Current Search: Mystery (x)
-
-
Title
-
THE THIRD ISLAND.
-
Creator
-
Mora, Iris, Rodriguez Milanes, Cecilia, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
The Third Island is a novella about a Puerto Rican woman of Spanish descent who faces her biggest fear-death. Death comes in many forms and for Laura Maria De La Esperanza Castel, it comes in the form of a man with whom she thinks she is in love. Vacationing on an island in the Bahamas, novelist Laura Castel finds that the only way to survive is to overcome her fear and reject being controlled by the figure who is trying to take her. She overcomes many obstacles and is taught about self...
Show moreThe Third Island is a novella about a Puerto Rican woman of Spanish descent who faces her biggest fear-death. Death comes in many forms and for Laura Maria De La Esperanza Castel, it comes in the form of a man with whom she thinks she is in love. Vacationing on an island in the Bahamas, novelist Laura Castel finds that the only way to survive is to overcome her fear and reject being controlled by the figure who is trying to take her. She overcomes many obstacles and is taught about self-sufficiency, the history of repression of minorities groups or of the misunderstood, and the importance of protecting those who are not able to protect themselves.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFH0004801, ucf:45479
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004801
-
-
Title
-
MYSTERY SHOPPER MOTIVATIONS AND THE PRESENCE OF MOTIVATION CROWDING.
-
Creator
-
Allison, Pamela, Severt, Denver, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Mystery shopping is used in a variety of service industries to measure service performance, as a training tool for employees, and to ensure the safety and security of the product offered. The persons performing this activity, mystery shoppers, experience various motivations, some of which are similar to employees and/or volunteers. These motivations can be intrinsic, where the performance of the activity is a reward itself, or extrinsic, meaning performance of the activity is a method for...
Show moreMystery shopping is used in a variety of service industries to measure service performance, as a training tool for employees, and to ensure the safety and security of the product offered. The persons performing this activity, mystery shoppers, experience various motivations, some of which are similar to employees and/or volunteers. These motivations can be intrinsic, where the performance of the activity is a reward itself, or extrinsic, meaning performance of the activity is a method for attaining a reward. The dominance of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation can shift within the individual, which is termed motivation crowding. Individuals can crowd in when intrinsic motivations are supplemented and supported by extrinsic motivations, or crowd out if extrinsic motivations become the dominant factor, devaluing the activity and reducing intrinsic motivation. This study examines the motivations of mystery shoppers and examines whether the tenets of motivation crowding are supported using a mixed methods research design. The objectives for the study were to identify, classify, and measure mystery shopping motivations using motivational theory to test for the presence of motivation crowding, as reflected in the initial two hypotheses: H1: There are salient dimensions of motivation influencing individual participation in mystery shopping activities. H2: Mystery shoppers experience motivation "crowding in" after initial performance of mystery shopping activities, with intrinsic motivations increasing. To address the first hypothesis, the study began with a qualitative research approach utilizing semi-structured interviews with current mystery shoppers. Through qualitative analysis, 14 constructs of mystery shopper motivations were identified. The constructs were then utilized to develop the Mystery Shopper Motivation Scale, following the eight-step scale development process defined by DeVellis (2003). The scale was then refined through pre-testing and pilot testing, and was used in a survey administration to 323 current mystery shoppers. Through factor analysis, the motivations identified were quantitatively supported, and then dependent t-tests indicated the presence of motivation crowding affecting mystery shoppers. However, unanticipated increases in extrinsic motivations prompted further analysis of motivations based on mystery shopping experience levels, resulting in the addition of a third hypothesis: H3: The direction of motivation crowding is dependent on the mystery shopper's level of experience. H3a: Mystery shoppers who have performed less than 10 mystery shops will crowd in, with an increase in intrinsic motivations and a decrease in extrinsic motivations. H3b: Mystery shoppers who have performed between 10-24 mystery shops will crowd in, with an increase in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and intrinsic motivations remaining the dominant factor. H3c: Mystery shoppers who have performed 25 or more mystery shops will crowd in, with an increase in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, but extrinsic motivations becoming the dominant factor. Results supported motivation crowding as dependent on the experience level of the mystery shopper, prompting the categorization of three distinct mystery shopping phases of activity: the novelty phase, the exploratory phase, and the career phase. Empirical results of the survey were then compared to a subsequent round of qualitative analysis of mystery shopper online forums. Recommendations for future research include longitudinal studies of novelty phase mystery shoppers, examination of the effects motivation crowding may have on mystery shopper behavioral intentions, and incorporation of the perceived costs associated with mystery shopping.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2009
-
Identifier
-
CFE0002588, ucf:48290
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002588
-
-
Title
-
Consumer Tradeoffs in Material and Experiential Purchases.
