Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-05-05"
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- Avatars, sexualization and affectivities : the case of K-pop girl group AESPAPublication . Grilo, Carolina Covas; Puertas Hernandéz, Beatriz; Ganito, Tânia Cristina Frazão MoreiraKorean popular music, or K-pop, and virtual worlds have each experienced increasing interest in the last years, reason why their union, from which resulted unique experiences to the audiences of this music genre, is hardly surprising. One novelty is the female K-pop group Aespa, which counts with the presence of four members and their respective avatars. Despite its creative concept, this group has raised apprehensions among netizens related to the sexualized design of the virtual idols. This thesis then, attempts to examine, from a feminist perspective, the contribution of Aespa’s avatars to the sexualization and objectification of the female idols, as well as analyse the affective responses of the idols and fans towards these entities. It is a thesis that succeeds studies dedicated to denounce the gendered use given to technologies, albeit with a focus on the K-pop industry, and that also emphasizes the need for critical reflection on an entertainment product of growing international consumption.This study was developed by relying on mixed research methods. In order to achieve the objectives outlined, we selected and conducted a visual analysis of the promotional images of Aespa, analysed the narrative present in audio-visual contents of the group, designed and implemented a questionnaire aimed at adult female South Korean fans, and interviewed fans as well.The results suggest the avatars of Aespa contribute to the female idols’ sexualization and objectification 1) through their own existence and sexualized design, 2) by being the guiding force of their concept and thus, dictating all choices related to the group’s aesthetic, and 3) by appearing as additional sexualized elements in some of the group’s images. The avatars were also perceived as capable of holding affective power over the idols, who appeared to manifest signs of body dysmorphia in response. Finally, it was also possible to conclude that even though the avatars seem irrelevant to the fans, the idols appeared capable of influencing fans’ subjectivities and embodiments. These results propose that the avatars can indirectly influence the fans through the idols.
- The role of environmental concern and technology show-off on electric vehicles adoption: the case of MacauPublication . Lampo, Alessandro; Silva, Susana C.; Duarte, PauloPurpose: Research on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has typically considered environmental concern a key determinant of behavioral intention that leads individuals to prefer electric vehicles. This paper challenges this assumption and argues that technology frameworks may require new variables to capture consumers' preferences. A UTAUT2-based study has been developed to assess the role of environmental concern in the BEVs context and put forward the technology show-off (TS) concept to explain the technology's acceptance. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative and cross-sectional look at behavioral intention is adopted. The study uses structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 236 Macau residents to determine the relevance of the factors behind the choice to adopt BEVs. Findings: The findings indicate that environmental concern and price may be relevant to explain behavioral intention to adopt the BEVs technology. Furthermore, the UTAUT2 framework seems to benefit from adding new variables, with TS playing a pertinent role in explaining technology acceptance. Social implications: The findings show that environmental concern fails to build an argument for the shift to full electric mobility and promote the desired behavioral change toward adopting BEVs. Herein lies the necessity to consider new variables that can better describe the characteristics of modern society.Originality/value: This paper proposes the TS construct, combining visibility and trialability as significant determinants of behavioral intention to use technology. The study also stresses the need to reconsider the role of environmental concerns' impact on consumer decision-making.
- The appeal of virtual fashion : a consumer perspective using the technology acceptance modelPublication . Schopmeyer, Lucca; Romeiro, PauloThe emergence of Virtual Fashion, which enables the use of fashion pieces in both physical and digital spaces, has the potential to disrupt traditional marketing models and create new and powerful channels for retail commerce. While the industry has already revealed the scalability of this technology, research on consumer appeal remains limited. This study investigates the relationships between self-reported variables and purchase intention, using a modified version of Davis' (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore the appeal of Virtual Fashion from the consumer perspective. The results of a mixed qualitative quantitative research approach showed that Virtual Fashion has a measurable appeal for a specific target group of digitalization- and fashion-savvy consumers with higher levels of education. While the moderating effect of "Knowledge" was not found to have a significant influence, the study provides valuable insights into how different customer groups perceive Virtual Fashion. Companies must, therefore, segment consumers optimally and target them specifically to exploit the full and profitable potential of Virtual Fashion, thereby establishing it in consumers' minds in the long term. This study offers critical insights into the consumer perspective on Virtual Fashion and its potential impact on the fashion industry.
