<p>Several researchers have claimed that passively viewing manipulable objects results in automatic motor activation of affordances regardless of intention to act upon an object. Support for the <i>automatic activation account </i>stems primarily from findings using stimulus-response compatibility paradigms in which responses are fastest when there is correspondence between one’s response hand and an object’s handle. Counter to this view is the <i>spatial coding account</i>, which suggests that past findings are a result of abstract spatial codes stemming from salient object properties and their left-right correspondence with responses. Although there is now considerable support for this account, there has been little attention paid to determining whether evidence in favor of the automatic activation account will be evident after accounting for the spatial issues demonstrated by the spatial coding account.</p><p>The present study involved five experiments conducted to bridge this gap in two steps. First, I aimed to demonstrate the importance of considering spatial issues and left-right correspondence when studying object-based motor activation by numerous objects championed by past researchers who attempted to similarly address the aforementioned issue (Experiments 1 and 2). Second, I sought to determine whether evidence favoring the automatic activation account could be obtained when the possibility for left-right correspondence was absent in a novel set of stimuli created specifically for this purpose (Experiments 3, 4, and 5).</p><p>Experiment 1 examined a stimulus set that some researchers have suggested can more definitively tease apart evidence for automatic activation from the influence of spatial factors studies. Experiment 2 was more narrowly focused and investigated a single object presented in different horizontal orientations. These experiments effectively demonstrated the importance of giving more consideration to the nature of the stimuli used in object-based compatibility studies and how they are presented. The results of Experiment 1 suggest that a stimulus set that has been claimed to sidestep spatial confounds does not, in fact, do so. Moreover, Experiment 2 demonstrated that performance could be influenced by simple rotation of the object to which a response was required.</p><p>Having established the importance of controlling the stimuli used to investigate automatic activation of afforded responses, I turned to determining whether a novel stimulus set would yield findings favoring the automatic activation account even after accounting for left-right correspondence (Experiments 3, 4, and 5). Three sets of novel object stimuli were developed that do not allow for left-right correspondence and could iteratively assess support for the automatic activation account based on criteria for activation that have been put forth in the literature. The three sets of stimuli contained no information about shape nor functionality (i.e., silhouette iteration) or information about shape and functionality (i.e., functional iteration), or they were an intermediate between the two other types (i.e., intermediate iteration).</p><p>Critically, the three latter experiments progressively approached the conditions that researchers have suggested are ideal for automatic activation of afforded responses to occur. Experiment 3 tasked participants with completing a color discrimination task in which they viewed only one of the three object iterations and responded with button presses. Experiment 4 used the same experimental configuration, but instead, required participants to respond with a grasping response. Finally, Experiment 5 required participants to complete a reach-and-grasp response in an object discrimination task using both the silhouette and functional iterations.</p><p>Across Experiments 3, 4, and 5, no support for the automatic activation account of afforded responses was found. Although the automatic activation account would predict that individuals should be fastest at responding to the functional stimuli than to the other two object iterations, no such evidence was observed. Given that the possibility for left-right correspondence was removed from the novel stimulus set studied here, these results provide indirect support for the spatial coding account of prior results and further indicate that past findings favoring the automatic activation account have largely been a result of left-right correspondence. </p>

This thesis examines the role of online platforms in relation to anti-progressive counterpublic dynamics. Counterpublicsare understood as alternative discursive arenas that form in response to exclusion from the wider public sphere. The relevance of counterpublics derives both from their ability to influence mainstream political discourse and from how anti-progressive counterpublics have been found to contribute to real-life violence. As the internet becomes an increasingly important venue for political discussion and contestation, the public sphere is extended online. This study explores how platforms can be seen as enabling (or constraining) the dual function of online counterpublics, i.e. as both inward and outward-oriented in relation to opposing publics, by examining the anti-feminist online community known as “Men Going Their Own Way” (MGTOW). The role of platforms is understood in terms of platform affordances, and netnographic methods were used to study these in relation to two online platforms. The results show that the two platforms presented different opportunities for the MGTOW counterpublic to some extent, suggesting that this counterpublic is able to utilise platforms for different purposes. Twitter was found to be particularly suitable for the outward-oriented function, i.e. for interacting with and opposing other publics, while mgtow.com was shown to be fertile ground for the inward-oriented function, and in that sense enabled contact between members in a way that contributed to the development of anti-progressive counterdiscourse.

