Apprendre de nouvelles connaissances et savoir-faire sensorimoteurs dans des environnements réels entraine un grand nombre de défis majeurs pour les robots d'aujourd'hui. Pour acquérir de nouveaux comportements, ceux-ci ont besoin d'explorer des espaces sensorimoteurs qui possèdent généralement les caractéristiques d'être de grande dimensionnalité, de grands volumes, redondants, et de comporter des zones de complexités différentes. Dans cette thèse qui entre dans le cadre de la robotique développementale, nous proposons différents processus permettant de guider et contraindre une acquisition autonome de comportements sensorimoteurs nouveaux dans de tels espaces. Nous proposons une approche unifiée de résolution de ces problèmes qui prend inspiration des phénomènes de contraintes développementales présentés en biologie et psychologie, et plus particulièrement des motivations intrinsèques et des contraintes maturationnelles. Après la formalisation de cadres computationnels basés sur ces notions, nous présentons trois architectures algorithmiques différentes, chacune réutilisée de manière intégrée dans la suivante:La première, appelée RIAC, pour Robust-Intelligent Adaptive Curiosity, correspond à l'implémentation d'un algorithme d'apprentissage actif développemental permettant d'orienter l'exploration dans des espaces bornés et de dimensionnalité connue, possédant des régions de différents niveaux de complexités. Ce système, qui utilise des heuristiques prenant inspiration des mécanismes de motivations intrinsèques basées sur les connaissances, permet de diriger efficacement une exploration progressive de nouvelles connaissances sensorimotrices, qui correspondent à l'apprentissage de modèles directs. Il entraine aussi l'émergence de trajectoires développementales auto-organisées relatives à l'orientation de l'exploration sensorimotrice vers des activités de complexités intermédiaires.Ensuite, nous proposons l'algorithme SAGG-RIAC, pour Self-Adaptive Goal Generation - RIAC, en tant que mécanisme d'exploration intrinsèquement motivée basée sur les compétences, qui permet à des robots dont les espaces sensorimoteurs sont de grandes dimensions, hautement redondants, et possédant des schémas corporels différents, d'apprendre efficacement et activement de nouveaux comportements moteurs dans leurs espaces de tâches. L'idée principale de cet algorithme est d'orienter le robot à effectuer un babillage actif dans un espace des tâches de faible dimensionnalité, en opposition à un babillage moteur effectué dans un espace de contrôle de plus grande dimension, en auto-générant activement et adaptivement des objectifs dans les régions de l'espace des tâches qui fournissent les meilleures améliorations de compétences, pour l'atteinte d'objectifs précédemment tentés. Enfin, nous introduisons l'algorithme McSAGG-RIAC, pour Maturationally-Constrained SAGG-RIAC, qui repose sur le couplage de modèles computationnels de motivations intrinsèques et de contraintes maturationnelles physiologiques. Nous argumentons que ces mécanismes peuvent avoir des interactions bidirectionnelles complexes permettant le contrôle actif de l'augmentation de la complexité du développement sensorimoteur, afin de diriger une exploration et un apprentissage efficaces. Nous introduisons plus particulièrement un modèle fonctionnel des contraintes maturationnelles inspiré par le processus de myélinisation chez les humains, et montrons comment celui-ci peut être couplé avec l'algorithme SAGG-RIAC. Nous montrons qualitativement et quantitativement que cette approche intégrée des trois architectures présentées pendant cette thèse permet de répondre à certaines des problématiques des environnements réels, en contrôlant la complexité, le volume, la dimensionnalité et la redondance des comportements explorés de manière intrinsèque au robot, diminuant de manière importante la nécessité de contraindre et préparer l'environnement de manière externe. / Learning new sensorimotor knowledge and know-how in real environments leads to an important number of challenges for today's robots. In order to learn new skills, they need to explore sensorimotor spaces which are generally high-dimensional, high-volume, redundant, and possess areas of heterogenous levels of complexity. In this thesis, introduced within the developmental robotics domain, we propose different processes in order to guide and constrain the autonomous acquisition of new sensorimotor skills in such spaces. We propose an unified approach in order to resolve these problems which takes inspiration from phenomenon of developmental constraints introduced in biology and psychology, and more particularly intrinsic motivations and maturational constraints. After formalizing a computational framework based on these notions, we present three different algorithmic architectures, each one reused in an integrated manner within the next one:The first one, called RIAC, for Robust-Intelligent Adaptive Curiosity, corresponds to the implementation of an active learning algorithm which orients the exploration in bounded spaces whose dimensionality is known and which possess regions of different levels of complexity. This system, which uses heuristics taking inspiration from knowledge based intrinsic motivations mechanisms, effectively directs a progressive exploration of new sensorimotor knowledge, which corresponds to the learning of forward models. It also leads to the emergence of self-organized developmental trajectories related to the orientation of the sensorimotor exploration toward activities of intermediate complexity. Then, we propose the SAGG-RIAC algorithm for Self-Adaptive Goal Generation - RIAC, as a competence based intrinsic motivations