In the master thesis, we present theoretically-critical analysis of current academic knowledge about the paradox of choice and related selected personality characteristics. In the theoretical part, we examine the topic of desition-making. First part defines concept of the paradox of choice. The next part also includes previous research related to paradox of choice and related factors. In addition, we examine the phenomenon of post-decision regret in the context of the paradox of choice. In final section we elaborate relevant personality characteristics. The empirical part investigates the effect of paradox of choice, its relation to personality characteristics and post-decision regret. The research includes experiment, which is extended with personality questionnaire measuring maximization tendency, decisiveness and optimism. Those traits are measured by using Maximization scale Lai (2010), Life Orientation Test- Revised (LOT-R) and Bochum Personality Questionnaire (BIP). In the discussion, we further explore features of maximization tendency. Results does not show presence of the paradox of choice. Nevertheless participants from group with the most choices showed significantly more satisfaction with choice compared to participants from group with least choices which suggests opposite effect. In...

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The standard view in epistemology is that propositional knowledge entails belief. Positive arguments are seldom given for this entailment thesis, however; instead, its truth is typically assumed. Against the entailment thesis, Myers-Schulz and Schwitzgebel (Noûs, forthcoming) report that a non-trivial percentage of people think that there can be propositional knowledge without belief. In this paper, we add further fuel to the fire, presenting the results of four new studies. Based on our results, we argue that the entailment thesis does not deserve the default status that it is typically granted. We conclude by considering the alternative account of knowledge that Myers-Schulz and Schwitzgebel propose to explain their results, arguing that it does not explain ours. In its place we offer a different explanation of both sets of findings-the conviction account, according to which belief, but not knowledge, requires mental assent.

The standard view in epistemology is that propositional knowledge entails belief. Positive arguments are seldom given for this entailment thesis, however; instead, its truth is typically assumed. Against the entailment thesis, Myers-Schulz and Schwitzgebel (Noûs, forthcoming) report that a non-trivial percentage of people think that there can be propositional knowledge without belief. In this paper, we add further fuel to the fire, presenting the results of four new studies. Based on our results, we argue that the entailment thesis does not deserve the default status that it is typically granted. We conclude by considering the alternative account of knowledge that Myers-Schulz and Schwitzgebel propose to explain their results, arguing that it does not explain ours. In its place we offer a different explanation of both sets of findings-the conviction account, according to which belief, but not knowledge, requires mental assent.

The environmental issues in the world are critical and sustainability becomes more important. There is a certain lack in the textile industry, where the production of clothes is responsible for water pollution, landfill waste and greenhouse gas emission. A more sustainable way of consumption is required, and one way is to shop for pre-owned and pre-used clothes. The demand for second-hand goods rapidly increases and the market is expected to continue to grow the next coming years. Internet has opened up for a new marketplace and the number of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) platforms increases and become more and more popular to buy and sell second-hand through. Generation Z are the young consumers that were born with technology, and this has led to a change in young people’s behavior, and attitudes and lifestyle which need to be perceived differently from previous generations. However, there is still a lack of research regarding Gen Z as consumers and no previous research has focused on their behavior when it comes to Online Second-hand Shopping Clothes (OSSC) using digital P2P platforms. Hence, this led us to our research question “What are the motives for Generation Z to shop second-hand clothes on digital P2P platforms?”. The aim is to give important insights to managers who are developing marketing strategies in the environment of OSSC, through exploring motivations and dimensions that could impact the behavior of this amongst Gen Z. We also want to give insights of OSSC through not only incorporating theories on shopping motivations, but also include Impulsive Buying Tendency and Perceived Risk. Based on theories of motivations towards Second-Hand shopping such as economical, ideological, fashionability, convenience, ethical and theories of Impulse Buying Tendency and Perceived Risk we constructed a conceptual framework with several hypotheses. To answer our research question and achieve our research purpose we conducted a deductive quantitative study where we through a web survey targeted people born in Gen Z who had experience of OSSC. The findings revealed that as a motive in our baseline regression analysis, ideological and convenience was significant. In our analysis on bivariate correlation, convenience and ethical motives was significant. In the multiple regression with multiple-items measures, convenience was the only significant motivation. Perceived Risk was only significant in our alternative model where it would affect the consumers perception of monetary spending on OSSC. We found no support that fashionability and impulse buying traits are motives for OSSC. Economical motives were not found to be significant as a motivation, but it can be considered a hygiene factor for OSSC. In conclusion, the findings reveal that all motives are important in different aspects, but convenience and ethical motives are strongly supported to be important drivers towards OSSC amongst Gen Z.

