Combining Community Based Social Marketing and Technological Innovation to Combat Wood-Smoke Pollution in Regional Australia. There is considerable evidence to suggest that wood smoke pollution represents a serious health threat. This project will provide valuable information about the relative effectiveness of social marketing and technology-based interventions to reduce wood smoke pollution, and how these interventions may be combined to maximise their impact. The resulting improvements in ai ....Combining Community Based Social Marketing and Technological Innovation to Combat Wood-Smoke Pollution in Regional Australia. There is considerable evidence to suggest that wood smoke pollution represents a serious health threat. This project will provide valuable information about the relative effectiveness of social marketing and technology-based interventions to reduce wood smoke pollution, and how these interventions may be combined to maximise their impact. The resulting improvements in air quality may produce substantial health benefits for the residents of Australian communities that depend heavily on wood as a domestic heating fuel during winter months. Read moreRead less
The social and cognitive functions of affect. Dealing with affective problems represents a major challenge in clinical, health, organisational and counselling psychology. Yet the role that affective states play in thinking, judgments and many everyday social behaviours remains poorly understood.. This project will produce direct national and community benefit by developing a new, integrative theory of affective influences on thinking and action, and exploring the functions and processing consequ ....The social and cognitive functions of affect. Dealing with affective problems represents a major challenge in clinical, health, organisational and counselling psychology. Yet the role that affective states play in thinking, judgments and many everyday social behaviours remains poorly understood.. This project will produce direct national and community benefit by developing a new, integrative theory of affective influences on thinking and action, and exploring the functions and processing consequences of affect in everyday settings. The real-life consequences of affect infusion in applied areas will also be explored. The project will also contribute to Australia's research capability by training doctoral and postdoctoral students, and fostering international research collaboration.Read moreRead less
Subjective wellbeing and depression in Australia: A longitudinal study involving people in remote locations. This project is an extension of the Australian Unity Wellbeing surveys currently conducted as in a partnership between the industry partner and Deakin University. The project will involve the participants of current cross-sectional surveys into a longitudinal study. There are three aims: To investigate the ability of decreased levels of subjective wellbeing to signal depression; To tr ....Subjective wellbeing and depression in Australia: A longitudinal study involving people in remote locations. This project is an extension of the Australian Unity Wellbeing surveys currently conducted as in a partnership between the industry partner and Deakin University. The project will involve the participants of current cross-sectional surveys into a longitudinal study. There are three aims: To investigate the ability of decreased levels of subjective wellbeing to signal depression; To track the normal course of subjective wellbeing recovery following a life event that has caused it to decrease; To monitor the subjective wellbeing of rural-remote Australians. These outcomes will provide further understanding of depression and the wellbeing of Australians living in remote setting.Read moreRead less
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
Implicit transmission of embodied culture. Is a culturally diverse, yet socially integrated community possible? In multicultural societies such as Australia, this is a pressing and significant question. To form and maintain a vibrant and prosperous community in the face of globalization, it is essential to understand the fundamental processes by which cultures are formed and transformed in everyday social activities. This project examines one such process, implicit cultural transmission, propose ....Implicit transmission of embodied culture. Is a culturally diverse, yet socially integrated community possible? In multicultural societies such as Australia, this is a pressing and significant question. To form and maintain a vibrant and prosperous community in the face of globalization, it is essential to understand the fundamental processes by which cultures are formed and transformed in everyday social activities. This project examines one such process, implicit cultural transmission, proposed to function in the nonconscious transmission of cultural information. Understanding the dynamics of this subtle, yet pervasive, mode of cultural influence is central to a full appreciation of how one's own culture and those of others' integrate and flourish.Read moreRead less
When Targets Seek to Disconfirm Expectations: Possible Future Interactions and Target Awareness as Moderators of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. The self-fulfilling prophecy has been demonstrated in a series of experimental studies in which "perceivers" are led to hold erroneous expectations about "targets" with whom they interact and subsequently come to believe that targets have confirmed their expectations (perceptual confirmation). Objective raters have demonstrated that targets often do confi ....When Targets Seek to Disconfirm Expectations: Possible Future Interactions and Target Awareness as Moderators of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. The self-fulfilling prophecy has been demonstrated in a series of experimental studies in which "perceivers" are led to hold erroneous expectations about "targets" with whom they interact and subsequently come to believe that targets have confirmed their expectations (perceptual confirmation). Objective raters have demonstrated that targets often do confirm expectations with their actions (behavioural confirmation). However, targets do not always succumb to perceivers' expectations. The research proposed here seeks to examine the active role that targets may take in creating confirmation or disconfirmation by adding a temporal context to interactions, making targets aware of expectations, and manipulating properties of expectations.Read moreRead less
Age Matters: Barriers and solutions to employment of older adults. With an ageing Australian population, research is needed to identify barriers that prevent older people being employed in the workforce. This project aims to identify whether employers use different standards when assessing the employability of younger and older workers and to develop strategies to overcome the use of different standards. This project will provide innovative ways for employers to implement successful strategies f ....Age Matters: Barriers and solutions to employment of older adults. With an ageing Australian population, research is needed to identify barriers that prevent older people being employed in the workforce. This project aims to identify whether employers use different standards when assessing the employability of younger and older workers and to develop strategies to overcome the use of different standards. This project will provide innovative ways for employers to implement successful strategies for promoting equal opportunity for older workers. Furthermore, this knowledge will assist policy makers and employment agencies. Finding ways to overcome barriers to older adult recruitment is of major significance for Australia's future economy and social well-being.Read moreRead less
An innovative measure of rural health and wellbeing: rapid appraisal via analysis of patterns of calls to Lifeline. Rural Australians are reported to experience poorer health and wellbeing on a wide range of indicators. However, serious problems exist with the validity and reliability of these data. This project will analyse the 85,000 calls to Lifeline made each year by rural Australians. For several reasons, use of telephone counselling services would appear to be a sensitive measure of rural ....An innovative measure of rural health and wellbeing: rapid appraisal via analysis of patterns of calls to Lifeline. Rural Australians are reported to experience poorer health and wellbeing on a wide range of indicators. However, serious problems exist with the validity and reliability of these data. This project will analyse the 85,000 calls to Lifeline made each year by rural Australians. For several reasons, use of telephone counselling services would appear to be a sensitive measure of rural community health. By triangulating primary data (community case studies using the critical incident technique) and secondary data (SEIFA and Jesuit index), this project will develop and test Lifeline calls as an index for rapidly appraising community health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Dehumanization: Understanding the attribution of lesser humanness to others. The proposed research will contribute to an improved understanding of the subtle ways in which humanness is denied to members of some social groups. These processes contribute to intergroup antagonism and intolerance, and to a failure to take adequate moral account of other people's suffering. Understanding dehumanization can enhance our ability to recognize and overcome its manifestations in public life and the communi ....Dehumanization: Understanding the attribution of lesser humanness to others. The proposed research will contribute to an improved understanding of the subtle ways in which humanness is denied to members of some social groups. These processes contribute to intergroup antagonism and intolerance, and to a failure to take adequate moral account of other people's suffering. Understanding dehumanization can enhance our ability to recognize and overcome its manifestations in public life and the community. Scientifically, the proposed work will contribute to the nation's reputation as a world leader in the psychological study of intergroup relations.Read moreRead less