exploration mechanism, which allows highly-redundant robots whose sensorimotor spaces are high-dimensional to learn effectively and actively new motor skills in their task spaces. The main idea of this algorithm is to guide the robot to do active babbling in a low-dimensional task space, in contrast with a motor babbling carried out in a higher-dimensional control space, by actively and adaptively self-generating goals in regions of the task space which bring the highest improvement of competences for reaching previously attempted goals.Finally, we introduce the McSAGG-RIAC algorithm for Maturationally-Constrained SAGG-RIAC, which is based on a coupling of computational models of intrinsic motivation and physiological maturational constraints. We argue that these mechanisms may have complex bidirectional interactions allowing the active control of the increase of complexity in the sensorimotor development, in order to direct efficient learning and exploration processes. We introduce more particularly a functional model of maturational constraints inspired by the biological process of myelination, and show how this can be coupled with the SAGG-RIAC algorithm. We show qualitatively and quantitatively that this integrated approach of the three architectures introduced in this thesis answers some problematics raised by real environments, by controlling the complexity, volume, dimensionality and redundancy of skills explored in a manner intrinsic to the robot, thus decreasing in an important extent the necessity of constraining and preparing the environment in en external manner.

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One of the most critical issues facing government over the next decade will be filling management positions vacated by Baby Boomers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to examine how intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affect job satisfaction among different age cohorts in the public workforce. The public workforce is comprised of Baby Boomers (born 1946- 1964), Generation X (born 1965- 1980) and Generation Y (born1981 to 1996). The theoretical framework for this study was Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. A random sample of 213 participants: Generation Y = 40, Generation X = 77, and Baby Boomers = 96, participated in an online SurveyMonkey government panel. The panel was composed of local, state, and federal employees. Participants answered the survey using the Career Goals Scale, the Job Satisfaction Scale, and a brief demographics scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as a measure of central tendency. Also, inferential statistics using Pearson product-moment correlations, simple linear regressions, and one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were conducted to answer three central research questions. Results revealed that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affect job satisfaction. Also, results of the individual one-way ANOVAs did not indicate significant differences in intrinsic motivation or job satisfaction among the age cohorts. Finally, pairwise comparisons determined that there were significant differences in extrinsic motivation between Baby Boomers and Generation Y. The information for this study may inform human resource managers in the public sector, about factors that would affect benefit plan policy, and improve recruitment and retention of employees.

Cette recherche exploratoire s'intéresse aux logiciels libres au Québec, plus particulièrement aux acteurs qui participent activement à leur développement. Elle a pour but de comprendre les motivations de dix d'entre eux, en mettant en perspective leurs situations actuelle[s], personnelle[s] et professionnelle[s].Cette problématique est fortement inspirée des travaux de recherche en économie qui suggèrent que le contexte social et culturel d'une région donnée influence les motivations des acteurs de cette région. Plusieurs études se sont attardées à des projets de logiciels libres spécifiques, mais aucune ne s'est intéressée aux logiciels libres en territoire québécois. C'est ce qui nous amène à vouloir définir la perception et la motivation d'acteurscontributeurs au Québec. Afin de bien mettre en contexte notre étude, nous nous appuyons sur les théories diffusionnistes de Rogers, Flichy et Von Hippel, ainsi que sur celle de la construction sociale de Pinch et Bijker. Nous nous sommes également inspirés des travaux de Weber sur le logiciel libre, de ceux de Ryan et Deci sur les motivations, et de ceux de Greier sur les chemins de vie. Une série d'entrevues a été réalisée avec des experts du domaine. Pour ce faire, un sondage a été mené auprès de plus de 200 acteurs québécois du logiciel libre. De ce sondage est ressorti l'identité des dix acteurs les plus reconnus au Québec. Nous les avons invités pour une entrevue en profondeur sur leurs motivations à travailler sur les logiciels libres. Grâce à l'analyse de ces entretiens, nous sommes en mesure de dire que le discours de chacun des acteurs présente des particularités communes, notamment quant à la définition du logiciel libre, à la licence utilisée dans les projets et à la langue de l'interface présentée aux utilisateurs finaux. Aussi, les motivations des acteurs évoluent dans le temps, passant de motivations à caractère personnel à motivations en lien avec leur cheminement professionnel. De plus, nous constatons qu'il existe un réseau de professionnels et d'amateurs québécois qui prennent part à des projets d'envergure internationale. Ces interactions participent à une construction sociale de l'objet qui forge les méthodes de développement, les valeurs et les idéaux véhiculés sur Internet.

