Erasmus University Thesis Repository
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Sustainability in Fashion Advertising: The Impact of a Green Nudge and Endorser Type on Choice Satisfaction and Purchase Intention
No full textDe ontsnapping aan het meetprobleem
No full textDe quantummechanika, een van de meest baanbrekende theorie¨en in de natuurkunde, en haar bekende meetprobleem staan centraal in deze thesis. Voor het meetprobleem zijn er vele oplossingen
gegeven, maar tot op de dag van vandaag is geen van deze oplossingen bevredigend geweest.
In deze thesis staan twee interpretaties van de quantummechanika centraal: de Kopenhaagse
Interpretatie en de Relatieve Toestanden van Everett. Waar de Kopenhaagse Interpretatie geen
afstand doet van de klassieke beginselen, slaat Everett een drastisch andere weg in: er is geen
meetprobleem, want de ineenstorting van de golffunctie vindt niet plaats! Everett’s interpretatie
wordt vaak geprezen om haar eenvoud, maar toch slaagt hij er uiteindelijk niet in om de complete
uitwerking van zijn relatieve toestanden te conceptualiseren.
Door de relatieve toestanden ontstaat er een warboel aan vertakkingen, waardoor de vraag
opkomt of een objectieve werkelijkheid bestaat los van onze waarneming? Waar de Kopenhaagse
Interpretatie afstand moet doen van een dergelijke werkelijkheid, is dit niet het geval bij Everett.
In deze thesis worden beide interpretaties uiteengezet.
Waar de Kopenhaagse Interpretatie de waarnemer een actieve rol toebedeelt, blijft Everett
daar ver vandaan. In deze thesis beargumenteer ik dat de theorie van Everett het meest overeenkomt met het gedachtegoed van het realisme, omdat de universele golffunctie deterministisch en
continu verandert zonder een ineenstorting veroorzaakt door metingen. De relatieve toestanden
zijn weliswaar vertakkingen, maar behoren tot de eenvoudige superpositie van het universum, afgeleid van de golffunctie. Deze eenvoudige superpositie vormt de objectieve werkelijkheid waar de
vertakkingen slechts een afgeleide (projectie) van zijn
Perceiving the humanness: reader evaluation of AI-generated versus human-written romantic texts
No full textThe rapid advancement of generative AI (GenAI), particularly large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4o, has revolutionized content creation, enabling efficient eBook production. However, this raises concerns about authorship ambiguity, quality, and the proliferation of low-quality AI-generated content on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Prior research on AI-text detection has focused on logical, academic, or short texts (e.g., AI-generated messages and hotel reviews), leaving a gap in understanding AI's capability to mimic human writing in emotionally rich genres like romance, which relies on nuanced emotional expression, authenticity, and tone of voice.
While AI can generate content quickly in massive amounts with high-cost efficiency, its ability to replicate the emotional depth and authenticity of human-written romance narratives remains uncertain. This creates challenges for readers, platforms, and regulators in assessing authorship and ensuring content quality. Which leads to the research question: What are readers' perceptions of AI-generated and human-written romantic narratives based on (a)linguistic naturalness, (b)coherence, and (c) emotional tone?
A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys (5-point Likert scales) and qualitative thematic analysis. Participants (n = 85) evaluated two 170-word romantic reunion passages: Text A (Chapter 2 from Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook) and Text B (GPT-4o-generated). Metrics included linguistic naturalness (vocabulary simplicity, sentence structure), coherence (logical flow, consistency), and emotional tone (authenticity, intensity). Text order was randomized to minimize bias. More specifically, quantitative analysis involves paired-sample t-tests and MANOVA tests, coupled with Shapiro-Wilk and Wilcoxon tests analyze survey responses. And qualitatively, thematic analysis of open-ended explanations is used.
The results showed that only 51.8% correctly identified the human text (Text A), with a marginal advantage (11.8%) over AI text attribution, indicating difficulty in distinction. In terms of linguistic naturalness, AI text used significantly more diverse vocabulary ( d = 1.32, p .05), which reinforces the importance of developing genre-specific frameworks. The measurement of emotional tone was quantitatively indistinguishable, but qualitative analysis revealed that AI text showed more emotional intensity, while human text was more authentic. Lastly, em-dashes emerged as a prominent indicator of AI-writing by participants, serving as a novel detection cue.
