<p>Biological drives such as hunger, thirst, and sexual reproduction are potent motivators of behavior. Extrinsic rewards in the environment (i.e. food, drink, money) are also important behavioral and cognitive motivators. In addition to the relevance of an extrinsic reward in meeting the needs of biological drives, an individual’s sensitivity to the physiological state of their body (interoceptive awareness) would also be expected to mediate motivation for these extrinsic primary rewards (i.e. food, drink). Importantly, a better characterization of the predicted behavioral and neural interactions between interoception, motivation, and memory systems can highlight novel targets for interventions to facilitate motivation and memory for adaptive behaviors and/or impede motivation and memory for maladaptive behaviors (i.e. addiction, relapse, overeating). </p><p> The present dissertation examines how individual differences in interoceptive awareness may modulate motivated memory formation via motivational and affective mechanisms. Specifically, interoceptive accuracy is associated with increased motivation for relevant primary rewards and enhanced encoding for these rewards. However, anxiety, negatively predicted by interoceptive accuracy, negatively predicts memory the next day. Furthermore, memory for relevant primary rewards was negatively predicted by insula-parahippocampal and ventral tegmental area-hippocampal background connectivity.</p> / Dissertation

Physical inactivity is a widespread problem associated with numerous health problems. Individuals with intellectual disabilities are at a high risk of living a sedentary lifestyle. Although a few studies have examined interventions consisting of goal-setting and reinforcement for increasing PA, no studies have evaluated the use of monetary reinforcement. Interventions using monetary reinforcement have been shown to be effective for increasing PA with typically developing adults. The present studies evaluated monetary reinforcement for increasing PA in adults with intellectual disabilities. Study 1 evaluate a session-based intervention where participants earned monetary rewards for attaining step count goals as recorded by pedometers. The intervention increased the rate of walking for all five participants, demonstrating experimental control with four participants. The study also found that a staff member implemented the intervention with fidelity and rated it as highly acceptable. Study 2 evaluated a whole-day intervention where participants earned monetary rewards for attaining daily step goals as measured by wrist-worn Fitbit Alta™ accelerometers. The whole-day intervention resulted in noticeable increases in daily steps for only two participants, with experimental control demonstrated for one participant. Discussion includes the advantages and limitations of the approaches in each study and recommendations for future studies.

Money is considered as a motivator for floor level employees, however it has temporary affect and employees’ motivation to work reduces with time. This study is conducted to know, how to motivate “amotivated employees”. In this study, the author has tested “monetary rewards” and “leaders’ empathy” in motivating amotivated floor level employees. The findings are that monetary rewards have no effect on employees’ state of amotivation. Whereas, “leaders’ empathy” has healing effect on employees’ amotivation. In response to “leaders’ empathy”, the amotivated employees have shown interest as well as responsibility in their work.

Orientador: Anita Jocelyne Marsaioli / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T21:09:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Flach_Adriana_D.pdf: 12925693 bytes, checksum: 5201c81faeca903146104615fff177a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: O presente trabalho foi dividido em três partes todas relacionadas a química das relações entre os seres vivos. Na primeira parte do trabalho estudou-se a química da polinização de orquídeas da subtribo Maxillariinae em termos da composição dos voláteis e recompensas florais coletadas pelos polinizadores. Discutiu-se também os compostos envolvidos na atração dos polinizadores de Mormolyca ringens e Trigonidium obtusum. Identificou-se, nesta etapa uma série de compostos: hidrocarbonetos, terpenos, álcoois, aldeídos, cetonas, ésteres, etc. Em um segundo momento determinou-se a composição química do néctar de Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae), uma planta relatada como tóxica. Identificou-se, além de carboidratos, compostos secundários como terpenos, esteróides e carboidratos acetilados. Também foram identificados os constituintes voláteis: 1-octen-3-ol e 1-octen-3-ona. Na última parte do trabalho explorou-se a modificação química das ceras de duas espécies de abelhas que estabeleceram uma relação de convivência em um mesmo ninho. A composição química das ceras de operárias de colônias puras e de colônias mistas de M. scutellaris apresentaram perfis químicos diferentes produzindo nas colônias puras uma série de n-alcanos e n-alcenos enquanto que a colônia mista apresentou elevado percentual de acetato de triacontanila. As ceras das colônias de M. rufiventris apresentaram variações nas proporções de hidrocarbonetos. / Abstract: This work is presented in three distincts parts, ali of them concerning the chemistry involved in inter-specific relations. In the first part we discuss the pollination chemistry of orchids, subtribe Maxillariinae, in terms of floral volatiles and rewards collected by polinators. It is also discussed the compounds involved in polinattors attraction by Mormlyca rigens and Trigonidium obtusum. At this stage we have identified hydrocarbons, terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, etc. In the second chapter we analyzed the chemical composition of Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) nectar. Occurence wich has been considered toxic, due to the dead insects inside the flower. Morever, we identified some secondary metabolites as terpenes, steroids and acetylated sugars. Volatiles compounds as 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octen-3-one were also identified. The last part explores the chemical modification in waxes from two bees species that established coexistence in the same nest. We compare the chemical modification of waxes from worker bees in pure and mixed colonies of Meliponia rufiventris and Melipona scutellaris. Revealing that the ratio of alkanes, alkenes, were altered in M. rufiventris colonies. M. scutellaris pure colonie produce alkanes and alkanes and the chemistry of mixed colonies were altered producing high ratio of triacontanyl acetate. / Doutorado / Quimica Organica / Doutor em Ciências

This study gives an overview of why violence is applied so often in RPGs. It features a breakdown of the RPG-genre and reflects upon how violence is commonly used to create challenge in a game. The study will also bring attention to the psychology of rewards and discuss how game mechanics can encourage players to act in the most rewarding way. The study also conducts a research by creating an artefact and qualitative interviews to test the research question; is it the challenge or the violence itself that is the determining factor for conflict resolution in RPGs? This research concludes that there are several factors that influence the player’s decision making outside when choosing either a challenging or a violent path. Factors such as a narrative, character representation and the aspect of game flow in accordance with the game genre also seem to be of higher importance than expected at first glance.

