The objective of this dissertation study was to investigate the lived experiences of intimacy in married couples in India. The researcher specifically explored the couples' intimacy experiences in six dimensions: emotional closeness and self-disclosure, shared ideas and support, sexual intimacy, relationship skills, commitment and social intimacy. The Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), an innovative method of data collection was used to collect pictures as metaphors from 11 couples (N=22) and the researcher conducted 45-90 minutes in-depth phone interviews. Phenomenological approach was used for data analysis and five themes (description, positive and negative experiences, barriers and strategies used, changes over time and perceived societal norms) provided information on the six dimensions of intimacy. The findings confirmed that intimacy is experienced in married Indian couples in each of the above mentioned dimensions. In addition, when intimacy is experienced they are viewed positively and lack of intimacy is viewed negatively in each dimensions. Couples also perceived barriers to their achievement of intimacy and developed strategies that helped them maintain intimacy in their marriage over time. Gender differences were present, for wives, emotional closeness and self-disclosure was more important, whereas for men, commitment was more important. The findings have implications for marriage education programs and clinicians working with married Indian couples. / Ph. D.

本文探索國民黨與民進黨形象，研究方法是援引行銷學者Zaltman於一九九○年代發展出的隱喻抽取技術(Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique，簡稱ZMET)，透過圖片為中介與一對一深入訪談，來挖掘「人們內心想法」。在訪談政治大學十二位學生後，研究發現從ZMET訪談分別總結國民黨與民進黨形象共識地圖的分析，除了其研究結論與量化問卷調查結果相較，能夠得到相互印證之外，也確實有助於對政黨形象內涵提供更豐富的瞭解。 　　由TEDS2004P與2008P資料顯示國民黨是「代表有錢有勢者」、「具有執政能力」、「與黑金掛勾」的形象；以及民進黨「代表台灣人利益」、「代表一般民眾利益」、「與黑金掛勾」形象提高，皆能為本文運用ZMET的研究成果：共識地圖，所含括。此外對於國民黨，更挖掘出老舊、變革遲緩、權力大、權力封閉、不親民…等形象。民進黨則是堅韌、多元參與、躁亂、擅於變革、狹隘本土意識…等形象。 　　因此，相對於國內慣用問卷調查方式提供政黨形象的描述，本文研究則(一)初步印證，運用於商學院市場調查的ZMET，得以援引做為政治學界探索政黨形象的研究方法。(二)從本文所挖掘出國民兩黨形象的內涵，可做為改良現行政黨形象問卷題目之基礎；亦得供為兩大黨於未來在定位或行銷時的建議。 關鍵詞：政黨形象、隱喻抽取技術(ZMET)

