The capacity to mentally transcend the present moment affords the opportunity to relive former pleasures or preview the perils of things to come. According to the theory of embodied cognition, these imaginary events are made possible by the reactivation of the modality-specific sensory-motor components that accompany interaction with the environment (Barsalou, 1999, 2008; Wilson, 2002). But what happens when our mental simulations deviate from veridical experience? Guided by the observation that imagining the self from an outside point-of-view is a regular occurrence in the mental world (Nigro & Neisser, 1983), this thesis explored the sensory-motor activities that accompany first- and third-person imagery. As first-person (cf. third-person) simulations are closer in character to actual experience, it was anticipated that events imagined from this point-of-view would be accompanied by more pronounced embodied effects than those imagined from a third-person perspective. Online (i.e., during imagery) measures demonstrated that neural (Chapter 2) and motor (Chapter 3) activities were greater when imagining experiences from a first-person (cf. third-person) perspective. Extending the exploration of embodiment to offline (i.e., after imagery) effects, it was evidenced that simulated temperature contaminated person perception judgments (Chapter 4) and imaginary ingestion exacerbated consumption of unhealthy foods (Chapter 5), but only when the relevant sensory information was simulated from a first-person point-of-view. A final study contextualized these findings, identifying the natural occurrence of each perspective as well as individual differences that influence the vantage point most commonly adopted during spontaneous mental imagery. Taken together, these results suggest that first-person simulations are more body-based than their third-person counterparts. Imbued with theoretical and practical implications, the current thesis identifies a potential mechanism by which first- and third-person simulations give rise to disparate cognitive and behavioural outcomes, and furnishes a more nuanced understanding of embodied cognition.

Based on a targeted literature review, this vision paper emphasizes the importance of dementia-sensitive built space. The article specifically focuses on supporting spatial orientation and wayfinding for people living with dementia. First, we discuss types of wayfinding challenges, underlying processes, and consequences of spatial disorientation in the context of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Second, we focus on current efforts aimed at planning and evaluating dementia-sensitive built space, i.e., environmental design principles, interventions, evaluation tools, strategies, and planning processes. Third, we use our findings as a starting point for developing an interdisciplinary research vision aimed at encouraging further debates and research about: (1) the perspective of a person with dementia, specifically in the context of wayfinding and spatial orientation, and (2) how this perspective supplements planning and design processes of dementia-sensitive built space. We conclude that more closely considering the perspective of people with dementia supports the development of demographically sustainable future cities and care institutions.

Les alliances stratégiques sont devenues autant une nécessité qu'un choix pour les entreprises afin d'être compétitif sur les marchés d'aujourd'hui. Toutefois, faire fonctionner les alliances stratégiques n'est pas une évidence. Des taux de défaillance entre 30% et jusqu'à 70% ont été régulièrement signalés. Un nombre important de recherches a examiné comment ces chiffres pouvaient être améliorés. La sélection de partenaires a été identifiée comme l'un des facteurs clés de la réussite. En fait, les attributs spécifiques de chaque partenaire, influant même sur la sélection de ces mêmes partenaires, ont tendance à avoir des effets boule de neige au-delà de la phase de formation, jusqu'aux phases de conception et de post-formation. S'appuyant sur des recherches antérieures étudiant l'attribut « réputation », cette thèse vient combler une lacune en explorant le rôle que peut jouer la réputation pour la performance environnementale dans la détermination des avantages individuels et communs dans les différentes phases des alliances stratégiques. Dans quatre essais indépendants mais interconnectés, des questions de recherche spécifiques sont théoriquement examinées sous la « Natural-Resource-Based View (NRBV) » et la « Strategic Cognition Perspective ». Les hypothèses de l'étude sont testées empiriquement à partir des données recueillies auprès des PDG et des cadres supérieurs dans 176 entreprises manufacturières norvégiennes. / Strategic alliances have become as much a necessity as a choice for companies to be competitive in today's markets. However, making strategic alliances work is not evident. Failure rates between 30% and as high as 70% have been regularly reported. A substantial stream of research has examined how these numbers can be improved. Partner selection has been identified as a key success factor. In fact, partner-specific attributes, affecting which partners are selected, tend to have snowball effects beyond the formation phase to the design and postformation phases. Building on previous studies investigating the attribute of reputation, this thesis fills a gap by exploring the role reputation for environmental performance can play in determining firm-specific and joint competitive advantages in the different phases of strategic alliances. In four individual but connected Essays, specific research questions are theoretically examined under the Natural-Resource-Based View (NRBV) and Strategic Cognition Perspective. The study's hypotheses are empirically tested using data collected from CEOs and top managers in 176 Norwegian manufacturing firms.