This thesis comprises three principal essays, each of which provides a contribution to the literature on the nonparametric approach to demand analysis. In each essay, I develop novel techniques that follow in the revealed preference tradition, and apply them to tackle a series of questions that concern the mechanisms underlying consumer spending decisions. Each technique developed is tightly linked to a particular nonparametric theory of choice behaviour and is explicitly designed for use with a finite set of observations. My work draws heavily upon results from finite mathematics, into which I integrate insights from information theory and integer programming. The output of this endeavor is a set of methodologies that are largely free of auxiliary assumptions over the form of the unobserved structural functions of interest. Providing greater detail on the work to come, my first essay extends and clarifies the nonparametric approach to forecasting demand behaviour at new budget regimes. Using insights from information theory and integer programming, I construct an operational nonparametric definition of global rationality and develop a methodology that facilitates the recovery of globally rational individual demand predictions. This is the first attempt in the literature to develop a systematic methodology to impose global rationality on nonparametric demand predictions. The resulting forecasts allow for unrestricted preference heterogeneity in the population and I demonstrate how these predictions can be used for coherent welfare analysis. In my second and third essays, I prove new revealed preference testability axioms for models that extend the traditional neoclassical choice framework. Specifically, in my second essay, I address the intertemporal allocation of spending by collectives, whilst my final essay integrates taste variation into the utility maximisation framework. In both of these essays, I develop my testable results into practical algorithms that allow one to recover salient features of individual preferences. In my second essay, a methodology is developed to recover the minimal intrahousehold heterogeneity in theory-consistent discount rates, whilst my final essay develops a quadratic programming procedure that facilitates the recovery of the minimal interpersonal and intertemporal heterogeneity in tastes that is required to rationalise observed choice patterns. Applying these techniques to consumption micro-data yields new empirical insights that are of relevance to the applied literatures on time discounting, family economics and the public policy debate on tobacco control.

Common carnivore species in the Czech Republic, such as fox, badger, marten, or weasel have not been recently paid much attention. This mammalian group is not easy to monitor but with modern technologies animals can be observed almost undisturbed. I collected data using camera traps in the Polabí region in Central Bohemia, about 30 km from Prague. I placed 73 camera traps in four different habitats (wetland; alluvial forest; mixed forest; and scrub grassland). Each habitat was represented by 3-4 localities in a fragmented landscape, made up of seminatural habitats and human-used areas. Over 366 days of monitoring I recorded 8 carnivore species, one of them non-native (golden jackal). None of the allegedly common invasive species in the Czech Republic (raccoon dog, american mink, raccoon) were found. The habitats did not differ in number of observed species, which is probably due to a low number of species found and the small size of the study area. Habitat preferences and seasonal and circadian activity in my study area generally correspond to the findings of previous ecological studies, but the novel aspect of my research is the robust, statistically analysed results based on long-term quantitative data. One conclusion I consider important from the conservation point of view is that most of our carnivore...

Title: Attitudes competitors kickboxing coach to lead the way during the match Objectives: The main objective of this study is to examine how athletes perceive their coach in leadership (coaching) during the match, whether this behavior coincides with their preferences and what attitudes they have. Furthermore, these results are interpreted as a feedback to coach who lead a match to the increase effectiveness of its leadership and also show that perception during the match and athletes's preferences are very individual and different. And therefore coaches should not follow just generalized research into coaching but they should work with each athlete individually and according to theirs specific needs. Methods: In this thesis were used a method of structured questionnaire and semiguided interview. The structured questionnaire was used in the detecting method of coach leading during the match and preferences of participants. The semiguided interview method was used to specify preferences and attitudes towards a method of coach leadership. Results: It was find out It was found that the differences between preferences and the perceived reality occur not only for individual athletes, but also between them. It turned out that there is some consensus, as in the perception of coach's behavior during the...

