Navigating brains: the neurobiology of spatial cognition. Navigation is one of the most crucial and most challenging problems animals face. Behavioural analyses have shown that animals make use of a number of different mechanisms to navigate, but very little is known of how different forms of spatial information are processed and integrated by the brain. The project aims to tackle this by placing tethered ants in a virtual-reality simulation of their real environment allowing precise control of ....Navigating brains: the neurobiology of spatial cognition. Navigation is one of the most crucial and most challenging problems animals face. Behavioural analyses have shown that animals make use of a number of different mechanisms to navigate, but very little is known of how different forms of spatial information are processed and integrated by the brain. The project aims to tackle this by placing tethered ants in a virtual-reality simulation of their real environment allowing precise control of visual navigational cues, as well as the opportunity to study the brains of the tethered ants as they solve the real-world challenge of finding home. This may reveal how simple brains efficiently solve navigational tasks, which may inform both cognitive biology and bio-inspired computation.Read moreRead less
Acquiring and Using Views for Homing. The aim of the project is to investigate how insects acquire and use scene memories for homing, a crucially important task for most animals. In bees and wasps, these memories are acquired during learning flights when leaving the nest. This fast, active learning process underpins much of the insects' navigational competence, but it remains unknown how it is controlled and how in detail memories guide returns to the nest. It is intended to use the latest camer ....Acquiring and Using Views for Homing. The aim of the project is to investigate how insects acquire and use scene memories for homing, a crucially important task for most animals. In bees and wasps, these memories are acquired during learning flights when leaving the nest. This fast, active learning process underpins much of the insects' navigational competence, but it remains unknown how it is controlled and how in detail memories guide returns to the nest. It is intended to use the latest camera-based reconstruction tools for the first time: to quantify the navigational information content of habitats including the visual information available to learning and homing insects, and to dynamically modify the insects’ natural visual environment in order to critically test hypotheses about acquisition and use of views for homing.Read moreRead less
Honesty and efficiency in the provision of expert services: doctors and other experts as participants in economic experiments. Experts serve us when we see the doctor, the financial planner or the car mechanic. In all these case the expert can take advantage of his superior knowledge and sell us something we do not need. This research will inform policy makers about the underlying motives of real world experts and allow them to design better institutions.
Modelling human decision making in complex environments. The project aims to extend quantitative psychological models of simple choice tasks to decision-making with complex stimuli in complex environments. The new formal models are designed to provide a comprehensive account of behaviour, including the choices that are made, how long it takes to make them, and how choices and choice times vary within and between decision-makers. The models would explain how people adapt to changes in task demand ....Modelling human decision making in complex environments. The project aims to extend quantitative psychological models of simple choice tasks to decision-making with complex stimuli in complex environments. The new formal models are designed to provide a comprehensive account of behaviour, including the choices that are made, how long it takes to make them, and how choices and choice times vary within and between decision-makers. The models would explain how people adapt to changes in task demands when dealing with multiple stimuli or performing multiple tasks concurrently under time pressure. The project aims to provide the basic research that is needed to extend psychological models of choice to complex ‘real-world’ tasks, such air traffic control and maritime surveillance.Read moreRead less
Older workers & psychological contracts: A dynamic perspective. This project aims to track the trajectories of older workers’ psychological contracts that shape their give-and-take with the organisation. Little is understood about how these psychological contracts change as older workers continue to pursue work through their fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth decades of life. This project tracks older workers over intensive, repeated in-depth interviews and a large-scale longitudinal panel study. ....Older workers & psychological contracts: A dynamic perspective. This project aims to track the trajectories of older workers’ psychological contracts that shape their give-and-take with the organisation. Little is understood about how these psychological contracts change as older workers continue to pursue work through their fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth decades of life. This project tracks older workers over intensive, repeated in-depth interviews and a large-scale longitudinal panel study. The outcomes fill significant gaps in our understanding of older workers’ needs and orientation toward work, and identify the age-related changes and organisational practices that spur older workers to sustain a strong trajectory of productive participation in the workforce.Read moreRead less
