Training Deep Networks without Learning Rates Through Coin Betting

Deep learning methods achieve state-of-the-art performance in many application scenarios. Yet, these methods require a significant amount of hyperparameters tuning in order to achieve the best results. In particular, tuning the learning rates in the stochastic optimization process is still one of the main bottlenecks. In this paper, we propose a new stochastic gradient descent procedure for deep networks that does not require any learning rate setting. Contrary to previous methods, we do not adapt the learning rates nor we make use of the assumed curvature of the objective function. Instead, we reduce the optimization process to a game of betting on a coin and propose a learning rate free optimal algorithm for this scenario. Theoretical convergence is proven for convex and quasi-convex functions and empirical evidence shows the advantage of our algorithm over popular stochastic gradient algorithms

Valuing people and work in work and organisational psychology: A critical perspective on the paradoxes of meaningful work

In questi ultimi anni, le complesse dinamiche delle trasformazioni del lavoro e delle pressioni economiche e finanziarie hanno avuto notevoli riflessi nel campo della psicologia del lavoro e delle organizzazioni in relazione al bisogno dell’individuo di soddisfare il proprio bisogno di senso. Proprio sul bisogno di senso, la psicologia del lavoro e delle organizzazioni si è quindi concentrata sul cosiddetto fenomeno del meaningful work, o dell’esperienza e percezione del la-voro come portatore di un valore significativo che può essere individualmente costruito, socialmente determinato o significativo indipendentemente dalle ri-spettive rappresentazioni. Come tale il fenomeno del meaningful work rappre-senta oggi un fenomeno meramente positivo verso le quali sia il lavoratore che le organizzazioni riflettono la propria attenzione (si pensi al bisogno di senso da parte di un lavoratore nello svolgere un compito lavorativo o al potenziale per-formativo associato ad un gruppo di lavoratori motivato dal senso del proprio la-voro). I riflessi contestuali e la messa in parola di tali dinamiche personali han-no portato gli studiosi devoti allo studio del lavoro e delle organizzazioni ad as-sistere ad una crescita notevole dell’interesse e degli impegni di ricerca sul tema del meaningful work negli ultimi 20 anni. Non sorprende dunque la presenza di numerose prospettive dalla natura disciplinare varie sul tema. Ciò fa si che ri-suoni l’importanza del fenomeno in oggetto ma ha reso e lo rende tuttora un fe-nomeno contestato attorno al quale le domande di ricerca non hanno fatto altro che aumentare anziché ridurre. Secondo la letteratura, alla base di tali domande stanno tre dilemmi teorici, paradossi di ricerca, che comprendono quelli che so-no i vuoti della conoscenza attorno al fenomeno del meaningful work. Il presente lavoro ha l’obiettivo di proporre un tentativo di avanzamento della teoria e dell’evidenza relativa alla natura e ai processi sottostanti del fe-nomeno del meaningful work secondo una prospettiva psicologia critica nel pre-supposto di svolgere un lavoro di ricerca che valorizzi la persona e il lavoro. Quattro macro-capitoli costituiscono le riflessioni e le investigazioni centrali del presente lavoro dove vengono prese in considerazione i paradossi di ricerca evi-denziati nell’introduzione. Infatti, i tre paradossi di ricercar relative al fenomeno del meaningful work verranno enucleati e presentati all’inizio della tesi focaliz-zandosi anche sugli apporti della letteratura scientifica sin qui prodotta e gli im-perativi per la conduzione di un lavoro critico e multidisciplinare. Il Capitolo 1 affronterà il primo paradosso relativo alla natura temporale del fenomeno, ovvero analizzando le condizioni entro cui considerare il fenome-no come prettamente personale e stabile o come occasionale e situazionale. Per fare questo, il Capitolo 1 riporta una vasta rassegna della letteratura narrative con la quale si è tentato di proporre alcune risposte iniziali ed un’agenda di ri-cerca. Capitolo 2 e Capitolo 3 rappresentano la parte squisitamente empirica della tesi e interesseranno i paradossi 1 e 2. Per quanto riguarda il Capitolo 2, qui si darà conto della necessità di comprendere la dimensione contestuale relativa al fenomeno del meaningful work considerandolo quindi come doppiamente de-finito come inerentemente soggettivo ma riflesso contestualmente. Tale parados-so è presente in letteratura per via della mancanza di un corpo empirico che sia in grado di proporre una comprensione distintiva e comprensiva. Si è condotto quindi uno studio trasversale tramite cui si è validata una scala di misura il MEaning in Work Inventory (ME-Work) in grado di evidenziare entrambe le dimensioni e le relative associazioni. Il Capitolo 3 estende sia la componente teorica sviluppata nel Capitolo 1 sia le evidenze del Capitolo 2 considerendo en-trambi i paradossi in un’unica investigazione empirica longitudinale basata sul metodo dei Diary Studies. Qui si darà conto dei fattori psicologici e lavorativi giornalieri in combinazione con la dimensione personale determinanti l’esperienza di significato al lavoro nel quotidiano. Il Capitolo 4 invece tenterà di rispondere il nodo di ricerca relativo ad una concettualizzazione del lavoro che dia motivo di pensare al lavoro come fon-te di senso. Infatti, un problema in letteratura riguarda l’impeto verso questo