This thesis is solving the issue of modeling and analysis of multi-level reward systems. The main goal is to design a solution that allows the development and testing of multi-level reward systems. The solution is based on the simulation of a dynamics reward system and the subsequent statistical analysis. The solution uses quantitative tools for simulation modeling and statistical analysis. The proposed solution eliminates the shortcomings of existing approaches, which are based strictly on methods of mathematical analysis. This invention makes possible the capture of not only the characteristics and functioning of the reward system, but also its stability and security. The output data are suitable for control and management decisions in firms that uses complex reward systems.

Companies compete for employees based on their perceived employer brand value. This study investigates what influences a strong or weak employer brand has on the preference for total rewards. The results should assist remuneration agents in appropriately leveraging the company’s employer brand value, as a factor, when compiling a total rewards package for potential employees. A questionnaire was developed, asking participants to indicate their preferences relating to total rewards in the context of their current employer, with regard to stronger and weaker employer brands. Results of the study indicate that potential employees would require financial reward increases in the range of 15% - 30% in order to change employment, irrespective of whether it is perceived as a strong or weak employer brand. It was observed that a stronger employer brand could offer increases closer to the bottom of the range compared to weaker employer brands which would have to pay a premium to the top end of the range Employer brand value appears to increase the total reward costs for companies, irrespective of how the brand is perceived. It is however beneficial to be viewed as a strong employer brand, as the value of this perception translates to a smaller premium compared to weaker employer brands. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to identify the perception and relationships between corporate entrepreneurship (CE) practices and management performance. The use of Morris and Kuratko's (2002) Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (CEAI) was used as the survey instrument for this study. A sample size of 1,200 unit managers, middle managers, and top management teams (TMTs) within nine casual dining restaurant organizations were surveyed with a response of 522 subjects at a rate of 44%. Responses of the CEAI results were studied using regression analysis and conclusions were drawn to support four out of the six hypothesis originally proposed in determining CE activity and management reinforcement. A post test analysis was also conducted in order to reinforce the previous results of the original study. This study concluded with the determination through an empirical analysis that forms of CE activity and enforcement are currently present within the casual dining restaurant segment. / Ph. D.

Belöningssystem är ett vardagligt fenomen som många troligen inte reflekterar särskilt mycket över. Trots detta finns det runt om kring oss hela tiden och även om vi är medvetna om det eller inte så påverkar detta vår motivation avsevärt. Statistik visar tydligt en bristande motivation hos eleverna i grundskolan idag (Engström, 2014; Kling, 2013; Treijs, 2015) och en allt högre siffra indikerar på att eleverna inte når upp till sina betygskriterier. Den samtida teknologiska frammarschen i samhället har dessutom börjat närma sig skolorna i Sverige och en viss förändring av undervisningen står för dörren. Genom att undersöka belöningssystemens handlingskraft och koppling till motivation hos eleverna kan konkreta förslag på åtgärder ges. Denna rapport har genomfört en fallstudie för att studera elevernas motivation i förhållande till ett digitalt verktyg. Fallstudien är baserad på en kvalitativ undersökning grundad på intervju och observation i en årskurs 4 klass. Det empiriska resultatet har analyserats i enighet med tidigare forskningsresultat, kända teorier och artiklar. Resultatet påvisar att belöningssystem är en viktig faktor i våra skolor för att bidra till elever motivation. Dessutom visar resultatet att King of Math är en utmärkt lärapp att använda sig av i syfte att öka elevernas motivation. Slutligen har det kunnat konstateras att användningen av belöningssystem leder till en ökad motivation hos eleverna och att ett digitalt verktyg absolut fyller en bidragande faktor i denna ekvation.

Teacher absenteeism is a problem that needs a solution. It is imperative that teachers come to work each day to prepare their students for academic achievement. If teachers are chronically absent from work, the students’ academic achievement suffers. There needs to be a way to minimize teacher absences. School districts must track data that shows teacher absences in order to get a clear picture of when and where the absences are the greatest problem. A review of the literature identified several studies conducted over the years that document the effects of teacher absenteeism. With this in mind, it is recommended that incentives be put in place to reduce the absences of the teachers. I furthered the research to include data from a school district by researching teacher perceptions of the use of teacher attendance incentives in the school district. The purpose of this study was to determine which schools within the school district have Incentive programs in place to motivate teachers to come to work. Existing attendance data was obtained to analyze the attendance of the teachers at each building. The teachers were then surveyed to identify the incentives that are in place at each building and the teachers’ perceptions of those incentives. The surveys conducted also assisted in determining if the attendance incentives that are used as motivation are effective to motivate teachers to attend work. The results of the teachers’ perceptions of the incentive program at each school will be compared with the teacher attendance data to determine which teacher attendance incentives are effective in motivating teachers to attend work as scheduled. The incentives that are the most effective will be shared with each principal in the district to utilize in maintaining better teacher attendance throughout the school district.