The purpose of this analysis is to shed some light on the norms that specific websites can communicate to their visitors and customers. In this study we chose to analyse the websites Caliroots and Care of Carl. These two websites were chosen due to their main target group, which in this case is men. These two websites are also two of the biggest online clothing retailers in Sweden that sells these specific types of clothes. This study is based on semiotic analysis, affordances and previous research on gender, masculinity, objectification as well as norms and stereotypes. In this study we analysed the websites, their content and structure in order to get the whole picture of which elements are communicating norms and stereotypes, as well as how these norms and stereotypes are portrayed  on the websites.  The result of this study showed that the websites, despite their differences, had several masculine norms and stereotypes in common. These norms were for the most part one specific out of our chosen analytic themes, namely prestige and ambition, though the rest of our themes were also an important aspect to take into consideration, since they showed how the websites differed from one another.  The result of this analysis has been used in the making of another alternative draft of a website with the same purpose of selling mens clothing. In this new alternative design we aim to not communicate the same type of norms and stereotypes that in some cases can be considered toxic and harmful, but instead convey alternative norms that can hopefully communicate joy, belonging and fellowship.

Many studies have focused on the societal implication of the emergence of Web 2.0. However, only a few researches have focused on the interrelationship of social media and surveillance. This thesis specifically examines the role of Facebook in community engagement on neighborhood surveillance. using a locality in Malmö municipal, Kirseberg area,  the study aimed to determine the role of the community Facebook group, its affordances, and contributions towards community engagement for neighborhood watch. Through interviews of stakeholders, observations of posts on the Kirseberg Facebook group, and a community-based participatory workshop of the residents in Kirseberg, Malmö, the study engaged 14 residents and stakeholders using data visualization as prototype artifacts to engage participants and elicit responses for data gathering. The data gathered was analysed based on thematic recognition of the study's objectives. The results indicated that many residents interact with features and tools on the Facebook group to initiate the affordances capabilities of Facebook on information relating to neighborhood surveillance.  It also noted that Facebook is a precursor and initial engagement point towards collective community action on neighborhood watch.  The thesis concludes that Facebook, as a part of the Web 2.0 platform, with strict moderation, has the inherent tools that could create affordances in different levels of interactions for the specific purpose of information, communication, engagements, and conversations towards community mobilization, building, and engagement for neighborhood watch and surveillance. The study, however, suggested further research of this phenomenon with more extensive coverage of areas in Malmö and expansion of stakeholders with an expansive methodology.

With the invention of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin in 2009, the world's first blockchain application was developed. While academic research gradually investigates blockchain more closely and attempts to understand its functioning in the financial sector, the technology is rapidly evolving, and eco-systems grow exponentially. Blockchains are now seen as an emerging field of digitization, possessing challenges to achieving sustainability. The research is still scattered and has not presented a common guideline for understanding what features of blockchains enable the development of financial trading markets sustainably. Therefore, the question remains: how do blockchains facilitate the development of sustainable financial trading markets and services? A qualitative and iterative study was conducted to summarize the priori concepts available in the literature into a conceptual framework consisting of four themes of sustainability and eleven categories of affordances to answer this question. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand what features of blockchains facilitate achieving these eleven categories of affordances and to test and modify the conceptual framework. The findings from the interviews confirmed seven categories summarized from literature to be creditable, while the rest of the affordances were left with a neutral view. Importantly, the findings reveal that these categories are highly interconnected, creating tensions between different themes of sustainability.

This thesis studies online fan communities, using the recent popularity of chess on live streamingplatform Twitch.tv as a case study to examine audience and cultural convergence between high and popular culture in a digital community setting. Bourdieu’s theoretical concepts field and capital are utilised in order to investigate changing structures and norms within this converging chess field. Affordances of the Twitch platform, too, are considered as key role players in the transformation ofchess culture online. Through participant observation in a live stream channel and through content analysis of online forum materials discussing the Twitch-hosted amateur chess "PogChamps"tournament, the study’s findings suggest that the introduction of a new platform like Twitch into a fieldlike the chess field can fundamentally restructure the community. This can occur because of platform affordances that offer new means for community members to accumulate valuable capital by setting new terms for what constitutes valuable capital and what it means to be "in the know" in the field. Additionally, by bringing new audiences to the chess community, Twitch is a key influencer indeveloping what can be seen as a new form of fan community centred around chess that emphasises spectacle and entertainment above game proficiency. These findings, the thesis concludes, can beapplied in similar community contexts in order to further understand the dynamic nature of online communities.

