resources.  This study starts by considering the multiple environments of self-healing experience and focuses on groups in need of self-healing. The theories consist of the offline to online environments and the interaction between representations, the processes of co-design, and the application of cognitive therapy approaches and trauma design tools.   The methods include Research Through Design and Mixed methods research. Qualitative research included an interview attached to the questionnaire, and a workshop could make participants share, learn, and change. The methods are applied to execution and combine the theories' interpretation to contribute to the result. The design results give the target group a more free and less financially stressful way to heal themselves.  This thesis finds the requirements of adjusting changeable and chronic twisted cognition, combining the co-design process to incorporate the contribution of participants and the professional therapy resources. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

The Digital Gap: An Exploration of Social and Emotional Aspects of Adolescent Behavior Online and Offline Julia M. Walsh Doctor of Philosophy Temple University, 2015 Major Advisor: Frank Farley, PhD Access to the Internet and the use of social networking sites are commonplace activities for modern day adolescents. This part of life is a crucial time of growth based in the development of identity and meaningful peer relationships and peer group affiliations. With the growing popularity of social networking sites comes both negative and positive outcomes for teens’ social and emotional functioning, which ultimately impacts the advancement of psychosocial autonomy. This study is designed to help parents and educators understand the social and emotional facets of adolescent behavior in the online and offline settings as they provide guidance, support, and direction to teens as well as develop educational programs that address teens and technology. The study examines various aspects of social and emotional functioning among adolescents in three social settings: in school, outside of school, and on social networking sites. The features of social and emotional functioning that are examined include: personal outcomes of social situations, communication about risk behavior, reactions to mean and cruel behavior, and affective and conative functioning. In addition, the extent to which teens report possessing thrill-seeking personality characteristics is also measured. The relationship between these variables is investigated through self-report data, gathered through a questionnaire, and provided by 117 students at a suburban high school outside of Philadelphia, PA. Results of the study suggest that, in general, adolescents’ personal outcomes of social experiences, communication about risk behaviors, and reactions to mean and cruel behavior appear to occur substantially more often during social activities outside of school in contrast to in school or on a social networking site. With respect to personal experiences, adolescents report having generally positive experiences more often than negative experiences across all three settings. With regard to communication about risk behaviors, teens report talking about alcohol, drugs, sex, and tobacco more often during social activities outside of school than in school or on a social networking site. Adolescents also report communicating significantly more often about sex and alcohol and to a lesser extent drugs, in contract to tobacco use. In relation to reactions to mean and cruel behavior, the teens in this sample report that they are significantly more likely to defend the victim, ignore the situation, or tell the person to stop rather than join in the harassment. Teens are significantly more likely to engage in these reactions to mean and cruel behavior during social activities outside of school and in school in contrast to time spent on a social networking site. Little information was discerned regarding affective and conative functioning. Finally, thrill seeking (i.e. Type T personality traits) were less associated with risk- taking behavior and more associated with social responses to mean and cruel behavior. It is important to note limitations of this research regarding the sample, such as racial make-up and gender distribution, as well as with respect to sampling and the tool of measurement. Nonetheless, this study provides valuable insight into the developmental period of adolescence and how it is impacted by advancements in technology, particularly as these changes relate to socialization. Parents, educators, researchers, and policy makers must be aware of the differences that exist between the physical and virtual settings for teens. Results from this study will inform parents and educators about the factors most associated with psychosocial development for adolescents in today’s world. These findings, in conjunction with findings from previous research, will provide support for ways to communicate with teens about pertinent features of social and emotional functioning as well as inform the development of new educational programs to train parents and students on the purpose, use, and advantages and disadvantages of online communication. / Educational Psychology

While existing off-policy evaluation (OPE) methods typically estimate the value of a policy, in real-world applications, OPE is often used to compare and rank policies before deploying them in the real world. This is also known as the offline policy ranking problem. While one can rank the policies based on point estimates from OPE, it is beneficial to estimate the full distribution of outcomes for policy ranking and selection. This paper introduces Probabilistic Offline Policy Ranking that works with expert trajectories. It introduces rigorous statistical inference capabilities to offline evaluation, which facilitates probabilistic comparisons of candidate policies before they are deployed. We empirically demonstrate that POPR is effective for evaluating RL policies across various environments.

Through the research methods of questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews, this study aims to explore the identity construction process of Chinese youth in mobile games and its influencing factors. It has been found that players' identity construction is a complex, multidimensional, and dynamic process in which gaming experiences, social interactions, consumption behaviors, and emotional responses are key factors in construction of identity. Specifically, players construct and express their self-identity in mobile games through character selection, completion of in-game tasks, and in-game social interactions; online and offline social interactions enhance players' sense of belonging and recognition of their identity; players' consumption of virtual items improves players' status in the gaming community and their sense of self-recognition; and in-game emotional experiences have a significant impact on identity construction and recognition. In addition, gender stereotypes still exist in mobile games and have some degree of influence on players' identity construction in mobile games. Further, this study also focuses on analyzing the impact of the convergence of online and offline identities on Chinese youth's identity construction. This convergence promotes youth identity in both online and offline communities, reinforcing the influence of gaming culture in players' lives and blurring their self-presentation in different environments. However, while this convergence is an irreversible trend, there are specific types of games where players are avoiding it as much as possible because they want to establish distinct boundaries between online and offline identities for a better gaming experience and to try to explore more different identities in an anonymous environment. The contributions of this study are, first, to extend the application of identity construction and identity theory to online spaces and mobile games. Second, this study analyzes the behavioral patterns and characteristics of Chinese youth's identity construction in mobile games, demonstrating the new dynamics of youth identity construction in digital culture. Third, the results of the study provide theoretical support and relevance for understanding the behavior and psychology of contemporary Chinese youth in mobile games, and provide practical references for the fields of game design and policy making. In addition, this study has certain limitations, such as the small sample size and the primary reliance on qualitative data, which may lead to generalizability of the findings to be further verified, as well as the possibility of some degree of social desirability bias. Therefore, future research can be conducted to further validate and enrich the findings of this study by expanding the sample size, combining behavioral data and empirical research. It is worth to note that with the popularization of VR, AR and AI technologies, the boundaries of identity construction in offline and online spaces may be further blurred, and identity research will also be expected to usher in new theoretical challenges and opportunities, which provides a broad space for future research.