The UK has been amongst the leaders in providing higher education for both home and international students, especially from developing countries such as Malaysia. The recent budget cuts on the UK higher education sector implemented in the academic year 2012/13 have increased the competition for UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to secure home [UK and EU] students as the opportunity cost is greater compared to starting a career. Therefore, it is almost imperative for UK HEIs to attract more international students to fill the gap left by home students to remain financially sustainable. Previous researches on the decision making process for higher education destinations looked extensively at rational factors such as financial viability, size of institutions and availability of programmes as well as reputation related factors, such as university ranking and league tables. The question is: Are these the factors - rational factors - that influence the decision making of prospective international students' evaluation and selection of the UK as a possible host country for higher education migration? This research aims to elicit and understand the non-rational factors that may intrinsically influence the decision making behaviour of Malaysian students when selecting the UK as the destination for HE migration. Interpretive phenomenology was utilized as the research approach and the Ethnographic principle of cultural interpretation was enhanced by the researcher's reflexive stances. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Six emergent constructs were revealed which then led to the emergence of three core themes reflecting the intrinsic influences hidden within Malaysian students' HE migration decision behaviour. Twelve ZMET interviews and two focus group conversations with participants whom were recruited using the stratified random sampling method - covering three geographical regions of the UK, eleven UK universities within four main university groups. ZMET, short for Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, is an eleven-step in-depth interview technique that elicits both conscious and unconscious thoughts by exploring metaphoric expressions. Findings from previous researches employing ZMET as data collection method showed that data saturation is achievable with just four to five interviews, providing 90% validity. Focus group conversations functioned as methodology triangulation to validate findings. Both of these data collection methods were guided by two overarching questions: (1) why do you choose a UK university? and (2) what and how does being a UK university student make you feel? The six emergent constructs: (1) Egotism; (2) Self-concept; (3) Current security; (4) Future security; (5) Freedom and independence; and (6) Future opportunities, were then interpreted through the researcher's reflexive stances - personal and epistemic - to signify the insights of the three emergent themes: (1) Fulfilling their emotional needs for acceptance; (2) Satisfying their spiritual pleas for freedom and independence; and (3) Providing a promise for a greater self-worth. These six emergent constructs were embedded into the conceptual framework of this research - Consumer Decision Making model underpinned by Push/Pull Theory of Migration - resulting in a revised conceptual framework depicting Malaysian students' HE migration behaviour. This research contributes to academic knowledge, research methodology, practitioners and policy makers of HEIs - both in Malaysia and the UK. Suggestions for further research are longitudinal study, geographical extension study, comparison study and a study using this research's revised conceptual framework as the research model.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore and analyze perceptions and attitudes of Facebook users as consumers and merchants; investigate which perceived risks, if any, function as adoption barriers of f-commerce. Methodology: The study adopts a mixed method approach. It uses the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation technique (ZMET method) and focus groups to explore consumers’ perceptions and their mental maps. In-depth interviews with SMEs were also part of the qualitative design. A survey was conducted among consumers based on the qualitative findings to construct a perceptual map of f-commerce, which denotes the perceived-risks that were transferred from Facebook and e-commerce.  Theoretical perspective: The study builds on prior literature of perceived risks as adoption barriers in e-commerce and social networks, brand extension and product sequence attributes transfer. Further, theories on perception and attitudes, categorization, values and mental maps were used in order to apply the ZMET method and the perceptual map.  Empirical data: Data was collected for four weeks via sixteen ZMET interviews, two focus groups and a survey with two-hundred and sixty four respondents from a sample of three-hundred and eighty existent and potential consumers. Further to this, ten in-depth interviews and one ZMET interview were conducted with existing and potential merchants. Conclusion: Perceived risks such as performance, social, privacy, physical, psychological, security, time and financial were identified in consumers as adoption barriers of f-commerce, and transferred from Facebook as a parent brand.  Overall lack of trust towards apps, brand pages and f-commerce is a latent aspect for consumers, where privacy and safe processing of credit cards are crucial factors. Category-product risks were concerns in general but not substantial. When it comes to merchants, they share the same perceived risks than consumers except for privacy, which was not an important factor to them. Besides, the dependence of internal and external changes of Facebook was perceived as a network externality risk, in terms of investment threat.

In general academic research and discussion on stand-alone games or the broader computer games, scholars often use questionnaires and quantitative methods to analyze consumers' perceptions and opinions of game-related issues. Due to the limitations in research methods, previous research results are somewhat difficulty to make marketing companies or decision-making departments deeply understand consumers' ultimate mental imagery and consensus mode. Therefore, nowadays stand-alone game companies often spent a lot of expenses, but can not produce the games that meet consumers' core demand. According to the report released on September 7 2011 by the U.S. market survey center, DFC Intelligence, which specializes in the video game market, it estimates that the scale of the global market of video games will grow to 81 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 from 66 billion U.S. dolloars in 2010. This figure not only symbolizes the boom and huge business opportunities of game market but also affects the changes of the next-generation video game industry, which highlights the importance of conducting related research. This study uses a mental image mode, ZMET metaphor extraction techniques, invented by Harvard University Professor Zaltman as the research method, trying to elicit contruct factors of six senior consumers for the stand-alone game, FINAL FANTASY VII, through image analysis. Research results can provide marketing implications to stand-alone game companies so that they can understand consumer needs and expectations by the imagery constructs and mental models of the senior players. The results of ZMET technical analysis got a total of 122 different constructs from six respondents, from which 49 common constructs were further extracted. This study found HVM hierarchical value consensus mental map among the six senior players and clarified the evolution of the six respondents' imagery constructs of the game and consensus model. As to the final structure constructs in HVM hierarchical value map, five ultimate values are identified, "players' favorability", "looking to the future," "witness", "dreams come true", and "classic". The ultimate values combined by the five non-verbal information can provide marketers and game designers in stand-alone game companies, a reference for future marketing decisions. Additionally, based on the research findings, marketers can design better stand-alone games that meet consumer demands, in order to effectively increase the sales and economic benefits for game companies.