The purpose of this case study is to investigate how and why social media can be used as a tool for internal communications. Research has been made on how employees interpret and use the external communication at an Instagram account. The study is conducted as a qualitative in-depth case study and is based on three semi-structured focus group interviews with employees at Skaraborgs regiment; a semi-structured interview with the communications manager; and access to a number of documents from the regiment. In total, 12 employees participated in the interviews. The study has been conducted remotely with video interviews. The results of the interviews have been analyzed through the theoretical lens of auto communication which illustrates how external information can be converted into internal information. The information at @Skaraborgsregemente is interpreted by employees and converted into internal information that they use in their workday. The study proposes that the auto-communication model be supplemented with external influences, which makes the model more sensitive to external communication. This may affect the sender's message and also the receiver's interpretation when the model is applied in the Web 2.0 environment. Treem and Leonardi's (2013) theory of Affordances focus on social media as a contributer to the internal communications processes. With the support of the Affordances theory the study shows that the regiment by stimulating news flow, facilitating sharing of information and knowledge and contributing to an overall perspective the Instagram account contributes to the internal communications processes at the regiment. The study reports that employees use @Skaraborgsregemente in ten different ways: recruitment, education, news flow, recognition, personal knowledge, cross-border geographical, overall perspective, regiment spirit, uniform rules and safety issues.

Since their introduction in the 1990s, academic e-books have been a growing part of library collections, both in their total number and as a proportion of those collections. Research over the previous 20 years has consistently shown that students prefer to use physical books when studying, yet library e-book collections continue to grow. This bachelor’s thesis presents the results of a study into how students use academic e-books and which format (if any) they prefer to use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six students at varying levels of their studies and the results analysed using a qualitative thematic approach. The theoretical frameworks used to discuss the results are cognitive psychology (how to read e-books) and reading theory (the best approach to adopt when reading books). The key findings are that students still prefer to use physical books when reading for learning (deep reading) but that they appreciate the affordances that most e-books offer when skimming and dipping for informational reading. The students’ level of academic study did not affect their views on academic e-books.

The goal of this dissertation was to explore how self-directed learners assess their learning in informal contexts. Self-directed learners experience high intrinsic motivation and learner control, so studying these learners? experiences provides valuable insights into learning. I pose four questions: 1) How do self-directed learners in informal contexts satisfy their need for a) autonomy, b) relatedness, c) competence, and d) prioritize the satisfaction of these needs? 2) How do self-directed learners in informal contexts self-regulate their learning? 3) What affordances are perceived by informal learners during self-directed learning? 4) What relationships exist between the satisfaction of learners? basic needs, self-regulation, and perceived affordances during self-directed, informal learning? I employ multiple methodologies, including interviews (N = 19) and an open-ended survey (N = 154), and based on this evidence, theorize a Lanes of Learning model to explain how learners regulate learning, assess competence, involve others, and use tools to meet their needs. Participants? needs also influenced which learning tools they integrated and, from those, what they perceived as possible, including accessibility, personalizability, and adaptability. Evidence shows learners in 1) Lane A prefer efficiency, collect confirming cues, involve others to meet a goal, and use tools that provide a set of correct steps; 2) Lane B prefer structure, collect confirming cues and add affirming cues, involve others for functional purposes, and used tool that resemble the real thing; 3) Lane C prefer depth and chase information as it becomes relevant, collect affirming cues, involve others for emotional reasons, and use tools that provides more information to chase; and, 4) Lane D prefer innovation, collect affirming cues and add confirming cues, involve others to build a network, and use tools that are inspirational, not educational. I argue people are motivated to learn when that learning is on their terms, and this motivation manifests in the strategies and processes taken by individuals during learning.

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