Perceiving and tracking moving objects. Processing and tracking moving objects poses challenges for human perception. To succeed, visual processing must accumulate analyses of the object from its different positions. Perceptual experiments will reveal human limits and yield insights into the underlying mechanisms, providing a basis for understanding object tracking in tasks like driving.
Building successful diverse communities: what works and why? This project is focused on strengthening locally-based interventions to maximise community harmony in the context of demographic diversity (ethnic, cultural, religious). It also will strengthen the relationship between world-leading researchers and senior policy experts and provides valuable research training for three junior scholars.
Predicting the diagnostic performance of individuals and organisations. Predicting the diagnostic performance of individuals and organisations. This project aims to address diagnostic error in advanced technology systems, by providing a mechanism to assess and improve individual diagnosticians’ performance. Organisations that rely on their employees’ diagnostic skills rarely assess them once the operators become qualified, so there is no basis for interventions that might prevent diagnostic erro ....Predicting the diagnostic performance of individuals and organisations. Predicting the diagnostic performance of individuals and organisations. This project aims to address diagnostic error in advanced technology systems, by providing a mechanism to assess and improve individual diagnosticians’ performance. Organisations that rely on their employees’ diagnostic skills rarely assess them once the operators become qualified, so there is no basis for interventions that might prevent diagnostic errors affecting thousands. This research tests a new method of assessing diagnostic skills based on how skilled operators respond to cues. This project will test how employees’ diagnostic skills change and whether this change corresponds to measures of organisational performance. This research is expected to provide organisations with a tool to pre-empt diagnostic errors that could minimise costs to the economy.Read moreRead less
Babera dariadya yewing (Echoes of a flawed truth): investigating theory and practice on the interplay between bullying and racism. The negative impact of bullying and racism is being increasingly documented for Aboriginal youth, yet little attempt has been made to understand the differential impact of these stressors on the wellbeing and identity of Aboriginal Australian youth. This project will seek to address this issue, to guide future action-based research.
Radicalisation, Counter-Radicalisation, and De-Radicalisation: Developing a New Understanding of Terrorism in the Australian Context. Concentrating on the unique drivers of extremism within Victoria (and Australia), the study will enhance counter terrorism stakeholders' understanding of domestic radicalization. This will assist in designing policies appropriate for Australian circumstances that can: 1. pre-empt, prevent and detect radicalisation without jeopardising social cohesion and 2. reduce ....Radicalisation, Counter-Radicalisation, and De-Radicalisation: Developing a New Understanding of Terrorism in the Australian Context. Concentrating on the unique drivers of extremism within Victoria (and Australia), the study will enhance counter terrorism stakeholders' understanding of domestic radicalization. This will assist in designing policies appropriate for Australian circumstances that can: 1. pre-empt, prevent and detect radicalisation without jeopardising social cohesion and 2. reduce Australia's reliance on overseas counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation models, where practitioners confront different community dynamics. Working towards understanding what causes radicalization in Australia, the project offers to enhance national security and by addressing local circumstances carries the prospect of creating more cost-efficient counter terrorism practices.Read moreRead less
Paving the way for effective public health interventions for bulimic eating disorders: Understanding stigma and mental health literacy. This research contributes to promoting and maintaining good health. The burden of bulimic eating disorders in the community is high, frequently ignored and increasing. Our research will pave the way for improved understanding of eating disorders and a reduction of stigma in relation to these problems. In so doing, it will lead to reduced shame and suffering for ....Paving the way for effective public health interventions for bulimic eating disorders: Understanding stigma and mental health literacy. This research contributes to promoting and maintaining good health. The burden of bulimic eating disorders in the community is high, frequently ignored and increasing. Our research will pave the way for improved understanding of eating disorders and a reduction of stigma in relation to these problems. In so doing, it will lead to reduced shame and suffering for people with eating disorders and enhance appropriate treatment seeking and the quality of advice received from family, friends and health professionals. A public health intervention based on our findings will contribute to a more tolerant and understanding community.Read moreRead less
Psychosocial and cognitive outcomes of residential relocation and retirement: The TRAnsitions In Later Life (TRAILL) project. Individual and social issues surrounding older adults' residential relocation and the transition to retirement are increasingly important in the context of Australia's ageing population. A better understanding of the factors that influence psychological well-being and intergenerational relationships during these major life transitions will play an important role in infor ....Psychosocial and cognitive outcomes of residential relocation and retirement: The TRAnsitions In Later Life (TRAILL) project. Individual and social issues surrounding older adults' residential relocation and the transition to retirement are increasingly important in the context of Australia's ageing population. A better understanding of the factors that influence psychological well-being and intergenerational relationships during these major life transitions will play an important role in informing government policy. This project aims to provide national and community benefits through informing policy related to housing and labour force participation, and by informing programs aimed at volunteer recruitment, retention and maximising the quality of the volunteer experience.Read moreRead less
School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. This project aims to investigate the effect of State Education Departments’ policy interventions designed to improve school principals’ flagging wellbeing. Increasing competition, accountability and public scrutiny make principals stressed; since their influence on students is second only to teachers’, this threatens Australia’s socioeconomic outcomes. The project will map policy interventions to changes in princ ....School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. This project aims to investigate the effect of State Education Departments’ policy interventions designed to improve school principals’ flagging wellbeing. Increasing competition, accountability and public scrutiny make principals stressed; since their influence on students is second only to teachers’, this threatens Australia’s socioeconomic outcomes. The project will map policy interventions to changes in principals’ motivation and wellbeing, and share information about the most productive and cost effective interventions with key stakeholders across Australia. This research could reverse the declining wellbeing of Australia’s school leaders.Read moreRead less
Neuronal and behavioural correlates of sensory adaptation. Sensory systems adapt to the statistics of their environment, and the consequences of this adaptation are evident in neuronal activity and in animal’s behaviour. This project will employ a novel paradigm to characterise how adaptation changes the response properties of individual sensory neurons to improve efficiency of information transmission.
ARC Research Network for Enabling Human Communication. The Human Communication Network promotes interdisciplinary research in speech, language, and sound by and between humans and machines. The network connects leading and emerging researchers across disciplines, exploits previously unrecognised intersections, supports interdisciplinary graduate training and exchanges, provides database storage infrastructure, and consults with industry and government to set, not follow, research agendas. By ge ....ARC Research Network for Enabling Human Communication. The Human Communication Network promotes interdisciplinary research in speech, language, and sound by and between humans and machines. The network connects leading and emerging researchers across disciplines, exploits previously unrecognised intersections, supports interdisciplinary graduate training and exchanges, provides database storage infrastructure, and consults with industry and government to set, not follow, research agendas. By generating an explosion of new approaches and knowledge, the network will build Australia's reputation as a leader in communication science and technology via advances in automatic speech recognition, distress call monitoring, hearing prostheses, web interfaces, and data retrieval and data mining systems.Read moreRead less