Previous researchers have found mass murderers characterized as loners, victims of bullying, goths, and individuals who had a psychotic break. A gap in the literature that remained concerned the motive and mindset of mass murderers before their attack, particularly those who seek fame, and why they are motivated by such violent intentions. The purpose of this study was to provide a deeper analysis of the characteristics of fame-seeking individuals who have completed or attempted mass murder, as well as insight into their behavior on social media. The conceptual framework consisted of a constructivist model, which guided the exploration the purposeful sample of 12 Americans who completed or attempted mass murder. The research questions aligned with themes provided by Bandura's social learning theory, Sulloway's theory of birth order and family dynamics, Millon and Davis's psychopathy theories, O'Toole's findings on the copycat effect, and Lankford's criteria for fame-seeking mass murderers, and guided an analysis of open-source data. Six main themes among fame-seeking individuals in the United States who had completed or attempted mass murder emerged: (a) fame as primary motivation, (b) preoccupation with violence, (c) presence of specific role models/copycat behavior, (d) strong opinions about society/racial groups, (e) symptoms of narcissism/mood disorder/personality disorder, and (f) failed relationships. These findings add to the knowledge about mass murder and fame seeking. Social change may occur through recommended evaluation of and improvements in current mental health approaches, improved threat assessment, expanded education on characteristics of mass murderers, and dissemination of information related to mass murder.

The objective of this dissertation is to test empirically whether fiscal policy mimicking exists in developing countries and whether such mimicking leads to policy harmonization. This is done by studying the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The dissertation uses panel data and applies the generalized method of moments (GMM) and the generalized spatial two-stage least squares (GS2SLS) methodologies to a spatial setting to test for the spatial interactions. The study also tests for evidence of spatial interaction in the assessment of government efficiency by voters in neighboring countries, where efficiency is measured using the price/quantity ratio of public goods provision. We find evidence of fiscal policy copycat behavior in both the SSA and SADC regions and mimicking is also present in some tax revenues as well as in expenditure levels. This leads us to conclude that there is some form of fiscal harmonization taking place in these developing countries. We also find evidence of spatial interaction in the assessment of governments’ efficiency in the provision of public goods. Overall, we conclude that there is evidence of some fiscal mimicking behavior as a developing world phenomenon.

This thesis provides a systematic literature review in order to accumulate and analyze previous research concerning the role of mass media's coverage of mass shootings in regards to copycats. Previous research indicates mass shootings are crimes where perpetrators take inspiration from one another and subsequently imitate each other. The purpose of this study is to review previous research on this contagion phenomenon to distinguish if there is a correlation between media coverage of mass shooters and copycats based on empirical data. In order to obtain scientifically accurate conclusions to the research questions and the purpose of this thesis, a systematic literature review method has been implemented. The result shows that previous research indicates that there is a correlation between the mass media's coverage of mass shootings and acts of copycats. There are studies presented in this thesis that conclude that some mass shooters openly confess to seeking fame by carrying out a mass shooting and that they receive as much or more media coverage than household celebrities at the time of the shootings. This thesis also concludes that there is evidence to support that after the occurrence of a mass shooting there is an average increase in the probability that another mass shooting takes place within the following 12 days. These findings support identified statistical trends in previous research in the field.  In conclusion, it is of most importance that the media reports responsibly on mass shootings since the implications of the detailed description of events, modus operandi, the firearm used and the amount of news coverage of mass shootings contribute to copycat mass shootings. Keywords: mass shootings, contagion, imitation, copycat, media coverage, fame seeking, mass media

This diploma thesis is focused on searching for relationship between school shootings and media coverage of these tragedies. The theoretical framework is based on media effects theory, especially on the theory of media violence, and it reflects significant empirical research in this course of study. The thesis describes the case of Columbine High School shooting in connection with so called copycat effect problem and it brings the concrete examples of such an influence. The crucial part of the text determines the three problematic areas of school shootings media coverage, which are explained by bringing out the concrete examples from around the world. Moreover, the thesis shows a solution how to better deal with these problematic areas of coverage. The thesis also concludes partial content analyses, which show the way how chosen Czech media coped with these problematic areas of school shootings media coverage. To be concrete, it analyses Lidové noviny, server iDnes.cz and Czech television news.

1 ABSTRAKT HUDZÍKOVÁ, Eliška. Camp Phenomenon and its Manifestation and Forms in Contemporary Popular Music. [Magister thesis]. Charles University on Prague. Faculty of Humanities; Department of Electronic Culture and Semiotics. Supervisor: Mgr. Felix Borecký. Professional qualification level: Master's degree. Prague: FHS UK, 2015. This Magister thesis examines the camp phenomenon. Despite the wide scope of the term I will try to come up with a universal definition or several basic definitions which will after serve as a base for my following conclusions. The main source of my thesis is an essay Notes On a Camp written by Susan Sontag. This essay I will apply to contemporary (20th and 21st century) popular music in which I will search for camp signs and campy gestures in the work of independent popular and mainstream artists and performers. The main focus area for this thesis will be primarily visual aspect of their work - costumes, videos, appearance, … The line between campy and not campy is very thin and indefinite, that is why I will try to draw it demonstrating camp signs on chosen samples. I would also try to point out that in contemporary popular culture we consume some forms of camp without being aware that it is actually camp what we consume. KEYWORDS: camp, campy, kitsch, gay culture, popular...