Ageing and self-regulation. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. Our preliminary research suggests that self-regulation may be a significant problem for older Australians. The proposed research will provide a clearer picture of when and why older adults have difficulties regulating their behaviour, and which older adults are particularly susceptible to lapses in self-control. If older adults do hav ....Ageing and self-regulation. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. Our preliminary research suggests that self-regulation may be a significant problem for older Australians. The proposed research will provide a clearer picture of when and why older adults have difficulties regulating their behaviour, and which older adults are particularly susceptible to lapses in self-control. If older adults do have difficulties self-regulating, and if these self-regulation failures incur health, financial and social costs, by gaining a clearer understanding of this problem, the proposed research will take an important step in improving the lives of older Australians. Read moreRead less
Determining the role of disease avoidance in stigmatisation. The aim of this project is to test a disease avoidance model of stigmatisation. Stigmatisation is characterised by chronic avoidance of a person(s) by other people. Infectious disease may produce an apparently similar form of isolation—disease avoidance. This project proposes that many forms of stigmatisation reflect the activation of this disease avoidance system, which is predisposed to respond to signs of disease, irrespective of th ....Determining the role of disease avoidance in stigmatisation. The aim of this project is to test a disease avoidance model of stigmatisation. Stigmatisation is characterised by chronic avoidance of a person(s) by other people. Infectious disease may produce an apparently similar form of isolation—disease avoidance. This project proposes that many forms of stigmatisation reflect the activation of this disease avoidance system, which is predisposed to respond to signs of disease, irrespective of their accuracy. This will represent a significant shift in thinking about this issue and aims to provide the first empirically based model of stigmatisation as an evolved disposition that causes the exclusion of people who look like they may carry an infectious disease - even if they do not.Read moreRead less
Non-medical use of prescription stimulants by Australian university students: attitudes, prevalence of, and motivations for use. This study will provide a comprehensive understanding of student non-medical use of prescription stimulants. The findings will inform initiatives to prevent the abuse and misuse of pharmaceuticals, protect health and reduce the cost associated with inappropriate use of medicines.
Furthering Positive Futures for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. This project will address the paucity of empirical research on drivers of psychosocial and physical well-being (PPW; for example self-concept, depression, behavioural problems, physical fitness, weight) of children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This proposal presents an extensive research program aimed at understanding the effects of school life and Physical Activity (PA) on PPW for Aust ....Furthering Positive Futures for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. This project will address the paucity of empirical research on drivers of psychosocial and physical well-being (PPW; for example self-concept, depression, behavioural problems, physical fitness, weight) of children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This proposal presents an extensive research program aimed at understanding the effects of school life and Physical Activity (PA) on PPW for Australian children with ID. This program examines: the relations between school life and PPW; the benefits, barriers and predictors of PA; moderators (personal characteristics, educational settings). The overarching objective is to advance theory and research in this area, and to inform intervention strategies furthering more positive futures for children with ID.Read moreRead less
Pathways to social cohesion and social change: opinion-based groups and the dynamic formation of identities. This project will update the understanding of political conflict by exploring groups based around shared opinions. It will show that groups are likely to be more successful in their political campaigns when they tie their causes to national and other positive identifies.
Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
Ageing, trust, and financial exploitation: social, emotional and cognitive mechanisms. This project aims to understand how age-related differences in the processing of social and emotional information contribute to the exploitation of older adults' trust. This research will examine deception detection during financial negotiations and provide new strategies for ensuring the financial independence and well-being of older Australians.
Identifying the biopsychosocial factors promoting healthy, productive, and fulfilling transitions from high school: A seven-year longitudinal study. The post high-school transition represents the confluence of a number of developmental tasks. While there is considerable research on individuals after this transition, little research has examined adolescent development to identify early indicators of transition success. This project seeks to extend the multi-state, multi-year Australian Character ....Identifying the biopsychosocial factors promoting healthy, productive, and fulfilling transitions from high school: A seven-year longitudinal study. The post high-school transition represents the confluence of a number of developmental tasks. While there is considerable research on individuals after this transition, little research has examined adolescent development to identify early indicators of transition success. This project seeks to extend the multi-state, multi-year Australian Character Study (ACS), at the critical period when the ACS cohort will be transitioning out of school. Using a biopsychosocial approach, the research will explore the degree to which character strengths, contextual factors, and their interaction lead to positive transition experiences across a wide variety of domains, including social, spiritual, physical, and educational and occupational attainment.Read moreRead less
Square Eyes or All Lies? Understanding Children's Exposure to Screens. This project will examine Australian parents’ number one concern about their children’s health and behaviour – their interactions with electronic screens. Current screen time guidelines are based on low-quality evidence and lack the nuance required to address this complex issue. This project will use innovative technology to resolve these weaknesses. Wearable cameras will measure what children are doing on screens, and where, ....Square Eyes or All Lies? Understanding Children's Exposure to Screens. This project will examine Australian parents’ number one concern about their children’s health and behaviour – their interactions with electronic screens. Current screen time guidelines are based on low-quality evidence and lack the nuance required to address this complex issue. This project will use innovative technology to resolve these weaknesses. Wearable cameras will measure what children are doing on screens, and where, when, and how long they are doing it. The project will also investigate how screen time impacts children’s development and how it is influenced by their environment. This evidence will benefit children by improving screen time guidelines, and help parents understand the impact of screen time on children’s development.
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Health-related physical activity: Psychological determinants, consequences, and experimental interventions. Increasingly sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity constitute a worldwide health problem. Despite well-known benefits of physical activity, preventive-medicine interventions have had limited success. Instead, we propose an innovative psychological approach, emphasising quality of subjective experience (flow), motivation, physical self-concept, and the transtheoretical model of beha ....Health-related physical activity: Psychological determinants, consequences, and experimental interventions. Increasingly sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity constitute a worldwide health problem. Despite well-known benefits of physical activity, preventive-medicine interventions have had limited success. Instead, we propose an innovative psychological approach, emphasising quality of subjective experience (flow), motivation, physical self-concept, and the transtheoretical model of behavioural change. We propose psychological determinants of physical activity and a new experimental intervention to significantly enhance health-related physical activity. The research breaks new theoretical ground, extending and integrating different theoretical perspectives, offering a synergy between qualitative and quantitative research traditions, and providing practical benefits to mental and physical health and to quality of life.Read moreRead less