# Participants

## 3.1. Participants

In order to determine the required sample size for this thesis, a priori
power analysis was conducted using the open-source G\*Power application
(version 3.1.9.6) (Faul et al., 2007). An effect size of .15, alpha
value of .05, a confidence interval of .95, and variable count of 10
were used as the inputs used for calculation. The effect size of .15 was
decided on in light of Dodell-Feder and Tamir’s (2018) meta-analysis
regarding readership and social cognition, which determined the
relationship between the two variables to have an effect size between
.15 and .16. The target sample size was calculated as 172. The total
number of participants who completed the study was 284. Participants
were excluded from analysis based on age and highest education level.
The criteria for inclusion were:

1.  must be between 18 and 30 (inclusive at both ends)

2.  must either:
    1.  hold at least a Bachelor’s degree, or

    2.  hold at least a high school diploma and currently be enrolled in
        a Bachelor’s degree programme

After the inclusion criteria were applied, the final sample consisted of
258 participants. As all participants completed the survey in full,
there are no missing data. Accordingly, all tables, figures, and
analyses in this thesis are based on a sample size of 258.

<span id="_Toc203393439" class="anchor"></span>**Table 1\** *Distribution of
demographic variables*

| Variable               | _n_ |  %   |
| ---------------------- | :-: | :--: |
| Sex                    |     |      |
| Male                   | 50  | 19.4 |
| Sex                    |     |      |
|     Male               | 50  | 19.4 |
|     Female             | 208 | 80.6 |
| Age                    |     |      |
|     19                 | 13  | 5.0  |
| 20                     | 50  | 19.4 |
|     21                 | 60  | 23.3 |
|     22                 | 59  | 22.9 |
|     23                 | 24  | 9.3  |
|     24                 | 18  | 7.0  |
|     25                 |  6  | 2.3  |
|     26                 |  8  | 3.1  |
|     27                 |  7  | 2.7  |
|     28                 |  9  | 3.5  |
|     29                 |  1  | 0.4  |
|     30                 |  3  | 1.2  |
| Marital status         |     |      |
|     Single             | 147 | 57.0 |
|     Partnered          | 104 | 40.3 |
|     Married            |  7  | 2.7  |
| Monthly spending (TL)  |     |      |
|     0–15,000           | 102 | 39.5 |
|     15,001–30,000      | 88  | 34.1 |
|     30,001–45,000      | 35  | 13.6 |
|     45,001–60,000      | 15  | 5.8  |
|     60,001–75,000      |  4  | 1.6  |
|     75,001–90,000      |  9  | 3.5  |
|     Over 90,000        |  5  | 1.9  |
| Highest education      |     |      |
|     High school degree | 177 | 68.6 |
|     Associate degree   |  4  | 1.6  |
|     Bachelor’s degree  | 67  | 26.0 |
|     Master’s degree    |  9  | 3.5  |
|     PhD                |  1  | 0.4  |

_Note_. TL = Turkish lira.