We live in an image world nowadays. The government propagates policy to civilians using various kinds of visual media for communication. Dwellers make sense of temporality and space of the city through eyes and brain. Yet, any official expectation that citizens would agree with the city image will not be achieved without prior knowledge of citizens' value system. In the meantime, building city image is a strategy of enhancing competitiveness of a city. Adopting Zaltman method of elicitation technique (ZMET), this research explores the mind maps of six Kaohsiung city marketers, also city dwellers, by a series of visual elicitation. The end result is the consensus map that reflects their common thought or value system. Research finds that the prime values of their city image are aesthetics, romance, vigor, happiness, subjective well-being, and localism. Their importance is in that order. These findings not only reflects city marketers' core value but contributes to future projection and marketing of Kaohsiung's city image.

Purpose of the thesis was to find out and describe associations that are linked to the category of healthy food by consumers. Above all the aim was to identify, what represents healthy food for them and what other thoughts and themes are associated with healthy food by consumers. In-depth ZMET interviews were conducted to determine these associations. The findings and other issues related to the topic such as broader context and specifics of healthy food marketing are presented. The information mentioned can be used for marketing mix planning of companies in food industry. The research found out that healthy food is not perceived as special food category, but approach to the food consumption. Approach that takes into consideration what is good for the person in terms of health. For respondents healthy food represented mainly homemade dishes consisting quality, fresh, natural ingredients. According the respondents healthy eating is a way of eating respecting sum of principles. Main principles are variety and balance in the consumers diet.

This master thesis deals with the subjective view of middle aged and older Czech women on problematic of old age and aging. In connection of old age and aging they focus more on the aging of the whole society or relation between the generations, but not on a subjective perception and experience of this life stage and process. The aim of this work is to find out what women consider as the key elements of old age and aging and also to create a comprehensive view of aging from the women perspective. It is also essential to the thesis to determine the differences and similarities in the perception of aging in terms of age and life stage. In this thesis is used a method of qualitative research, which is grounded in the phenomenological approach and data collection is carried out using the ZMET research method. This projective technique of data collection, whose theory and practice is described in the work, is based on the idea that people do not think verbally but in images. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Video game researchers have recently begun to explore qualitative techniques to understand video games and their audiences. Yet many questions remain concerning the significance of gaming media and how video game research should be conducted. This research addresses the changing focus of video game researchers from the "producers," or sender of the video game, to the "audience" or receiver. This is accomplished in the following ways: by exploring meanings created by individuals while "role-playing" in an electronic world as an on-screen video game avatar; by using the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET), to gather a deeper understanding of how players are interpreting the video game creators intended message, and focusing on the relationships formed between a player and their onscreen character. Using the ZMET method the author conducts ten in-depth interviews looking at the interviewees' relation with the Super Mario Bros avatar to gain an understanding of player-avatar relationships. Interviews are then discussed to describe how these individuals understand the video game message and avatar relationship.