fe-nomeno positivo che è il meaningful work che tuttavia avviene in mancanza di una concettualizzazione del lavoro all’interno della disciplina. Si è condotta una lettura tematica di un testo narrativo nel tentativo di proporre una metodologia che, sebbene piuttosto trascurata nel campo di ricerca, fosse in grado di dare al-cune risposte iniziali su un tema di ricerca difficile da esplorare. Infine, la tesi darà voce alle maggiori conclusioni e al percorso di ricerca condotto in quella che viene definita essere una narrazione dei risultati in pre-senza di una sintesi di un percorso multidisciplinare e pluralistico. In tal modo, la tesi si conclude tentando di avanzare alcune iniziali indicazioni di ricerca sul fenomeno e sulle possibilità offerte da una prospettiva di ricerca come quella della psicologia critica.In these current times of labour transformation and worldwide changes, one of the most significant discussions in work and organisational psychology centres on the ways in which individuals can satisfy their wish for meaning. In respect to this, the phenomenon of meaningful work, which refers to the individual experi-ence and perception of work as holding significant value individually, socially, and/or independently, gains momentum. As such, meaningful work represents a positive phenomenon that people wish to have and organisations wish to provide. In the last decades, scholars devoted to the study of the individual, work, and or-ganisations have witnessed the growing interest and efforts into its exploration. As a result, multiple perspectives have been raised from within various disci-plines. While this demonstrates the importance of meaningful work, it also ren-ders meaningful work a contested topic that raises more questions than it an-swers. In particular, three main paradoxes on the nature and process of meaning-ful work lie at the heart of the current gaps in the literature on the phenomenon of meaningful work. The aim of this dissertation is the advancement of theory and evidence about the nature and processes of meaningful work via a psychological critical perspective in order for the value of people and work to be recognised. To reach these aims, the present dissertation consists of four main chapters reporting the four studies conducted. Each of these will be presented in the general introduc-tion chapter, where we will explain the imperatives that led to the realisation of the dissertation and the rationale for a psychological critical perspective within the context of valuing people and work. Chapter 1 presents a literature review covering the conceptual uncertainty represented in Paradox 1, that is, on the nature of meaningful work through its temporal view. Here, we conducted a broad literature review in order to answer questions on how to define meaningful work. We tried to understand to what ex-tent meaningful work can be considered as a subjective stable/permanent or an episodic/state experience of meaningfulness. Chapters 2 and 3 represent the empirical part of the dissertation and will cover Paradoxes 1 and 2. The uncertainty around meaningful work in work and organisational psychology regards the tension between (a) meaningful work as a purely subjective evaluation and (b) the impact of contextual features. This un-answered question is mainly due to the lack of empirical knowledge capable of offering indications on the distinctions between the two contraposing elements. Chapter 2 will present the cross-sectional study for the validation of a novel in-ventory aimed at the assessment of meaningful work and its facets, the MEaning in Work Inventory (ME-Work). The study presents the psychometrical properties of the scale and advances knowledge on the contextual features of meaningful work. Chapter 3 will extend this knowledge by investigating what makes a work-day meaningful given the exploration of the variations and fluctuations of mean-ingful work on a daily basis. A Daily Diary Study has been conducted with the aim to comprehend the role of daily work and the psychological conditions for the episodic experience of meaningful work. Moreover, cross-level analysis has been applied to investigate the role of subjective meaningful work. Chapter 4 will cover the intricate knot regarding the proposition of a normative and emancipatory ideal of what is work in the context of work and or-ganisational psychology (i.e. Paradox 3). The study of meaningful work occurs in a context that lacks the comprehension of what it is and what represents work that could be considered as a source of meaning. Given these questions, a literary analysis of a fictional narrative has been conducted. The chapter will shed light on what work means from a subjective stance by presenting the conditions for meaningful work and linked experience. The last part of the dissertation will present the narrative results. Given the interdisciplinary and pluralistic nature of the research, the dissertation will narratively propose an initial understanding of what is meaningful work through a critical work and organisational perspective

Applied psychology and informing science: introduction to the developing special series

This is an introductory paper for the developing special series on applied psychology and informing science. It takes into account the spirit of informing science to launch the first of three articles in the series on applied psychology. The paper concludes by raising questions for future investigations