For migratory birds the highly dynamic atmosphere plays a significant role during every part of their migratory flight. It is essential for the success of their reproduction that they arrive at the breeding areas in the right time span and in good condition. It follows then a successful and timely migration to their breeding areas is of critical importance to these bird populations. Seemingly, different weather conditions can either be beneficial or detrimental and specifically wind is thought to be the greatest factor for a successful migration. Migratory birds have to, due to various cues, decide when to stop for stopovers as well as decide for next take off from that stopover site. In this study I’ve examined if four different abiotic factors, (wind direction, wind speed, temperature and precipitation) affect snow bunting’s propensity to do stopovers at a coastal site in north of Sweden during spring migration. I’ve also examined if there is a variation in arrival at said site between the years during spring migration. To make this study possible I’ve captured snow buntings at Umedeltat field station during spring 2018 and combined my data with data from 2017 as well as data from 2012. I found no significant correlation with either wind speed, temperature nor precipitation and captured birds. I suggest that a longer study that takes into account more abiotic factors and examines the roles of spatial and temporal patterns during migration of snow buntings needs to be conducted. As the climatic conditions are changing in western Europe it is of importance to monitor how birds are influenced by weather, especially an Arctic-breeding bird, as the climate change is presumed to be greater in those regions.

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The thesis "Purchasing tendency of consumers buying fair-trade products" examines aspects that influence consumer behaviour when buying fair-trade products. The thesis is based on a combination of two research methods - secondary data analysis and semi-structured interview. Secondary research uses data from a survey focused on the purchase, preferences and attitudes of fair-trade that was carried out by the Institute of evaluations and social analysis (INESAN). The quantitative part consist of two texts. The first part concentrates on finding aspects that can play a role in consumers' preference in purchasing fair-trade products. The second part concentrates on the purchase itself. It focuses on the extent to which consumers' purchase of fair- trade products is planned or impulsive. The qualitative part is based on quantitative analysis and focuses on established facts in detail. The thesis concludes that buying fair-trade products is influenced by social aspects, quality, price, availability and awareness of fair-trade products and the level of planning depends on the situation.

The Germanic initial sound combination wr (e.g. in *wrītan 'write') has not been preserved in any standard language. In the Scandinavian languages the development of this sound combination has resulted in five different initial sounds or sound combinations, namely rw, r, w, br and vr. The aim of this study is to describe the occurrence of these sound combinations, and to explain their age and origin. A limited number of words, mainly from Swedish dialects, has been investigated. The Swedish material has been assembled in a collection that has largely also been mapped, and so has a collection of Norwegian dialect material. The result shows that br is frequent in the Swedish dialects and that it also occurs in Trøndelagen and Østlandet in Norway, and on Jutland. R is widespread in Norway and occurs in Sweden in some words in Norrland, Dalarna, Värmland, Dalsland, Uppland and on the island of Gotland. Rw has been documented in Upper Dalarna, and w in the same area, as well as in the Kalix dialect in northernmost Sweden. The author demonstrates that the Norwegian loss of w might have started already in the 6th century in western Norway. The loss on Gotland is independent and can be demonstrated in Old Gutnish. The metathesis rw is found in Swedish and Norwegian 13-14th century sources from Uppland, Västmanland, Östergötland and southeastern Norway. The developments wr &gt; r and wr &gt; rw probably have their roots in a difference between the west Norwegian wr and the east Norwegian and Swedish war which is documented from PrimScand times. W is a secondary development of rw. The change wr &gt; br can be dated by place-name material to the early 15th century. The change wr &gt; vr appears to have taken place at approximately the same time. The author demonstrates that the result, wr &gt; br or wr &gt; yr, is apparently governed by certain phonetic factors. The failure of the Germanic wr to survive depends on the combination being phonetically complex. The risk that w would be lost was therefore considerable. However, differentiating forces worked for its retention. All developments emanating from wr, apparently disparate, can be seen as features of a larger process where a general linguistic tendency towards a weakening of sounds is confronted by conservative forces, with the above results as a consequence. / <p>Doktorsavhandling vid Uppsala universitet 1991</p>