The nature of self-recognition: novel approaches to vexing questions. Mirror self-recognition has often been interpreted as evidence for the presence of some form of self-concept/awareness. Children from age 2 onwards investigate their own bodies after seeing a novel mark on their heads in the mirror (surreptitiously placed in their hair by the experimenter). Younger children and most animals do not respond to their images in such a way (instead, for example, treating it as another individual). ....The nature of self-recognition: novel approaches to vexing questions. Mirror self-recognition has often been interpreted as evidence for the presence of some form of self-concept/awareness. Children from age 2 onwards investigate their own bodies after seeing a novel mark on their heads in the mirror (surreptitiously placed in their hair by the experimenter). Younger children and most animals do not respond to their images in such a way (instead, for example, treating it as another individual). The present experiments probe the nature of self-recognition using novel digital video technology rather than mirrors. This technology allows us to manipulate the contingency and appearance of the image. Five studies investigate the performance of 2 to 4-year-old children, autistic children, chimpanzees and dolphins to determine whether they recognize themselves and what underwrites their performance on the tasks. The innovative use of modern technology is expected to answer some of the most persistent questions in psychology.
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Probing cross modal interactions in the perception of object motion and self-motion. How the brain integrates information from the different senses is not yet understood. This project aims first, to uncover how the brain integrates sound and visual information when perceiving moving objects and second, to probe more complex sensory interactions between sound, vision, and our vestibular senses when perceiving self-motion. This project will expand Australia's knowledge base, strengthen collabora ....Probing cross modal interactions in the perception of object motion and self-motion. How the brain integrates information from the different senses is not yet understood. This project aims first, to uncover how the brain integrates sound and visual information when perceiving moving objects and second, to probe more complex sensory interactions between sound, vision, and our vestibular senses when perceiving self-motion. This project will expand Australia's knowledge base, strengthen collaborative ties between Australia and Japan, and provide unique training opportunities for Australian and Japanese students. Publication of research in top-ranking journals will further promote Australian science abroad. Results will lead to improvements in the design of human-machine interfaces in both industry and entertainment.Read moreRead less
Electrophysiological correlates of verbal and visuospatial working memory. Successful interaction with the world is dependent on "working memory". This memory system holds things in mind, while relating them to the past and planning for the future. A carefully controlled task, presented on a computer screen, systematically increases the number of items to be kept in mind. Accuracy and speed of matching the items are measured. The results will contribute to a theory of what processes are used ....Electrophysiological correlates of verbal and visuospatial working memory. Successful interaction with the world is dependent on "working memory". This memory system holds things in mind, while relating them to the past and planning for the future. A carefully controlled task, presented on a computer screen, systematically increases the number of items to be kept in mind. Accuracy and speed of matching the items are measured. The results will contribute to a theory of what processes are used in working memory and how the human brain manages these processes.Read moreRead less
Yours and mine: development of the concept of ownership in typical children and those on the autism spectrum. From an early age we know what belongs to us and what does not - we intend to find out how our behaviours keep pace with this evolving knowledge. More important for society, we will find out if behaviours and concepts are qualitatively different in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), causing problems with social interactions.
Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel. This project is one of the first systematic investigations into the development of the human capacity to consider future events. A variety of novel tasks will probe what children know about the future and how it relates to their ability to reason about past events. Comparisons between children and apes will further inform us about the nature of this crucial mental skill. The findings will provide valuable information fo ....Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel. This project is one of the first systematic investigations into the development of the human capacity to consider future events. A variety of novel tasks will probe what children know about the future and how it relates to their ability to reason about past events. Comparisons between children and apes will further inform us about the nature of this crucial mental skill. The findings will provide valuable information for developing appropriate educational approaches and for our understanding of abnormalities. As international leaders in this field, we are in an ideal position to conduct this research, offer unique opportunities for postgraduate training, and to continue in Australia's outstanding tradition of excellence in basic research.Read moreRead less
Persuasion through numbers: How majority and minority groups can change peoples’ attitudes and be agents of innovation and social change. Project develops a social psychological understanding of how people process, and are influenced by, persuasive arguments endorsed by majority and minority groups. New techniques examine which source (majority vs. minority) is associated with most message processing, the consequence of message processing to attitude change, and factors that affect the ability/ ....Persuasion through numbers: How majority and minority groups can change peoples’ attitudes and be agents of innovation and social change. Project develops a social psychological understanding of how people process, and are influenced by, persuasive arguments endorsed by majority and minority groups. New techniques examine which source (majority vs. minority) is associated with most message processing, the consequence of message processing to attitude change, and factors that affect the ability/motivation to engage in message processing. Project extends theory by developing a framework that is tested across new paradigms (including rare group studies). Results will increase understanding of when, and how, majorities and minorities change attitudes (and when they fail) which is valuable for practitioners and policy-makers involved in managing change.Read moreRead less
Recruiting and retaining Australian blood donors: A social-psychological analysis of the role of attitudes, identity, and norms. There has been little theory-based research examining the psychosocial predictors of blood donation, especially repeat blood donation, within an Australian context. This research seeks to assess the role of attitudes, identity and norms in predicting blood donation within rural and urban settings (Study 1) and for repeat blood donation amongst early career donors (Stud ....Recruiting and retaining Australian blood donors: A social-psychological analysis of the role of attitudes, identity, and norms. There has been little theory-based research examining the psychosocial predictors of blood donation, especially repeat blood donation, within an Australian context. This research seeks to assess the role of attitudes, identity and norms in predicting blood donation within rural and urban settings (Study 1) and for repeat blood donation amongst early career donors (Study 2). Study 3 will comprise two interventions designed to promote attitudinal and behavioural change for both blood donation initiation amongst current non-donors and repeat blood donation for early career donors. Identifying the predictors of blood donation for new and repeat donors will assist in the provision of this vital service within Australian health care settings.Read moreRead less
What makes unwritten rules work? A framework for understanding normative influence. Societies are regulated primarily by norms, which are unwritten, informal rules for appropriate behaviour. Governments, religious and cultural groups, and even families can all actively campaign to change people's standards or norms for behaviour. However, often people ignore the normative messages. As one example, child obesity rates in Australia continue to grow, despite years of campaigns on this issue. S ....What makes unwritten rules work? A framework for understanding normative influence. Societies are regulated primarily by norms, which are unwritten, informal rules for appropriate behaviour. Governments, religious and cultural groups, and even families can all actively campaign to change people's standards or norms for behaviour. However, often people ignore the normative messages. As one example, child obesity rates in Australia continue to grow, despite years of campaigns on this issue. Sometimes normative campaigns can even increase the problems they're trying to solve. For example, some research shows children targeted with anti-drug messages are more likely to abuse drugs. This research tests why normative campaigns fail, and how to solve the problem.Read moreRead less
Promoting intergroup forgiveness: The benefits and pitfalls of apologies and invocations of shared humanity. In the last 200 years Australians have found themselves as both perpetrators and victims of historical transgressions. This history of transgression has ongoing implications for how Australians deal with the present. It has implications for how Australians relate to Japan, for example, and has implications for relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The proposed resea ....Promoting intergroup forgiveness: The benefits and pitfalls of apologies and invocations of shared humanity. In the last 200 years Australians have found themselves as both perpetrators and victims of historical transgressions. This history of transgression has ongoing implications for how Australians deal with the present. It has implications for how Australians relate to Japan, for example, and has implications for relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The proposed research offers fresh ideas for understanding and promoting intergroup reconciliation and forgiveness. This information will contribute to the development of effective strategies for reconciling with the past, which will enhance our ability to anticipate and tackle critical threats to the cohesiveness of Australian society.Read moreRead less
What people say and do in response to negative feedback: Explaining and reducing defensiveness toward individual and group criticism. This research will allow us to devise, for the first time, a comprehensive account of how people respond to criticism, not just of their groups but also of themselves as individuals. The first part of the project (focusing on criticism of groups) will help provide specific recommendations regarding how to negotiate sensitive issues within and between a range of cu ....What people say and do in response to negative feedback: Explaining and reducing defensiveness toward individual and group criticism. This research will allow us to devise, for the first time, a comprehensive account of how people respond to criticism, not just of their groups but also of themselves as individuals. The first part of the project (focusing on criticism of groups) will help provide specific recommendations regarding how to negotiate sensitive issues within and between a range of cultural, national, and corporate groups. The second part of the project (focusing on criticism of individuals) will provide specific recommendations regarding how to deliver negative feedback to individuals, a skill that is particularly important in educational contexts and in the workplace. Read moreRead less