Can attentional re-training reduce food cravings and consumption? This project aims to determine the impact of a procedure involving the re-training of attention to food cues on food cravings and food intake. Results will advance our understanding of food cravings and contribute to interventions aimed at curbing unwanted cravings and (over) consumption.
The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcom ....The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcomes include novel empirical evidence for preventative strategies that will predict, monitor and reduce negative mental health outcomes. This will provide significant global benefits to people with indirect trauma experiences, such as defence and forensic personnel.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational transmission of dietary behaviour. The health of future generations depends largely on the health of current generations. Bad eating habits associated with obesity and other chronic diseases are often passed from parents to children. This study will provide insight into the ways in which these habits are perpetuated within families of various cultural backgrounds. It will establish how assessing family health history can be used as a tool to help identify and modify the risk of ....Intergenerational transmission of dietary behaviour. The health of future generations depends largely on the health of current generations. Bad eating habits associated with obesity and other chronic diseases are often passed from parents to children. This study will provide insight into the ways in which these habits are perpetuated within families of various cultural backgrounds. It will establish how assessing family health history can be used as a tool to help identify and modify the risk of chronic, life-threatening disease in families and individuals. If proven effective, this tool can be rolled out nationwide to help promote and maintain healthier diets in Australian families and reduce the economic burden on the government.Read moreRead less
How we remember and misremember traumatic experiences. The project addresses a significant and important problem: the role of memory distortion in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a global disorder with significant personal, societal and economic costs. The aim of this project is to empirically investigate the extent, causes and triggering conditions of errors in memory for traumatic experiences; particularly exaggeration of these memories, which has been linked to poor psychological adjus ....How we remember and misremember traumatic experiences. The project addresses a significant and important problem: the role of memory distortion in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a global disorder with significant personal, societal and economic costs. The aim of this project is to empirically investigate the extent, causes and triggering conditions of errors in memory for traumatic experiences; particularly exaggeration of these memories, which has been linked to poor psychological adjustment. Understanding how people exposed to trauma remember, and misremember, aspects of their experiences in ways that influence their recovery is both theoretically and practically important. Indeed, it will help us refine theory and identify possible points of intervention for PTSD sufferers.Read moreRead less
Things don’t always go better with Coke. This project aims to test whether soft drink use is governed partly by automatic processes (cognitive biases) that operate largely outside of conscious control. In so doing, the project expects to generate a new conceptual understanding of the mechanisms that drive the overconsumption of soft drinks. Expected outcomes include theoretical innovation, new research methodologies, and accessible cost-effective technologies for reducing excessive sugar intake ....Things don’t always go better with Coke. This project aims to test whether soft drink use is governed partly by automatic processes (cognitive biases) that operate largely outside of conscious control. In so doing, the project expects to generate a new conceptual understanding of the mechanisms that drive the overconsumption of soft drinks. Expected outcomes include theoretical innovation, new research methodologies, and accessible cost-effective technologies for reducing excessive sugar intake from soft drinks, in line with recent World Health Organization guidelines. These outcomes will contribute to combatting obesity and tooth decay.Read moreRead less
Strengthening community partnerships to promote adolescent school engagement and prevent problems such as alcohol misuse and violence. The project will reduce community rates of adolescent school non-attendance, adolescent alcohol misuse and antisocial behaviour. Adolescent school exclusion, alcohol use and antisocial behaviour are highly prevalent in Australia, and can be reduced using a variety of strategies that are coordinated at the school and community level. The project will decrease adol ....Strengthening community partnerships to promote adolescent school engagement and prevent problems such as alcohol misuse and violence. The project will reduce community rates of adolescent school non-attendance, adolescent alcohol misuse and antisocial behaviour. Adolescent school exclusion, alcohol use and antisocial behaviour are highly prevalent in Australia, and can be reduced using a variety of strategies that are coordinated at the school and community level. The project will decrease adolescent problems through community improvements in child and adolescent protective influences and reductions in risk influences. Furthermore, the project will equip communities with the capacity to learn how to identify and implement strategies to address the major influences that have the potential to reduce adolescent behaviour problems.Read moreRead less
The biological origins underpinning adolescent sleep timing. Notwithstanding cultural and social influences, bedtimes gradually become later during adolescence, suggesting common biological contributions. Reductions in sleep pressure, delays in the 24-hour circadian rhythm, and genetic associations have been implicated, yet comprehensive prospective data from these biological sleep processes are lacking. This project aims to use periodic 'in-lab' assessments to unmask young adolescents' circadia ....The biological origins underpinning adolescent sleep timing. Notwithstanding cultural and social influences, bedtimes gradually become later during adolescence, suggesting common biological contributions. Reductions in sleep pressure, delays in the 24-hour circadian rhythm, and genetic associations have been implicated, yet comprehensive prospective data from these biological sleep processes are lacking. This project aims to use periodic 'in-lab' assessments to unmask young adolescents' circadian rhythm delay and sleep pressure which may predict naturalistic sleep behaviour in their home environment. It is predicted that adolescents who show both low sleep pressure and later circadian delay to possess later bedtimes, thus enhancing knowledge of covert biological mechanisms sabotaging healthy adolescent sleep.Read moreRead less
Day-to-day life of adults after age 85: the interplay of mood, engagement, cognition and health in the context of prior functioning. The research will offer considerable social benefits to the Australian community by providing a rare insight into how people over the age of 85 can continue to contribute actively to, and remain engaged with, society. It will improve knowledge and understanding of productive ageing by examining how everyday cognition and mood vary depending on different situational ....Day-to-day life of adults after age 85: the interplay of mood, engagement, cognition and health in the context of prior functioning. The research will offer considerable social benefits to the Australian community by providing a rare insight into how people over the age of 85 can continue to contribute actively to, and remain engaged with, society. It will improve knowledge and understanding of productive ageing by examining how everyday cognition and mood vary depending on different situational contexts and daily activities. It will offer information on the challenges and opportunities experienced by this group of older adults, and reveal the inter-relatedness of social networks, isolation, independence and health for this group of very old adults.Read moreRead less
Biological and behavioural rhythms of Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder. Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder is a disabling and prevalent sleep disorder in the adolescent and young adult population. Using an innovative laboratory method this project will carry out the world's first comprehensive study of it. The results of this study will point the way to an effective treatment of this presently poorly treated disorder.