- Ansiedade financeira e parentalidade em pais divorciados : relação com comportamentos de externalização em filhos adolescentesPublication . Paupério, Maria Sofia Azevedo; Ribeiro, Luísa Jacinta Feio Antunes; Matos, Raquel Maria Navais de CarvalhoEste estudo, integrado no projeto “Economic hardship, parenting styles and child behavior problems", teve como objetivo investigar a associação entre a ansiedade financeira dos pais, a presença de sintomatologia ansiosa e/ou depressiva dos pais, os estilos parentais (autoritário, democrático e permissivo) e os comportamentos de externalização de crianças e adolescentes, no contexto particular do divórcio. Foi utilizada uma amostra de 96 indivíduos, com idade entre 31 e 59 anos, que responderam a um questionário online, que incluía os seguintes instrumentos: questionário sociodemográfico, Financial Anxiety Scale (FAS), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) e Childhood Behavior Ckecklist (CBCL 6-18). Para o tratamento de dados utilizou-se o programa estatístico IBM SPSS (versão 28.0.0.0). Foi possível identificar uma correlação positiva estatisticamente significativa entre a depressão e o estilo parental permissivo (r=.245, p=.016) e entre a ansiedade e o estilo parental permissivo (r=.268, p=.009). Além disso, concluiu-se que a externalização das crianças e adolescentes está positivamente correlacionada com o estilo parental autoritário (r=.309, p=.002) e com o estilo parental permissivo (r=.380, p<.001). Verificou-se, também, através de um modelo de mediação simples que o estilo parental permissivo medeia a relação entre a ansiedade dos pais e a externalização dos filhos, bem como a relação entre a depressão dos pais e a externalização dos filhos.
- História de adversidade na infância e resiliência : relação com a sintomatologia psicopatológica na adultez de ansiedade, depressão e somatizaçãoPublication . Maury, Carolina Torres; Costa, Eleonora Cunha VeigaO presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a relação existente entre História de Adversidade na Infância, Resiliência e Sintomatologia Psicopatológica (Ansiedade, Depressão e Somatização) em adultos. Diversos estudos constatam que experiências adversas na infância podem ser preditores de sintomatologia psicopatológica na adultez, e que a resiliência funciona como um mecanismo protetor na predição dessas formas de sintomatologia. A amostra é constituída por 528 participantes, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 67 anos, que preencheram os seguintes questionários: Questionário Sociodemográfico, História de Adversidade na Infância, Escala de Resiliência Reduzida, e BSI-18. Os resultados sugerem que os participantes que relatam história da adversidade na infância revelam menor resiliência e maior grau de sintomatologia psicopatológica, quando comparados com os indivíduos que não relatam história da adversidade. A história de adversidade na infância e a resiliência foram confirmados preditores positivo e negativo, respetivamente, de sintomatologia psicopatológica na idade adulta. A literatura e os dados obtidos nesta investigação revelam a natureza multifacetada e multidimensional das variáveis estudadas. Como tal, a investigação nesta área deve circundar a melhoria das ferramentas de abordagem ao objeto de estudo, o seu aprofundamento e o alargamento do âmbito de estudo do problema.
- Market volatility : can machine learning methods enhance volatility forecasting?Publication . Batista, Afonso Maria Nabeto Valentim Xavier; Faias, JoséThis dissertation aims to test whether the use of machine learning (ML) techniques can improve volatility forecasting accuracy. More specifically, if it can beat the best econometric model, the Heterogeneous Autoregressive model of Realized Volatility (HAR-RV). Using S&P 500 Index data from May-2007 to August-2022, the superiority of the HAR-RV was tested and attested against competing econometric models EWMA and GARCH(1,1). Next, the performance of the ML Artificial Neural Network algorithms Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) are compared to the performance of the econometric models. Five different variable sets are tested for the ML models. It is found that while both ML models are able to beat the EWMA and GARCH(1,1) models by a significant margin, the HAR-RV model still outperforms LSTM and GRU. Moreover, an analysis is conduced on the models’ predictions on the period corresponding to the Covid-19 crisis. The results did not show any evidence suggesting that ML methods have a particular advantage at predicting during high volatility events. Finally, a plausible cause that could undermine the remarkable qualities of the ML methods in the aim of volatility forecasting is discussed. It is found that the rigorous set of conditions needed to be met for the proper setup of ML models are very difficult to be met using financial data, which hinders the aptitude of ML for this purpose.