Music interventions have been shown to improve parent-child interactions (e.g., Lyons, 2000; Mackenzie & Hamlett, 2005; Nicholson et al., 2008; Oldfield et al., 2003) and maternal sensitivity (Nicholson et al., 2008). However, there are currently no studies of Canadian parents’ perceived motivations for, and their experiences participating in, singing classes with their infants. Therefore, more information is needed on Canadian parents’ experiences, and motivations for, participating in singing classes with their infants in order to better understand and support healthy parenting behaviours and infant development.. Specifically, the research questions guiding this preliminary inquiry, were: (1) What do parents identify as factors motivating them to participate in parent-infant singing classes? and (2) What do parents identify as the benefits of participating in parent-infant singing classes? Interviews were conducted with four mothers who were attending parent-infant singing classes. Two music instructors involved in the parent-infant singing classes were also interviewed to learn more about the content and functioning of the classes. Additionally, the Parenting Sense of Competency Scale (PSOCS) and the Key to Interactive Parenting Scale (KIPS) were administered to gain additional information related to parent participation in parent-child singing groups (i.e., parenting behaviours and parental sensitivity), and to triangulate data from parent interviews. Four themes emerged from the parents’ interview data: (1) mothers’ motivations, (2) enhanced parenting, (3) parents’ enhanced view of self, and (4) predictors of change. Parents described their development of music-based parenting tools they perceived to have helped them better regulate their infants’ emotions and behaviours, strengthen their parent-child relationship, and support their child’s language and musical development. In addition, parents described the positive development of their view of self as demonstrated by decreases in reported parenting guilt, normalization of parenting struggles, and an increased focus on success. Moreover, preliminary findings raised questions about additional variables that may enhance growth of parenting skills to foster language and musical development and parental self-efficacy, such as using repetition, routines and structure, and developing supportive relationships with classmates and instructors. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Background: Eco-labels have become an important tool in products’ promotion, especially in the food industry, where it is used to promote products with ecological, ethical and/or sustainability attributes that consumers are looking for. Even though researches have demonstrated that consumers develop a positive attitude towards green products, some remain skeptical about green claims from marketers which are sometimes considered as ambiguous. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to understand consumers’ attitude towards eco-labels and the impact of trust on their intention to buy eco-labelled products, focusing on Generation Y from Europe and on eco-labels from the food industry. Methodology: The research is based on a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. The data are collected thanks to secondary data and an online survey. Conclusion: The findings show that the Generation Y is well aware of eco-labels and has a positive environmental motivation, both impacting the intention to buy eco-labelled food products. Trust has also a small indirect impact on the intention to buy, since it affects the consumers’ environmental motivation.

The issue of this thesis is to chart the motivations of non-voters for not attending the election to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. This election had the second lowest turnout in the history of the Czech Republic in this type of election which is considered by the citizens to be the most important type of election. A decreasing turnout can be a threat to a proper functioning of democracy. In the theoretical part of the paper, the theory of functioning democracy and the theory explaining the decreasing turnout are introduced. According to several studies, there is a difference between younger and older generation, so I decided to explore this difference. Therefore, fifteen semi-structured interviews with non-voters have been conducted to detect the cause of this situation. Collected sample contains nine younger non-voters and six older ones. The data were analyzed according to the rules of grounded theory. The product of this analysis is a typology of non-voters and their main motivations for non-voting and a scheme of participating factors. The result of the analysis suggests that there is a difference between younger and older generation. Keywords: Non-voters, election behavior, politics, motivations

The interest in vegetarianism and veganism is increasing and the dietary option of abstaining from animal food products is currently a widely discussed and social relevant issue.The present study aims to provide a quantitative overview of the vegan diet, particularly the sociological aspects related to adoption, maintenance and obstacles connected with this diet. A web-based survey was conducted on facebook groups related tovegetarianism and veganism. 8531 participants (86.3% females) answered the survey, from those 6761 were vegan. Moral/ethical, animal and environmental protection, and health benefits seem to be the main reasons to adopt a vegan diet. Furthermore, demographic factors seem to have an effect on both the adoption and maintenance of a vegan diet. Younger participants appear to put more relevance on ethical/moral reasons, environmental and animal protection for adopting and maintaining a vegan diet. Living in a vegan household suggests less perceived difficulties and obstacles to the maintenance of a vegan diet and highers the relevance of moral/ethical reasons, environmental and animal protections as main motivations for a vegan diet. Also, being a female seems to higher health benefits as a source of inspiration to start a vegan diet but it also seems to increase the perceived difficulties.