Transcendance et corps

An apparently paradoxical tendency in contemporary Philosophy of Religion consists in no longer seeking transcendence starting with invisible and immaterial elements, such as the soul, the spirit, or God known to reason.  Instead a bridge between philosophy and theology has been singled out in the body. But how can one reach an idea of transcendence starting from the body? In these short reflections, I will try to show how finitude and immanence are the phenomenological meaning of the body. Consciousness itself is finite because it is embodied. So it is not possible to transcend the body. It is only possible to decide how to live out one"™s finitude: The body can be oriented to the consumption of the other, by periodic attempts to prolong one"™s own life and power. Or, on the contrary, it is possible to let the others eat and consume me. Only others, indeed, can survive me and transcend my finitude. Keywords: body, transcendence, finitude, phenomenology, philosophy of religion, consumptio

Keeping a Foot in the Door: Neoliberal Ideology in Subjects Who Opt Out of a Corporate Career

It is well researched that ideals of freedom and self-fulfillment through work are perpetuated by the neoliberal ideology that permeates subjective reasoning, meaning-making, and everyday practices. While these ideals may seem attractive and enticing to the subject, their pursuit usually leads to less secure working contracts and conditions. Thus, organizations can continue to enforce economic principles and increase pressure on workers while, at the same time, the mechanisms of liberalization and individualization make subjects — not organizations — responsible for their own success and existential survival, and for creating meaningful and happy lives. Striving to design and optimize their own personal and professional trajectories, subjects perpetuate these ideals and thus adopt the socially-validated view that opting out of a salaried job in favor of self-employment is the zenith of self-actualization. Existing research on the phenomenon of opting out emphasizes gender differences around this issue, i.e., women opt out to stay home, whereas men — if their role is even considered — do so to enhance their careers. However, this research is sparse and lacks a contextualized understanding of the phenomenon, such that we still know very little about who opts out and why. Following an explorative approach, this study looks at 20 single-case stories of subjects who opted out from corporate career tracks. We find that the decision to opt out worked out well for diligent subjects with high self-esteem, who already had successful career trajectories and who — independently of gender — viewed it as an act to free oneself from, and a fundamental critique of, corporate working conditions and values. We analyze this finding through the theoretical lens of critical psychology in order to shed light on the phenomenon of opting out and the extent to which individuals can pursue meaningfulness in life and work within the scope of neoliberal conditions, i.e., in contexts where liberal principles remain applicable to the living and working conditions achieved by subjects after they have left the corporate world

Training Deep Networks without Learning Rates Through Coin Betting

Deep learning methods achieve state-of-the-art performance in many application scenarios. Yet, these methods require a significant amount of hyperparameters tuning in order to achieve the best results. In particular, tuning the learning rates in the stochastic optimization process is still one of the main bottlenecks. In this paper, we propose a new stochastic gradient descent procedure for deep networks that does not require any learning rate setting. Contrary to previous methods, we do not adapt the learning rates nor we make use of the assumed curvature of the objective function. Instead, we reduce the optimization process to a game of betting on a coin and propose a learning rate free optimal algorithm for this scenario. Theoretical convergence is proven for convex and quasi-convex functions and empirical evidence shows the advantage of our algorithm over popular stochastic gradient algorithms

From point cloud to BIM: a modelling challange in the Cultural Heritage field

Speaking about modelling the Cultural Heritage, nowadays it is no longer enough to build the mute model of a monument, but it has to contain plenty of information inside it, especially when we refer to existing construction. For this reason, the aim of the research is to insert an historical building inside a BIM process, proposing in this way a working method that can build a reality based model and preserve the unicity of the elements. The question is: "What is the more useful mean in term of survey data management, level of detail, information and time savings?" To test the potentialities and the limits of this process we employed the most used software in the international market, taking as example some composed elements, made by regular and complex, but also modular parts. Once a final model is obtained, it is necessary to provide a test phase on the interoperability between the used software modules, in order to give a general picture of the state of art and to contribute to further studies on this subject

Scoping out the Common-Sense Perspective on Meaningful Work: Theory, Data and Implications for Human Resource Management and Development

Background/Purpose: Meaningful work is a topic of relevant interest to management and organizational scholars. The study of meaningful work has been heavily characterized by theories from different disciplines, yet the com-mon-sense perspective is often overlooked, i.e., a non-academic perspective of meaningful work. The paper pres-ents a qualitative study on how non-academics define meaningful work. Methods: Adopting the lens of Aristotelian logic, the paper presents a methodological-theoretical approach to explore how non-academics define human resource management concepts. We asked 194 workers to propose ultimate definitions of the concept of meaningful work. The questions were submitted via a short survey collecting demographics. Results: The analysis of the collected definitions led to the proposition of an intensive definition of meaningful work according to which meaningful work is a positive experience associated with a sense of competence, the presence of positive relation with others, significance and purpose of work. Yet, there must be good reasons to experience work as meaningful as the environment may contain barriers to the presence of meaningfulness. Conclusion: Methodologically, the paper advances a novel approach to the study of human resource management and development concepts. Theoretically, the study proposes a novel perspective of meaningful work prioritizing concerns on the common-sense