Background: The emergence of mobile phones today and in history proves to beexceptionally unique in the consumer electronics market as well as the telecommunicationmarket. The reason behind the huge growth of the industry has been the exceptional evolutionof the technology used in the mobile devices in terms of performance and miniaturization. Purpose: The purpose of the research is to investigate the different stages within theconsumer decision making process and the influencing factors that have a grip overconsumers and shape the consumer behaviour towards smartphones. The study is aimed atexploring the main reasons that affect the buying decision of students regarding a specificcase, which is the iPhone product and its student users in the Swedish market. By focusing ona specific segment of the iPhone consumers, the research will present more accurate and clearresults. The theoretical perspective of the study will be using the traditional five-stagedecision-making model as a backbone thus putting the main focus of the analysis on theconsumer behaviour of the respondents. Method: Additionally, the paper will take the customers’ point of view in order to portray theinfluencing factors that exist within the consumers’ decision-making. For the purpose of thestudy, 12 iPhone users will be interviewed through semi-structured interviews and thegathered data would be analysed and coded in order to find and synthesize the results into aframework that will be developed specifically for the case. Conclusion: According to findings that were made regarding the iPhone case, there were afew factors that stood out as the most relevant when it comes to the students’ purchasedecision - brand loyalty, culture and society, perceived risk, financial influence, usage andproduct features. After the initial purchase of an iPhone which is mainly influenced by socialinfluences, it can be concluded that brand loyalty plays a key role in the repurchase behaviourof customers.

Sufficient rest breaks are needed for optimal performance in traditional workplaces, but it is unclear how working with a loosely structured work schedule impacts recovery. Students have temporal flexibility and serve as a good proxy for all groups who work unstructured work schedules. Since most students and employees use the weekend to recover, this study investigated the relationship between recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment, relaxation, and mastery) over the weekend and the state of being recovered on the following Monday. Further, the relationship between the state of being recovered on Monday and weekday performance indicators (i.e., task performance and personal initiative) was investigated. Data was collected over three consecutive weeks from a cohort of first-year university students (N = 106) using a quantitative diary study design. This study administered seven surveys (i.e., a personal data survey once, a pre-weekend survey three times, and a postweekend survey three times). After three weeks, 66 participants (N = 66) had completed all the surveys at the person level, yielding 148 matched observations at the week-level. Multilevel modelling showed that weekend relaxation positively predicted the state of being recovered on Monday. Weekend psychological detachment and weekend mastery experiences did not predict the state of being recovered on Monday, and the state of being recovered did not predict weekly personal initiative or weekly task performance. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are presented, as are limitations and suggestions for future research.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to contribute knowledge on how students in an academic setting conceptualise information literacy, how they interact with information and library provided resources to meet their information needs, as well as to examine how the academic library supports students with their studies as a facilitator and its role in information literacy instruction. Taking a qualitative approach, the study used semi-structured interviews to gather the necessary data. To collect the empirical data, twenty-six students of the University of Cyprus (UCY) who actively use the library of the institution were interviewed. After the interviews, several themes emerged concerning how students conceptualise information literacy, as well as their opinions on the role of the library as a facilitator for their studies. The findings showed that students relate information literacy mainly to information seeking activities and the appropriate use of information. Concerning the use of library resources, students tend to use both printed and electronic material in order to meet their information needs. The findings also revealed that students are satisfied with the library collection as they find it quite sufficient in helping them accomplish their studies. As far as the teaching of information literacy is concerned, most interviewed students believe that a stand-alone credit information literacy course would be more beneficial and efficient for students, rather than an information literacy course embedded in one of their classes. The importance of an active mode and the compulsory nature of these courses against a passive mode and non-mandatory nature has also been stressed by the students.

This purpose of this quantitative study was to examine health beliefs among Caribbean-born university students regarding acceptance or rejection of influenza vaccination among populations at institutions of higher education. In addition, acculturation was addressed as a factor affecting cultural health beliefs. A survey was completed by 98 students enrolled at Florida International University during the spring 2018 semester. Linear regression was used to analyze whether cultural health beliefs and acculturation were predictive of beliefs about influenza vaccination and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. The study findings showed cultural health beliefs of the students were statistically significant predictors of their beliefs about influenza vaccination and perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. Also, the levels of acculturation were a statistically significant predictor of students' cultural health beliefs and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. After 5+ years of acculturation in the United States, the students surveyed still held cultural beliefs and perceived barriers to influenza vaccination that contributed to their lack of acceptance of the vaccination. The information gained from this study gives credence to the need for designing health interventions and health messages on influenza vaccination that are culture specific for a college-age population if influenza vaccination acceptance is to be promoted.