Judgements and Decisions under Ambiguity and Conflict. Little is known about how people make decisions when faced with uncertainties arising from information that is both ambiguous and conflicting, despite the fact that ambiguity and conflict frequently arise in real decision-making situations. In fact, virtually nothing is known about the joint impact of conflict and ambiguity on judgements of risk and uncertainty or on decisional preferences. This project will investigate how perceptions of un ....Judgements and Decisions under Ambiguity and Conflict. Little is known about how people make decisions when faced with uncertainties arising from information that is both ambiguous and conflicting, despite the fact that ambiguity and conflict frequently arise in real decision-making situations. In fact, virtually nothing is known about the joint impact of conflict and ambiguity on judgements of risk and uncertainty or on decisional preferences. This project will investigate how perceptions of uncertainty are jointly affected by conflict and ambiguity in information, develop and test formal models of judgement and decision making under conflict and ambiguity, and examine the joint effects of ambiguity and conflict aversion on decision making.Read moreRead less
Zero-sum thinking: psychological predictors and causes. This project investigates the causes and psychological triggers of zero-sum thinking, the tendency to think that others' gains leave less for oneself. The results will enable negotiators and managers to defuse dysfunctional zero-sum thinking, thereby increasing the chances for cooperation and 'win-win' outcomes.
Leadership, social identity and the dynamics of influence in intergroup relations: A new understanding of social continuity and social change. Understanding how social change occurs (or continuity prevails) and the role of leadership in this process is paramount to any social system (e.g. nation, state, organization, team). This project provides a new social psychological understanding of leadership and social change dynamics, including when more radical leaders and social relations emerge, as w ....Leadership, social identity and the dynamics of influence in intergroup relations: A new understanding of social continuity and social change. Understanding how social change occurs (or continuity prevails) and the role of leadership in this process is paramount to any social system (e.g. nation, state, organization, team). This project provides a new social psychological understanding of leadership and social change dynamics, including when more radical leaders and social relations emerge, as well as how different groups become more united around a common cause. Given ethnic, religious, social and political diversity of Australian society, these questions are fundamental to strengthening Australia's social fabric. This research also has cross-disciplinary applications, builds international collaborations, and supports emerging Australian research talent.Read moreRead less
Self-categorization and personal identity: Integrating group and personality processes. This project will maintain and advance Australia's contribution to social psychology and strengthen international collaboration. It also will support a high-profile researcher and contribute to the quality research training of students. The project questions the widespread belief that personal identity and the personal self (how we define ourselves as being unique from others - the 'I' or 'me') are relativel ....Self-categorization and personal identity: Integrating group and personality processes. This project will maintain and advance Australia's contribution to social psychology and strengthen international collaboration. It also will support a high-profile researcher and contribute to the quality research training of students. The project questions the widespread belief that personal identity and the personal self (how we define ourselves as being unique from others - the 'I' or 'me') are relatively stable. It explores the possibility that personal identity can be both stable and variable depending on a range of factors. The project informs how we understand personality processes and the role that our group memberships (work, family, institutions) play in shaping our personal selves and associated attitudes, beliefs and values. Read moreRead less
The stifled voice of discontent? Toward a social-psychological understanding of voice suppression and the emergence of subversive action. This research will provide the first psychological insight into how reactionary sub-groups and ultimate subversive action can develop from denying people the chance to voice their views to relevant authorities. By studying both the desire to have this voice and the effects of not getting it, our work will help explain individual and collective behaviours that, ....The stifled voice of discontent? Toward a social-psychological understanding of voice suppression and the emergence of subversive action. This research will provide the first psychological insight into how reactionary sub-groups and ultimate subversive action can develop from denying people the chance to voice their views to relevant authorities. By studying both the desire to have this voice and the effects of not getting it, our work will help explain individual and collective behaviours that, to many, appear irrational if not heinous and morally corrupt. In this manner, we will be able to address the ARC Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia, Protecting Australia from Terrorism and Crime. Moreover, as we expect this research to yield timely and influential discoveries, it will help maintain Australia's position as a world leader in the field of social psychology.Read moreRead less