Decision-making is a fundamental process of human thinking and behavior. In engineering design, decision-making is studied from two different points of view: users and designers. User focused design studies tend to investigate ways to better inform the design process through the elicitation of preferences or information. Designer studies are broad in nature, but usually attempt to illustrate and understand some aspect of designer behavior, such as ideation, fixation, or collaboration. Despite their power, both qualitative and quantitative research methods are ultimately limited by the fact that they rely on direct input from the research participants themselves. This can be problematic, as individuals may not be able to accurately represent what they are truly thinking, feeling, or desiring at the time of the decision. A fundamental goal in both user- and designer-focused studies is to understand how the mind works while individuals are making decisions. This dissertation addresses these issues through the use of complementary behavioral and neuroimaging experiments, uncovering insights into how the mind processes design-related decision-making and the implications of those processes. To examine user decision-making, a visual conjoint analysis (preference modeling approach) was utilized for sustainable preference judgments. Here, a novel preference-modeling framework was employed, allowing for the real time calculation of dependent environmental impact metrics during individual choice decisions. However, in difficult moral and emotional decision-making scenarios, such as those involving sustainability, traditional methods of uncovering user preferences have proven to be inconclusive. To overcome these shortcomings, a neuroimaging approach was used. Specifically, study participants completed preference judgments for sustainable products inside of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. Results indicated that theory of mind and moral reasoning processes occur during product evaluations involving sustainability. Designer decision-making was explored using an analogical reasoning and concept development experiment. First, a crowdsourcing method was used to obtain meaningful analogical stimuli, which were validated using a behavioral experiment. Following this, fMRI was used to uncover the neural mechanisms associated with analogical reasoning in design. Results demonstrated that analogies generally benefit designers; particularly after significant time on idea generation has taken place. Neuroimaging data helped to show two distinct brain activation networks based upon reasoning with and without analogies. We term these fixation driven external search and analogically driven internal search.. Fixation driven external search shows designers during impasse, as increased activation in brain regions associated with visual processing causes them to direct attention outward in search of inspiration. Conversely, during analogically driven internal search, significant areas of activation are observed in bilateral temporal and left parietal regions of the brain. These brain regions are significant, as prior research has linked them to semantic word-processing, directing attention to memory retrieval, and insight during problem solving. It is during analogically driven internal search that brain activity shows the most effective periods of ideation by participants.

Master of Science / Department of Psychological Sciences / Kimberly Kirkpatrick / Obesity is associated with impaired decision making across a range of choice behaviors including impulsive choice behavior and incentive value. Given that people make approximately 200 food choices each day (Wansink & Sobal, 2007), it is essential to better understand this relationship between obesity and impaired decision making. As such, the current study sought to understand how long-term exposure to diets high in processed fat and sugar affected impulsive choice behavior, devaluation, and food preferences. The results suggested that diet affects impulsive choice behavior. Rats exposed to diets high in processed fat or sugar were more sensitive to changes in delay, a marker of impulsivity. Results from the bisection task indicated that the diet-induced impulsivity could be a result of poor time discrimination. In addition, there were differences in incentive value. All rats successfully devalued rewards, but the high-fat and high-sugar group showed lower overall levels of responding. Further, diet-induced impulsivity could lead to overconsumption of high-fat and high-sugar foods due to differences in food preference. After 9 months on the diets, rats fed a chow and high-sugar diet displayed a sugar preference, while the rats fed a high-fat diet displayed a fat preference. Together, the results suggest that the alterations in impulsive choice and incentive valuation induced by diet could make individuals vulnerable to overeating, and thus obesity, as well as other disorders that are characterized by impulsive choice and deficits in incentive valuation.

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / R. Scott Beyer / Over the decades much has been discovered about the appropriate lighting management strategies for raising commercial meat-type poultry. Our knowledge of light preference, wavelength, intensity, intermittent lighting, and avian spectral sensitivity continues to improve our management strategies. In this work, a total of 5 experiments were conducted. The first 2 experiments investigated the effects of Light emitting diodes (LED) lights on growth performance of broiler chicks. Broiler chicks were raised under LED lights at different intensities: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 lux. A significant linear relationship (P < 0.05) was found in experiment 1 between body weight gain and light intensity. In experiment 2, a linear trend was noticed between body weight gain and light intensity. As the light intensity increased, chick weight increased. Feed: gain ratios were not affected by light intensity. The third experiment also examined growth performance using LED lighting as well as the effects of feed form and different lighting intensities upon behavior. The broilers fed a pelleted diet had significantly better performance than those fed crumbles. Under more intense light it was discovered that broilers spend significantly more time (P< .05) consuming feed compared to dim light. The fourth experiment focused on broiler preference for light color, and feed form during feeding. The broilers were offered either pelleted or crumbled feed and served under 4 different light colors: red, white, blue, and green. It was found that broilers statistically preferred pelleted feed, and white lighting, with red being the 2nd color choice of preference while green and blue were statistically not chosen. The fifth experiment focused on chick preference for feed color, when under different light color. One day old chicks were offered dyed feed: red, yellow, blue, green or light brown iv (control) under 5 different colors of light: red, yellow, blue, green, and white. It was found that chicks significantly preferred red dyed feed, especially under blue light. In conclusion, it was found that LED lights can have positive effects on broiler performance. Broilers show a preference for white lighting and pelleted feed. Young chicks show a preference for red dyed feed.