Because international students are an increasingly significant aspect in American colleges and universities and on the North Texas State University campus in particular, this study was undertaken to explore the intercultural clash which Thai students at North Texas State University experience. Twenty-two Thai students were interviewed in depth using the oral history method. Ten faculty and administrators who work with international students were interviewed concerning their observations of Thai students. The information gleaned from these thirty-two interviews and from an examination of the basic socio-cultural differences between Thailand and the United States resulted in the isolation of the following basic difficulties. 1. Thais do not have command of written and oral English. 2. Americans do not have an appreciation of foreigners and lack tolerance in everyday exchanges with them. 3. Thais avoid becoming involved in American society. 4. Thais are not efficiently prepared for the American classroom. 5. American instructors do not appear prepared to handle the problems of Thai students. The study also developed a number of suggested solutions: 1. Raise the consciousness of Americans concerning Thai students; 2. Provide more effective ways of improving oral and listening skills in the English proficiency of Thai students beginning with American-directed programs in Thailand and including a revamping of the Intensive English Language Institute; 3. Provide studies in American culture for Thai students which would require them to become acquainted with this society; 4. Develop in Americans an appreciation of foreign culture and an international awareness; perhaps even a formal international cultures program should be initiated; 5. Involve Thai students with Americans in crosscultural activities: encourage membership in campus organizations, invite them to speak at civic and educational occasions, develop the host family program; 6. Provide effective services for Thai students especially through the International Office; and 7. Set tuition and entrance regulations based on goals of the university not on whether it will include or exclude international students.

No description available.

This research aims to explore the effects of negative media representation on the experiencesof university students residing in Rosengård, Malmö, Sweden. Drawing upon media and masscommunication theories such as Media Shadow theory, Agenda Setting theory, andincorporating elements of Social Identity theory, the study investigates the influence of mediaportrayals on community perception and individual experiences. Through qualitative semistructuredinterviews conducted with fifteen students living in Rosengård, their accounts weretranscribed and analyzed to gain a comprehensive understanding of their experiences. Thefindings indicate that media representation holds significant power in shaping communityperception and profoundly impacts the experiences of residents. This research underscores theimportance of balanced media representation in mitigating negative influences and emphasizesthe need to consider social identity dynamics when examining the impact of media portrayalson individuals' perceived reality and experiences within a specific community.

This study compares the financial knowledge of Korean (N = 1006) and German (N = 1346) university students. The country-specific adaptations of the US-American Test of Financial Literacy was used to assess financial knowledge. Financial knowledge can be divided into three areas (everyday money management; banking; insurance). German students show a slightly higher knowledge of everyday money management and insurance. Korean students tend to be stronger in the area banking. The paper examines the impact of gender on financial knowledge and the role of financial information gathering. A gender difference is determined in Germany, but not in Korea. Male students in Germany score higher than female students. An analysis of variance shows that Korean as well as German students who inform themselves more frequently about financial topics achieve a higher financial knowledge score. The article shows that it is possible to validly measure financial knowledge in Germany and Korea, which have different economic systems.

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The use and abuse of illicit drugs is a challenge which affects people on a global scale and South Africa. The use of a new street drug known as nyaope (whonga) has been on the rise in the country amongst the youth, including university students. Its use is associated with a wide range of negative consequences such as poor academic performance, aggression, vandalism, rape, risky sexual behaviours, and social dysfunctionality. The main objective of this study was to explore the self-reported experiences and behaviours of students who use nyaope at the University of Limpopo. The study was qualitative in nature as the researcher wanted to gather first-hand, in-depth information. The sample was purposive in nature and consisted of 6 participants. Quality criteria were used to ensure the quality and rigour of the findings. Thematic content analysis (TCA) was used to analyse data. Six major themes emerged from the analysis which were supported by existing findings. The themes were identified as: causes of drug use, frequency of drug use, experiences of students, knowledge about the negative implications of the drug and self-reported behaviours. Participants reported experiencing a decline in academic performance, deteriorating relationships with others, poor physical and psychological wellbeing, behavioural changes and perceiving that they were discriminated against. The findings of this study are useful to aid in informing policy and interventions at the University. They may also help psychologists who work with drug abusers

Background: As the majority of studies examining mental health during the pandemic are cross-sectional, little is known about the changes in mental health during the pandemic, especially in university students. Most studies indicate a worsening of mental health conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of German university students during the third wave of the pandemic in 2021 and to compare the results to a sample of a congruent cross-sectional study from 2020. Methods: Two cross-sectional and anonymous online surveys among university students were conducted (first survey: July-August 2020, N = 3,382; second survey: March-April 2021, N = 5,642). Mental health status was assessed with standardized measures (depressive symptoms, alcohol and drug consumption, and eating disorder symptoms), and social and emotional aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed. In addition to descriptive statistics and group comparisons of the two survey samples from 2020 and 2021, respectively, risk and protective factors related to mental health were analyzed. Results: There were significant differences in severities of depressive symptoms and alcohol and drug consumption between the two online surveys from 2020 and 2021. Findings suggest an increase in the severity of depressive symptoms as well as alcohol and drug consumption. Significantly more respondents reported suicidal ideation in the survey from 2021. Lower self-efficacy, less social support and lower resilience as well as higher perceived stress and more loneliness were reported by the participants of the survey from 2021 compared to 2020. Regarding factors predicting mental health symptoms, being female was a positive predictor for hazardous alcohol use and anorexia nervosa in comparison to men. Further, younger age, being diverse, higher perceived stress and loneliness were positive predictors for all mental health outcomes. Conclusion: This study reveals an increase in severities of depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation, drug and alcohol consumption among students. Being diverse, younger age, higher perceived stress and loneliness were mutual risk factors for higher depressive and eating disorder symptoms as well as alcohol consumption. Universities and health care policy should recognize and address mental health issues of young adults during ongoing times of crisis and invest in easy-to-access interventions.