Submitted by VICTOR JESUS ESCOBEDO ORTIZ (victorkevin19@gmail.com) on 2016-08-19T19:17:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao VICTOR versao final.pdf: 893458 bytes, checksum: d15703d27ae52037f6ecf76fe0f7a196 (MD5) / Rejected by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br), reason: Boa tarde Victor Para que possamos aprovar seu trabalho é necessário alguns ajustes conforme norma ABNT/APA. * Seu titulo esta diferente da ATA, caso realmente exista essa alteração é preciso o professor orientador vir até a secretaria para fazer a alteração no verso da ATA com o titulo atual. Caso contrário não poderei aprovar. (Esta na ATA - IMAGEM DA MARCA PAÍS NA PERSPECTIVA DOS TURISTAS: O CASO DO PERU) Após os ajustes você deve submete-lo novamente para analise e aprovação. Qualquer duvida estamos a disposição, Att, Pâmela Tonsa 3799-7852 on 2016-08-19T19:23:08Z (GMT) / Submitted by VICTOR JESUS ESCOBEDO ORTIZ (victorkevin19@gmail.com) on 2016-08-22T20:26:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao VICTOR versao final.pdf: 893458 bytes, checksum: d15703d27ae52037f6ecf76fe0f7a196 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2016-08-23T10:44:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao VICTOR versao final.pdf: 893458 bytes, checksum: d15703d27ae52037f6ecf76fe0f7a196 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-23T12:16:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao VICTOR versao final.pdf: 893458 bytes, checksum: d15703d27ae52037f6ecf76fe0f7a196 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-15 / The objective of this study was to identify the key aspects of the country image definition from the perspective of tourists, in a way that it can contribute to the creation of a country brand. The idea emerged with the interest of analyzing the concept of country brand and for that it was necessary to understand the concepts of country image and destination image. This work defines the country's image as all mental representations that the consumer has to process information about a place through long-time experiences. The destination image has the same principle of the country image, but can refer to other levels of geographical limits, as a city, a defined region and country. With the literature review on the country image was obtained 11 categories, which were used in the analysis phase of field research. As a way to identify the contents that define the concept, data were collected through interviews, using as a focal country Peru. 20 people was interviewed over 18 years who visited Peru as a tourist during the last six years, the ZMET method was used for interviews, since this technique is used to obtain or capture unconscious thoughts, attitudes and perceptions of respondents. From the results obtained by analysis of content, it is concluded that not all dimensions in theory is confirmed as first order, that is, there are dimensions that can be grouped to obtain a better representation of the concept. Therefore it proposes the following categories to assess the image of a country for tourism sector: 1) Socioeconomic and political environment; 2) General infrastructure; 3) Infrastructure for tourism, recreation and leisure; 4) Culture, history and arts; 5) Natural resources; 6) Technology; and 7) Country character. The other dimensions shown in theory are proposed as sub-dimensions of the indicated dimensions. / O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar os aspectos centrais da definição da imagem país na perspectiva do turista, como parte de uma trajetória de construção da operacionalização do conceito e sua mensuração. A ideia emergiu com o interesse de analisar o conceito de marca país e, para tal, foi necessário entender os conceitos imagem país e imagem de destino. Neste trabalho se definiu a Imagem País como sendo todas aquelas representações mentais que o consumidor tem ao processar as informações sobre algum lugar resultantes de experiências ao longo do tempo. A imagem de destino tem o mesmo princípio da imagem país, mas pode se referir a outros níveis de delimitação geográfica, tais como, uma cidade, uma região delimitada e também um país. Com a revisão bibliográfica sobre a imagem país se obteve 11 dimensões, que foram usadas na fase de análise da pesquisa de campo. Como forma de identificar os conteúdos que definem o conceito foram coletados dados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade, usando como país focal o Peru, que tem feito um trabalho de desenvolvimento de sua marca país desde 2009. Foram entrevistadas 20 pessoas com mais de 18 anos de idade que visitaram o Peru como turista nos últimos seis anos. Usou-se o método do Zmet de entrevista pelo fato desta técnica ser usada para obter ou capturar pensamentos inconscientes, atitudes e percepções dos informantes. A partir dos resultados obtidos pela análise de conteúdo, concluiu-se que nem todas as dimensões indicadas na teoria se confirmam como de primeira ordem, ou seja, há dimensões que podem ser agrupadas para obter uma melhor representação do conceito. Desta forma, se propõe as seguintes dimensões para representar a imagem de um país pela atividade econômica do turismo: 1) Ambiente socioeconômico e político; 2) Infraestrutura geral; 3) Infraestrutura para turismo, lazer e recreação; 4) Cultura, história e arte, 5) Recursos naturais; 6) Tecnologia e 7) Caráter do país. As demais dimensões apresentadas na teoria são propostas como sub-dimensões das dimensões indicadas.