Understanding and reducing the impact of sexual objectification. Violence and discrimination are serious problems facing women in Australia. This project examines how sexual objectification contributes to these problems, investigating the process from both the perpetrator's and the victim's perspectives. Using a multi-method approach, the project is expected to show how objectification hampers women in their personal and professional lives. Importantly, the project aims to go beyond identifying ....Understanding and reducing the impact of sexual objectification. Violence and discrimination are serious problems facing women in Australia. This project examines how sexual objectification contributes to these problems, investigating the process from both the perpetrator's and the victim's perspectives. Using a multi-method approach, the project is expected to show how objectification hampers women in their personal and professional lives. Importantly, the project aims to go beyond identifying the harm caused by objectification to start examining ways in which it can be reduced and women can protect themselves from its effects. This is expected to provide insight into a previously unstudied psychological cause of violence and discrimination against women, and map ways of reducing its harm.Read moreRead less
Gendered engagement and participation in sciences and mathematics. This project aims to identify the reasons for the declining numbers of girls (and boys) studying sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects during secondary school. This project will conduct complementary longitudinal studies in Australia, in collaboration with leading international scholars, analysing declining motivations, especially for girls/women, to show how this predicts different STEM career choices ....Gendered engagement and participation in sciences and mathematics. This project aims to identify the reasons for the declining numbers of girls (and boys) studying sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects during secondary school. This project will conduct complementary longitudinal studies in Australia, in collaboration with leading international scholars, analysing declining motivations, especially for girls/women, to show how this predicts different STEM career choices and actual occupational outcomes, to yield theoretical developments and inform policy to improve the participation of girls/women (and boys/men) in these fields. Expected outcomes of this project include the provision of comprehensive evidence-informed recommendations to Federal and State government, industry and education stakeholders, which will enable the coordinated development of intervention programs to address these issues.Read moreRead less
Participation in mathematics and science careers: longitudinal study of motivational and contextual predictors. Australia faces escalating shortages of suitably qualified individuals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, negatively impacting economic and national wellbeing. Why young people are losing interest and not pursuing these fields will be determined in three complementary longitudinal studies spanning ages 12 up to their early 30's.
Sexism in scientific and pseudo-scientific explanations of sex inequality: an empirical, ethical and educative approach. Neuroscientific explanations of sex inequality are scientifically premature, and lead to popular exaggerations that sustain inequality through self-fulfilling effects. This project will increase understanding of these harmful consequences, and bring about essential improvements in both the quality of scientific research, and public understanding.