In conclusion, genre is a critical aspect in AI-text detection: romance narratives demand metrics beyond lexical or coherence markers, but more emotional and micro-punctuation measures. GPT-4o narrows the human-AI gap in romantic narration but struggles to replicate emotional authenticity. Em-dashes emerged as a reliable, non-theoretical AI indicator, showing systematic biases in training data. A mixed-method approach is essential as both measures provide a comprehensive insight into this study. Practical implications demand that writers prioritize authentic storytelling, educators teach critical reading, and developers refine LLMs by suppressing robotic markers
Behind the Broadcasting: Gen Z creators on encoding, public value, and Dutch public media
No full textAbstract:
This thesis explores how a new generation of media professionals at Dutch public broadcasters BNNVARA and VPRO-HUMAN encode their political and ideological values into content, while working within institutional constraints of longstanding organisation. As public broadcasting continues to play a key role in shaping societal narratives, understanding how young creators navigate issues of creative agency, diversity, audience reception, and public value becomes increasingly relevant. Especially amid a rapidly evolving media landscape and deepening structural inequalities within the industry. The central research question guiding this study is: How does a new generation of public media makers encode their ideological and political visions into content while working within the frameworks of BNNVARA and VPRO-HUMAN? Four sub-questions structure the analysis, focusing on: (1) creative agency and institutional structures, (2) diversity and meritocracy, (3) audience interpretation and encoding, and (4) the operationalization of public value.
Grounded in Hall's (1980, p. 51-61) encoding/decoding model, and Moore's (1995, p. 27-56) Public Value Theory, this study applies a qualitative methodology based on ten semi-structured interviews with early-career employees across editorial, production, and creative roles. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns related to institutional influence, identity politics, and audience negotiation. Findings show that young public media professionals often enter the field with strong political and social motivations, viewing public broadcasting as an outlet for meaningful storytelling and systemic critique. Many consistently pitch content surrounding issues such as climate justice, racism, and gender identity, thus encoding ideological meaning into their work. At the same time, their ability to express these views is mediated by institutional hierarchies, budget constraints, and editorial gatekeeping. These challenges are heightened by the ?156 million in funding cuts facing the Public Broadcasting Organisation.
Participants also reported tensions around generational differences. While often positioned as digitally handy and trend-aware, younger employees felt pressure to deliver creative innovation without the corresponding authority. Diversity and meritocracy were similarly double-edged: while inclusion was valued symbolically, structural inequality persists.
Audience engagement emerged as a particularly complicated development. Participants were highly conscious of how political content might be received, especially in the algorithmic and polarizing climate of social media. Many adjusted tone, framing, or narrative to avoid backlash or misinterpretation, demonstrating active encoding strategies under pressure. Despite this, there remained a strong commitment to public value ideals, even when they conflicted with engagement metrics or institutional obligations.
This study concludes that young professionals are simultaneously constrained and empowered within public broadcasting. However, their success is uneven, shaped by external funding pressures, internal politics, and broader shifts in how media audiences engage with meaning.
By showcasing the perspectives of Gen Z creators within public service institutions, this thesis contributes to ongoing debates about democratic media, institutional transformation, and the future of public broadcasting in an era of ideological polarization and digital developments
Voorbij de Zijlijn: De Dominantie Van De Mannelijke Sportjournalist
No full textDe sportredactie wordt al jarenlang gedomineerd door mannen. Eerder onderzoek laat zien dat het voor vrouwen niet altijd even gemakkelijk is geweest om actief te zijn in het door mannen gedomineerde sportdomein. Echter zijn veel van deze onderzoeken verouderd of
uitgevoerd in het buitenland. Niet alleen de sportredactie, maar ook sporten zelf hebben te maken met een meerderheid van mannen. Zo ook het voetbal. Het vrouwenvoetbal wordt ook wel getypeerd als het ondergesneeuwde kindje. Desondanks zijn er steeds meer vrouwelijke sportjournalisten werkzaam bij verschillende media. In dit onderzoek wordt in de Nederlandse context antwoord gegeven op de vraag: Hoe geven Nederlandse mannelijke sportjournalisten betekenis aan gender en vrouwenvoetbal in hun werk? In tien kwalitatieve interviews met Nederlandse, mannelijke sportjournalisten (werkzaam voor zowel landelijke als regionale media) is er onder andere gesproken over hun manier van werken, mannelijkheid in de sportcultuur, hoe zij de verdeling tussen mannen en vrouwen op de redactie ervaren, en wat zij van vrouwenvoetbal vinden. Aan de hand van een thematische analyse zijn er vier thema's geïdentificeerd: nieuwswaarde van vrouwenvoetbal, gezonde freaks en vormgevers, de alfa man, en toegankelijkheid van de sportjournalistiek en vrouwenvoetbal. De mannen in dit onderzoek geven aan dat oudere generaties een conservatievere houding hebben richting vrouwenvoetbal, maar dat de nieuwe generatie wat breder van geest is. Tegelijkertijd vinden ze dat het vrouwenvoetbal nog "in de kinderschoenen" staat, wat het gebrek aan aandacht en prioriteit die de sport krijgt op hun redacties verklaart. Op de sportredacties is er nog altijd sprake van een "machocultuur" zoals de mannen zelf omschrijven, waar in sommige gevallen de vrouwen aan meedoen om verder te komen in hun carrière. De mannen zeggen dat ze diversiteit omarmen, maar geven aan dat ze denken dat vrouwen niet geïnteresseerd zijn in de sport, of leggen de verantwoordelijkheid bij hun leidinggevenden. Aan de andere kant vertellen de mannen dat kwaliteit boven diversiteit staat, bijvoorbeeld bij rolverdeling en groeikansen. Dat lijkt te impliceren dat diversiteit los staat van kwaliteit. Toch blijkt uit eerdere onderzoek dat een diverse sportredactie zou bijdragen aan de kwaliteit van de berichtgeving over vrouwenvoetbal
Biocultural Innovation Through Cultural Entrepreneurship in Peripheral Europe: A Case Study of Traditional Herzegovinian Crafts
No full textThis study examines the applicability of biocultural innovation theory on landscape embedded rural cultural enterprise in Herzegovina. The findings suggest that traditional crafts such as cheesemaking, stonemasonry and traditional textiles and fashion hold significant biocultural assets that have both entrepreneurial and environmental value. Rural cultural entrepreneurship by operationalizing these assets through the 3C's (conserve, construct, convert) pathways acts as a catalyst of biocultural innovation. Framing rural cultural entrepreneurship as not only able to sustain local cultural heritage but can also serves the role of biocutural stewardship having potential to revive lost culture-nature links and support biodiversity
Eco or Echo? Gen Z Decodes the Framing of Sustainable Fashion on Instagram
No full textThis thesis explores how fashion brands frame sustainability on Instagram and how young consumers interpret these messages. As the fashion industry increasingly adopts sustainability rhetoric in response to environmental and ethical concerns, it faces growing scrutiny-especially from Gen Z consumers who are both ethically aware and sceptical of brand messaging. Amid rising concerns over greenwashing, this study investigates the tension between visual branding strategies and consumer trust.