Playing with toys as a means of environmental engagement has long been considered important in early child development (Messer, Rachford, McCarthy, & Yarrow, 1987; Wolery & Werts, 1994). However, children with highly significant disabilities often engage in toy play less frequently than their peers without disabilities (Blasco, Bailey, & Burchinal, 1993; Langley, 1985) and frequently need specialized support to promote toy play (Ivory & McCollum, 1999; Langley, 1985). Preference assessment technology was used to identify preferred sensory attributes. Those sensory attributes were embedded into a toy previously identified as nonpreferred based on selection and amount of toy play. Differences were noted in caregiver opinion of sensory preference when compared to a sensory attribute preference assessment. The initial paired-item presentation consisted of a rotation of 4 toys from the natural environment using a child-directed approach, which consisted of choice, prompting, and praise for completion of functional toy play. An additional condition added the child's preferred sensory attribute to a nonpreferred toy using the above-mentioned procedures. Results indicated that the addition of a preferred sensory attribute increased selection of that toy with 2 of 3 children, and resulted in increased independent functional toy play for all 3 children.

The astonishing diversity of floral form in angiosperm plants is driven in large part by preferences of pollinators for various floral traits, including learned preferences. Remarkably, almost all of a vast literature on learning and memory in pollinators relates to nectar as a reward, even though bees and many flies, beetles, and butterflies must collect pollen. In this study, we asked if bees formed preferences for plant species from which pollen had been collected successfully. Using absolute conditioning, we gave pollen foraging bees experience with plant species that offered only pollen rewards. Naive bees generally showed modest preferences, whereas experienced bees adopted strong preferences for those species over alternative species not previously experienced. Learned preferences were retained for at least 24 h, consistent with preferences learned with nectar rewards. These experience-mediated changes in preference raised the possibility that bees formed associations between particular floral features and pollen rewards. We therefore asked if learned preferences required that bees successfully collect pollen. Using differential conditioning, we determined that learned preferences were strongly influenced by receipt of a pollen reward. In a final experiment, we characterized the importance of 2 floral features, the corolla and the anther, in the expression of learned preferences. Although experience altered responses to both floral parts, responses to anthers were influenced more strongly. We discuss recent evidence in the literature for associative learning with pollen rewards and propose that learned preferences in the context of pollen collection have played an important role in floral display evolution.

L’intérêt sans cesse croissant des données RDF disponibles sur le Web a conduit à l’émergence de multiple et importants efforts de recherche pour enrichir le formalisme traditionnel des données RDF à des fins d’exploitation et d’analyse. Le travail de cette thèse s’inscrit dans la continuation de ces efforts en abordant la problématique de la gestion des données RDF en présence d’imperfections (manque de confiance/validité, incertitude, etc.). Les contributions de la thèse sont comme suit: (1) Nous avons proposé d’appliquer l’opérateur skyline sur les données RDF pondérées par des mesures de confiance (Trust-RDF) dans le but d’extraire les ressources les plus confiantes selon des critères définis par l’utilisateur. (2) Nous avons discuté via des méthodes statistiques l’impact des mesures de confiance sur le Trust-skyline.(3) Nous avons intégré à la structure des données RDF un quatrième élément, exprimant une mesure de possibilité. Pour gérer cette mesure de possibilité, un cadre langagier appropriée est étudié, à savoir Pi-SPARQL, qui étend le langage SPARQL aux requêtes permettant de traiter des distributions de possibilités. (4) Nous avons étudié une variante d’opérateur skyline pour extraire les ressources RDF possibilistes qui ne sont éventuellement dominées par aucune autre ressource dans le sens de l’optimalité de Pareto. / The ever-increasing interest of RDF data on the Web has led to several and important research efforts to enrich traditional RDF data formalism for the exploitation and analysis purpose. The work of this thesis is a part of the continuation of those efforts by addressing the issue of RDF data management in presence of imperfection (untruthfulness, uncertainty, etc.). The main contributions of this dissertation are as follows. (1) We tackled the trusted RDF data model. Hence, we proposed to extend the skyline queries over trust RDF data, which consists in extracting the most interesting trusted resources according to user-defined criteria. (2) We studied via statistical methods the impact of the trust measure on the Trust-skyline set.(3) We integrated in the structure of RDF data (i.e., subject-property-object triple) a fourth element expressing a possibility measure to reflect the user opinion about the truth of a statement.To deal with possibility requirements, appropriate framework related to language is introduced, namely Pi-SPARQL, that extends SPARQL to be possibility-aware query language.Finally, we studied a new skyline operator variant to extract possibilistic RDF resources that are possibly dominated by no other resources in the sense of Pareto optimality