-
Creator
-
Urumutta Hewage, Ganga, He, Xin, Rugar, Yael Zemack -, Wang, Ze, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Material and experiential purchases have gained much attention in psychology and consumer behavior alike (Carter and Gilovich 2010; Nicolao, Irwin, and Goodman 2009; Rosenzweig and Gilovich 2012; Tully, Hershfield, and Meyvis 2015). In three essays, I examine the theoretical and practical implications of consumer tradeoffs in this domain. In the first essay, I explore how regulatory focus influences the tradeoffs between material and experiential purchases. Results of five laboratory studies...
Show moreMaterial and experiential purchases have gained much attention in psychology and consumer behavior alike (Carter and Gilovich 2010; Nicolao, Irwin, and Goodman 2009; Rosenzweig and Gilovich 2012; Tully, Hershfield, and Meyvis 2015). In three essays, I examine the theoretical and practical implications of consumer tradeoffs in this domain. In the first essay, I explore how regulatory focus influences the tradeoffs between material and experiential purchases. Results of five laboratory studies and two field studies (using Instagram and Google Trends data) suggest that, as the regulatory focus shifts from prevention to promotion, there is a higher likelihood of choosing experiential purchases and such an effect is driven by focus of attention. The second essay examines how self-construal may shape material-experiential tradeoffs. Results show that independent self-view develops a higher preference towards experiential purchases than interdependent self-view(-)an effect driven by individual's uniqueness consideration. I demonstrate this effect across seven experimental studies and a field study (using United Nations data). I also show that type of decision moderates the results. The third essay investigates how purchase type influences consumers' preference for mystery options. Five lab studies and a field study (using Groupon data) provide evidence that, when making experiential purchases consumers favor mystery options than when making material purchases. Such an effect is driven by the need for excitement. Additionally, moderated by priming of excitement and target of the decision (self vs. other). Together, these three essays contribute to a better understanding of tradeoffs in these two types of purchases. My findings add to the work on regulatory focus, self-construal, and consumer judgements and decision making. I also offer managerial insights to develop effective marketing strategy.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2019
-
Identifier
-
CFE0007547, ucf:52605
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007547
-
-
Title
-
What We Hide.
-
Creator
-
Bowcott, Ashley, Thaxton, Terry, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, Uttich, Laurie, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
What We Hide is a collection of memoir essays that explores the themes of mystery and deception in personal relationships, specifically within familial and romantic ones. Though the essays in the collection explore the decades from early in the narrator's childhood through her move to Florida for graduate school, the narrator's keen discernment of the world around her and her curiosity for what experiences shape a person's character remain constant. Many essays explore the extent of her...
Show moreWhat We Hide is a collection of memoir essays that explores the themes of mystery and deception in personal relationships, specifically within familial and romantic ones. Though the essays in the collection explore the decades from early in the narrator's childhood through her move to Florida for graduate school, the narrator's keen discernment of the world around her and her curiosity for what experiences shape a person's character remain constant. Many essays explore the extent of her father's alcoholism and the consequences of it, as well as the narrator's obsession over the possible sources of his addictions. Other essays examine the narrator's relationships with men beginning when she enters high school and question the extent to which her strained relationship with her father both excuses and/or explains the way she deceives and allows herself to be deceived in these relationships. What We Hide is endlessly implicating and looks for the accountability of these situations from all sources. The narrator delves into the sneakiness of her parents' courtship, the accusations that become commonplace during their divorce, the ways in which the narrator lies to family, friends, and boyfriends for her own selfish motives, and how each of these experiences shapes subsequent ones.What We Hide uses personal experience, emails, and newspaper articles to demonstrate the vulnerability, contradictions, and complications that are inherent in all of us as humans and how these weaknesses manifest themselves in the relationships with those we are closest with.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFE0005582, ucf:50240
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005582