- The effect of brand image on willingness to pay for hedonic and utilitarian water brandsPublication . Marxer, Tanja Renata; Romeiro, PauloClean drinking water is a human right and yet there are many companies that sell bottled water as hedonic products. This study investigates whether hedonic and utilitarian water brands available in the Swiss market have a different effect on purchase intention and willingness to pay. Furthermore, the impact of brand image on willingness to pay, while examining the mediating function of purchase intention and the moderating impact of self-esteem is researched. This quantitative study was conducted with the use of an online survey. The stimuli for the research were the brands Fiji (hedonic), Swiss Alpina (utilitarian) and Evian (hedonic and utilitarian). Study relevant data was collected with the use of Qualtrics and evaluated on SPSS. The results of the study showed that only the relationship between brand image and purchase intention is statistically significant. Thus, it can be confirmed that brand image is a predictor for purchase intention. Additionally, the outcome demonstrated that the different brands had different effects on purchase intention and willingness to pay. However, all the other relationships of the conceptual model were not statistically significant. This could be due to the complex conceptual model, especially because self-esteem alone is a rather complicated psychological construct that is difficult to measure. The outcome indicated the importance of building strong brands and brought new insights in the field of consumer behavior.
- The impact of retailer web design on purchase intention : a study between Continente and Pingo DocePublication . Pina, Madalena Calça e; Romeiro, PauloThe world has been changing and consequently the behaviour of consumers and companies. Due to the increase of online sales and the urgent need to adapt to the electronic reality, all sectors are forced to re¬invented and create new strategies to be successful not only in their offline stores but also in the online market. With this, it is necessary to apply efforts on websites and understand the perception of consumer behaviour. In this sense, this study focuses on the online grocery sector using two Portuguese supermarket websites for analysis. This study aims to study the impact of web design on consumer purchase intention, mediating the effect of user experience. More precisely, this research analyses how distinct layouts of the same website can influence differently online consumer attitudes. Also, understand how the pragmatic and hedonic aspects impacts the user experience of online consumers. For this, a questionnaire was conducted where the respondents were exposed to 4 stimuli, 2 images of real sites and other two images with the sites re¬designed according to the improvements taken from the focus group and the literature. The results obtained show that web design positively impacts intention to purchase, UX mediates the relationship between Web Layout and Purchase Intention, having pragmatic aspect a stronger effect than hedonic one.
- An analysis of the relationship between meat substitutes consumption and purchase intention : a study on consumer behaviorPublication . Martins, Ana Maria Sampaio; Romeiro, PauloIn recent years there has been a growing interest of consumers and companies in making more sustainable decisions across all industries. In this case, the meat industry stands out, where the tendency to replace meat with alternative foods has been increasingly pronounced. Nevertheless, what can contribute to this change in consumer preferences? This study explores the factors that may influence consumer behavior towards meat substitutes, such as the type of packaging and the type of protein, also considering the attitude of food neophobia and sustainability consciousness. The collection of information was indispensable for the success of this study. Thus, primary data, such as the distributed questionnaire. The results obtained indicate that the type of packaging does not influence consumer purchase intention, regardless of the type of protein. However, it was confirmed that the higher the awareness regarding sustainability, the higher the intention to purchase meat substitutes and the lower the intention to purchase meat, being an important finding in this study. Finally, food neophobia also has a moderating effect on the model. The higher the food neophobia the lower the purchase intention for meat substitutes while for meat it remains constant.
- Understanding purchase intentions of eco-labeled sportswear using the Theory of Planned BehaviorPublication . Terwee, Tijn Hidde; Romeiro, PauloThe use of eco-labels is considered as an extremely effective marketing tool in communication a product’s environmentally friendly and socially desirable characteristics. For consumes, it is a clear source of information. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the presence of an eco-label and consumer green purchase intention. Specifically, the use of an eco-label on sportswear was investigated. The Theory of Planned Behavior was applied in order to understand what drives purchase intention. Furthermore, it was assumed that environmental concern and price sensitivity could be the factor that effects the green purchase intention to buy eco-labeled sportswear. A total of N = 144 individuals participated in a between-subject online experimental survey. The main findings were that an eco-label influences green purchase intention positively via attitude and subjective norm. In addition, price sensitivity directly impacted the purchase intention of consumers. There was no significant evidence of differences between the direct effect of eco-labeled sportswear and non-eco-labeled sportswear. This study would be helpful for all managers of eco-label brands to gain insights in a way to increase consumers purchase intention and target the right consumers.