While studies have indicated the onset of fertility transition in Nigeria as in most Sub- Saharan countries, no systematic attempt has been made to identify the factors responsible for this trend. Existing explanation tends to draw from the demographic transition theory without exploring the value of other key variables. One of these variables is the degree of preference implementation. This study explores the role of fertility preference implementation on the onset of fertility transition in Nigeria. The study estimated the extent to which couples have been able to implement their fertility preferences with a view to better understand the factors that are responsible for the fertility changes in the country. This study was based on the socio-economic and microeconomic frameworks of fertility namely: the Bongaarts et al (1984) version and its Stover’s reformulation (1998) of the proximate determinants of fertility and the Bongaarts (1993) supply-demand framework for the analysis of the determinants of fertility, respectively. The proximate determinant of fertility frameworks holds that all demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, institutional, psychological, health and environmental factors (background variables) operate through the proximate or intermediate variables to affect fertility. The Bongaarts (1993) supply-demand framework posits that fertility (F) as measured by total fertility rate is an outcome of the interaction of supply of births (natural fertility), demand for births (wanted fertility) and degree of fertility preference implementation (an index, which measures the extent to which people have been able to implement their fertility preferences). The degree of preference implementation is in turn dependent on cost of fertility regulation and that of unwanted childbearing. The husbands’ family planning attitude and desired number of children were incorporated into the latter framework to recognize and bring out the crucial roles of the males in eventual fertility outcomes. The 1990, 1999 and 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data sets for men, women and couples were used. The methodology of the three NDHS is not too different from each other. They are nationally representative cross-sectional survey of women between the ages of 15 and 49 in 1990, 1999 and 2003 and men between 15 and 64 in 1999 and 15-59 in the 2003 survey. Twenty-four focus group discussions were also conducted among the sexes across the country to gain better insight and understanding into the issues examined. Focus group research is based on facilitating an organized discussion with a group of individuals selected because they were believed to be representative of some class. The discussion is used to bring out insights and understandings in ways, which cannot be captured by questionnaire. The focus group discussions (FGD) are also national in scope. Participants were drawn from the Northern, South Eastern and South Western regions of the country. The study population consisted of 8,781; 8,199 and 7,620 women aged 15-49 interviewed during the 1990, 1999 and 2003 NDHS, respectively. In addition, 2,584 men aged 15-64 and 2,346 men aged 15-59 interviewed during the 1999 and 2003 NDHS, respectively were used. One thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight (1,168) couples’ records derived from the 2003 NDHS and 1,280 (constructed) couples’ records for 1999 were also used. A total of eighty-nine (89) men and eighty-five (85) women participated in the twenty-four (24) focus group discussion sessions. To achieve the research objectives, a wide range of analysis was carried out in the study. In the estimation of all means and medians, the Kaplan Meier survival analysis is used. Some other estimations were done using specific formulations developed for the purpose. Thirty-six binary logistic regression models were also fitted to bring out spousal influences on each other’s attitude to family planning and desired number of children. Lastly, the focus group discussion sessions were analysed by themes to give better understanding into the issues examined. Five hypotheses were tested in the study. There was a general decline in the age specific fertility rates (ASFR) between 1990 and 2003 in all the age groups. This is reflected in the total fertility rate (TFR) for the country as a whole, which declined from 6.32 in 1990 to 5.82 in 2003. The national average masks large variations in the fertility levels between subgroups in the country. The women in the North generally have higher number of children than their Southern counterparts. This is particularly marked in the early childbearing years. Fertility levels are also higher among rural residents compared to those in the urban area. Substantial differences equally exist in the fertility levels of women by their level of education with fertility being negatively associated with level of education. A comparison of the past and current fertility also confirms that fertility has been on the decline in the country. Age at first and last births have been declining and the differentials between the two show that the number of years spent in childbearing is decreasing. Non-marital birth was also found to be increasing over time but at a level below six percent and with no identifiable educational or regional pattern. Teenage motherhood is equally declining both nationally and regionally and is relatively high among teenagers from the rural area and those with less than secondary level of education. The proportion of women that progress from one parity to another decreases as parity increases and no socially imposed optimum number of children