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo levantar, caracterizar e analisar as fontes de informações utilizadas na construção das 48 teses apresentadas no período de 2002 a 2005 ao único programa de doutorado em Contabilidade do Brasil, desenvolvido pelo Departamento de Contabilidade e Atuária da FEA/USP, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade da Universidade de São Paulo. Trata-se de estudo quantitativo com abordagem bibliométrica sobre as plataformas teóricas dos trabalhos, complementado por outro de natureza qualitativa, com a utilização de análise de conteúdo, envolvendo as motivações dos autores para empreender tais pesquisas. Dentre as 5.737 referências analisadas, os livros foram os documentos mais citados, seguidos dos artigos de periódicos; os cinco autores mais citados são vinculados à FEA/USP, dos quais quatro orientaram um terço das teses examinadas; Administração, Contabilidade, Economia, Metodologia Científica e Direito foram as áreas do conhecimento mais referenciadas; no âmbito da Contabilidade, os campos mais citados foram Teoria da Contabilidade e Contabilidade de Custos, Gerencial e Financeira. As motivações para pesquisar tiveram origem no mestrado, no exercício da docência, em situações vivenciadas nas empresas ou no interesse por temas emergentes; apoiaram-se na experiência acadêmica e profissional, na facilidade de acesso a dados, na relevância econômica do país, na importância do objeto de estudo para a sociedade e em discussões sobre o tema no contexto internacional; objetivaram suprir a curiosidade intelectual e oferecer alternativas para o atraso científico e tecnológico observado na área contábil. / This study aimed to survey, characterize and analyze information sources used in the construction of 48 dissertations presented between 2002 and 2005 in the only doctoral program in Accountancy, developed by the Department of Accountancy and Actuarial Science of the FEA/USP, University of São Paulo School of Economics, Business Administration and Accountancy. We carried out a quantitative study, using a bibliometric approach to the studies? theoretical platforms. This was complemented by a qualitative study, using content analysis, involving authors? motivations to undertake these studies. Among the 5,737 references we analyzed, books were the most quoted documents, followed by journal articles; the five most cited authors were affiliated with FEA/USP, four of which served as the advisors for one third of the examined dissertations; Administration, Accountancy, Economics, Scientific Methodology and Law were the most referenced knowledge areas; in the Accounting area, the most mentioned fields were Accounting Theory and Cost, Management and Financial Accounting. Research motivations emerged from the masters program, teaching, situations experienced in companies or interest in emerging themes; they were supported by academic and professional experience, easy data access, the country?s economic relevance, the importance of the study object for society and discussions about the theme in the international context; they aimed to supply the intellectual curiosity and to offer alternatives for the scientific and technological delay found in the Accounting area.

This thesis contains four chapters presenting theory and empirical evidence for two distinct aspects of human behaviour: social learning and motivated beliefs. I develop a simple theory to revisit the classical social learning models by challenging the assumption of freely available information. My model suggests that when it is costly to acquire information, social learning (herding) is prevalent, and people do not have incentives to acquire private information (e.g. to form their own judgements). Classical information cascade models suggest that although herding is observed, information aggregation is still possible with communication channels (e.g. a survey); however, my model indicates that information aggregation is unattainable because people in the herd do not acquire private information. We then test my model in a laboratory and find that, as predicted, subjects can learn from others successfully. Also, individual heterogeneity exists in: there are herd animals biased against private information, lone wolves who are biased toward it and subjects who behave optimally. In aggregate, there is no overall bias for or against private information. We also document a new cognitive bias involved in processing social information. Individual characteristics, especially the cognitive ability, seems to be a very good indicator of subjects' behaviour. Subjects with higher cognitive scores choose optimal information more frequently and follow information more frequently. Overconfidence can be driven by the consumption motive (e.g. savouring future payoff/self-image) and the instrumental motive (e.g. being optimistic about the outcome of effort for motivation). I develop a simple model incorporating these two motives and suggest that individuals hold a dynamic pattern of overconfidence. Then I conduct an online field experiment with students to test the theory. The experimental findings indicate that students are likely to adopt overconfident beliefs as a commitment device to deal with their self-control problem. However, I do not find evidence for the consumption motive of overconfidence.