The central research question is: How do fashion brands frame sustainability on Instagram, and how do young consumers decode these messages? The study combines Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) of Instagram posts from selected sustainable fashion brands with semi-structured interviews conducted with eight Gen Z participants.
Findings reveal that participants are highly critical of sustainability messaging, particularly when it lacks transparency or appears overly aestheticized. They prefer communication that emphasizes activism, social equity, and honesty over polished promotional content. Many participants reported shopping second-hand or reducing their consumption altogether, indicating a shift toward more intentional, values-based consumer behaviour. Instagram was viewed as both a problematic and promising platform, prone to superficiality but capable of supporting educational, storytelling-driven content.
Grounded in Framing Theory (Goffman, 1974; Entman, 1973), Visual Rhetoric (Messaris), and Hall's Encoding/Decoding Model, the study shows that Gen Z consumers often adopt negotiated or oppositional readings of green marketing. Rather than accepting sustainability claims at face value, they actively decode messages through their ethical and social lenses.
This research highlights the need for brands to move beyond aesthetic branding toward more authentic, transparent, and systemically engaged sustainability communication
From Tracks to Texts: Gender Representation in Instagram Captions of Running Influencers
No full textThe intersection of digital media and fitness culture has positioned social media influencers as key agents in shaping gendered self-representations. Within the UK's amateur running community, Instagram micro-influencers (users with 10,000-100,000 followers) are increasingly influential in promoting narratives of health, identity, and performance. While visual content often dominates scholarly analysis of social media, the caption-an essential site for discursive self-presentation-remains underexplored, particularly in relation to gender. Moreover, existing literature has disproportionately focused on female influencers and visual aesthetics, leaving male narratives and linguistic framing comparatively overlooked.
This study investigates how British amateur female and male running influencers construct gendered identities through language in Instagram captions. The research asks: How do British amateur female and male running influencers differ in the ways they use language in Instagram captions to express and frame gendered identities in running-related content? Drawing from Social Role Theory (Eagly & Wood, 2012) and Framing Theory (Goffman, 1974), the study examines how influencers express communal traits (e.g., empathy, relationality) and agentic traits (e.g., competitiveness, self-discipline), as well as how gendered meanings are structured through narrative and emotional framing.
A thematic analysis was conducted on 500 captions from 50 UK-based micro-influencers (24 female, 26 male), using a theory-driven codebook. Data collection combined homogeneous and snowball sampling strategies, ensuring relevance and diversity within the niche of recreational running. Analysis was facilitated through ATLAS.ti software, with codes clustered into broader thematic categories reflecting both traditional and hybrid gender norms.
Findings indicate that male influencers predominantly adopt agentic frames emphasizing goal-setting, resilience, and performance metrics, closely aligning with hegemonic masculinity. Female influencers more frequently employ communal and emotionally expressive frames, emphasizing gratitude, community support, and holistic well-being. However, notable instances of hybridity emerge: some female influencers foreground competitive ambition and physical strength, while certain male influencers express vulnerability and relational values. Gender role reinforcement is significantly more prevalent in female-authored captions, often manifesting through hashtags and self-descriptors that reaffirm traditional femininity, even within narratives of athletic competence.
The study contributes to digital media and gender scholarship by foregrounding the textual dimension of influencer self-presentation. It offers new insights into how gender is linguistically negotiated in fitness spaces and highlights the cultural work done by micro-influencers in sustaining or challenging normative ideals. These findings hold broader implications for understanding the gendered dynamics of authenticity, audience engagement, and identity performance in digital fitness culture