is observed (although there is a political four-child policy in existence) among the Nigerian women. Apart from age of mother at the birth of child, which has a positive association with median length of birth interval and the surviving status of preceding child (which is understandably shorter if the preceding child is dead), length of birth interval by other characteristics shows no significant variation across sub groups. Age at first marriage remained between 16 and 17 over the years. This is lower for respondents from the rural, the North and for those with less than secondary level of education. For age at first sexual intercourse, it increased over time in the age groups. Respondents from the North and rural area however initiated sexual intercourse earlier and age at first sexual intercourse increases with level of education. Among the proximate determinant indices, the index of postpartum insusceptibility has the greatest inhibiting effect, followed by that of marriage/sexually active, contraception and then sterility. In the Bongaarts model, the indices reduced total fecundity by 12.46 births in the total sample of married women in 1990; 8.90 births in 1999 and 9.45 births in 2003 while the indices jointly reduced potential fertility by 17.69 births in the total sample of sexually active women in 1990; 16.06 births in 1999 and 16.50 births in 2003 in the Stover’s reformulation. The number of children desired marginally increased over time. This could have been affected by the high proportion of non-response especially in the 1990 survey. The desired number of children is positively related to age and number of surviving children while it is negatively related to education. Number of children desired is found to be lower among urban residents and respondents from the Southern part of the country and highest among currently married women. The focus group discussion sessions also show that people have been revising the number of children they are having downward due to ‘supposed’ economic hardship in the country and the need to give quality education, training and care to the children. However, their desire remain high. The extent, to which fertility preference is achieved, is generally high and increasing over the years in the total sample of married women with some variations in the sub groups. It is higher in the urban compared to the rural; increases with level of education, lowest in the North East and highest in the South West. Surprisingly, the extent to which concordant couples achieve their fertility preferences was lower than that of discordant couples. The fitted logistic models showed no evidence of the husbands having an upper hand in the number of children desired by the wives or on their attitude to family planning and vice versa. While the husbands play greater role in fertility decision-making in households, who has the upper hand between the husbands and the wives in actual fertility outcome was not conclusive in this study. Knowledge about family planning methods and their availability is high. The costs of fertility regulation in terms of its social, economic and in particular health components as well as obstacles to the use of fertility regulation methods were highlighted. The psychological, health, social and more frequently the economic costs of unwanted childbearing were also brought out. The responses to questions on pregnancy wantedness was also validated in this study as people generally acknowledged the circumstance of the birth of additional child(ren) as accidental. Two of the five hypotheses proposed were confirmed. One, the hypothesis that ‘the degree of fertility preference implementation is higher in the south than in the North, higher among urban residents compared to the rural residents and increases as the level of education increases’ is supported by the results of the study. Two, that ‘the degree of fertility preference implementation is increasing and playing an increasing (a more positive) role in fertility changes in Nigeria’ is also supported. The study could not confirm that ‘the indices of marriage/sexual activity, postpartum insusceptibility and contraception (in that order) have the most inhibiting effect on fertility in Nigeria.’ The other two hypotheses could not be proven conclusively either. These were that ‘degree of fertility preference implementation is higher among couples with similar desired number of children than among discordant couples’ and ‘the Husbands have more influence on their wives’ family planning attitude and desired number of children than the wives have over their husbands’. These findings have programme and policy implications. For instance, although the reduction in the number of years spent in child bearing is welcome as a result of decline in the number of older women in active childbearing, the increasing entrance of women under the age of eighteen years is worrisome. This could impact negatively on school enrolment and retention as well as on the health of the women since it is recognised that women under the age of eighteen years is one of the four groups of women with higher risk of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and childbirth. Despite the pertinent findings of this study, a number of study limitations can be identified. This include not identifying people who have achieved their desired fertility and those who have not and conducting in-depth interview with them to gain greater insight into their fertility decision-making, desire and behaviour. This aspect requires further detailed investigation. A number of programme, policy and research recommendations are made based on the findings of this study.