The Development of Creative Thinking Ability in TAFE Design Students. The aim is to develop an instructional framework as a conceptual basis for instruction aimed at TAFE design student use of imagery in creative thinking. The research addresses the challenges of recent post-compulsory education initiatives, which include a more specific focus on the development of creative problem-solving skills, but provide little guidance on instructional strategies. The research will synthesise the framewo ....The Development of Creative Thinking Ability in TAFE Design Students. The aim is to develop an instructional framework as a conceptual basis for instruction aimed at TAFE design student use of imagery in creative thinking. The research addresses the challenges of recent post-compulsory education initiatives, which include a more specific focus on the development of creative problem-solving skills, but provide little guidance on instructional strategies. The research will synthesise the framework from theories about cognitive processes, creative problem-solving and the use of mental imagery; and the results of an imagery training program and creative problem-solving interventions. The outcome will be an instructional framework for guiding the development of student creative thinking in design-based courses in TAFE.Read moreRead less
Psychological User Profiling in the Telecommunications Industry. Recording user behaviour allows businesses to learn about their customers. This is particularly important in telecommunications, since the core business involves a large number of users who vary considerably from one another. This project combines psychological insights with modern statistical methods to develop a psychologically plausible user profiling framework, accounting for the idiosyncratic usage patterns of customers, and t ....Psychological User Profiling in the Telecommunications Industry. Recording user behaviour allows businesses to learn about their customers. This is particularly important in telecommunications, since the core business involves a large number of users who vary considerably from one another. This project combines psychological insights with modern statistical methods to develop a psychologically plausible user profiling framework, accounting for the idiosyncratic usage patterns of customers, and the way in which they change over time. The profiles will be tied to marketing prospects through interviews and surveys. Applied benefits include the ability to predict, understand and act upon user behaviour. The project also adds substantially to theories of memory, individual differences and decision-making.Read moreRead less
An investigation of memory functioning of the prefrontal cortex. This project aims to investigate the role of the prefrontal cortex in human memory. While the medial temporal lobe has long been recognised as imperative for basic memory processes, the prefrontal cortex has only recently been recognised to mediate higher-level strategic memory processes. This project will clarify the memory functions of the dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and medial prefrontal lobes by studying performance of individ ....An investigation of memory functioning of the prefrontal cortex. This project aims to investigate the role of the prefrontal cortex in human memory. While the medial temporal lobe has long been recognised as imperative for basic memory processes, the prefrontal cortex has only recently been recognised to mediate higher-level strategic memory processes. This project will clarify the memory functions of the dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and medial prefrontal lobes by studying performance of individuals with damage in these areas using memory tests and tasks. Our findings will enhance understanding and theorising of the neural basis of memory and have implications for management and rehabilitation of memory impairments in brain injured individuals.Read moreRead less
Faster, cheaper, safer: how to accelerate rail driver training and avert the looming skills shortage. The Australian rail industry is growing rapidly and needs to double the number of drivers trained in order to meet demand. This project will bring together Australia's leading hi-tech simulator company and Australia's leading rail human factors research team to 'reinvent' driver training technologies and techniques for the 21st century.
Intention and Serendipity: Investigating Improvisation, Symbolism and Memory in Creating Australian Contemporary Dance. Contemporary dance is one of the major vehicles through which Australian stories and cultural diversity are communicated. Little is known about the processes that underpin creation and performance of communicative dance works, and less still about processes and stylistic traditions unique to the Australian form. We will investigate cognitive and kinaesthetic processes involve ....Intention and Serendipity: Investigating Improvisation, Symbolism and Memory in Creating Australian Contemporary Dance. Contemporary dance is one of the major vehicles through which Australian stories and cultural diversity are communicated. Little is known about the processes that underpin creation and performance of communicative dance works, and less still about processes and stylistic traditions unique to the Australian form. We will investigate cognitive and kinaesthetic processes involved in creating, refining, performing significant works. Combining experimental and practice-based research we examine psychological mechanisms engaged by elite choreographers, and experienced and emerging dancers, and analyse the unique Australian heritage and embodied knowledge evident in leading dancers and choreographers influenced by Gertrud Bodenwieser.Read moreRead less
A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological ....A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological, social, and health problems, and end up in prison. This project could influence implementation of programmes and policy related to youth dropout, promote youth economic, social and physical wellbeing, and decrease their chance of committing crimes and becoming a social burden.Read moreRead less
Improving the competency of police officers in conducting investigative interviews of children. The current research program aims to identify factors that promote and sustain competent police interviewing of children. Although 'best-practice' guidelines in investigative interviewing have been developed, these guidelines are under-utilised by police officers in practice. Research is therefore needed to identify barriers to the implementation of these 'best-practice' guidelines and to test interve ....Improving the competency of police officers in conducting investigative interviews of children. The current research program aims to identify factors that promote and sustain competent police interviewing of children. Although 'best-practice' guidelines in investigative interviewing have been developed, these guidelines are under-utilised by police officers in practice. Research is therefore needed to identify barriers to the implementation of these 'best-practice' guidelines and to test interventions designed to improve their uptake. The expected outcome of this project is the development of interventions that will improve the quality of police training in investigative interviewing. This will increase the quality of evidence obtained from children, especially those who are victims of child abuse.Read moreRead less
The impact of post-incident debriefing on psychological wellbeing and recall of events. First response emergency service personnel, such as fire fighters, police officers and paramedics provide an essential service, but as a result of their work are at increased risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In an attempt to protect against PTSD many personnel are required to attend group debriefings following exposure to traumatic events. However, there is evidence that these group d ....The impact of post-incident debriefing on psychological wellbeing and recall of events. First response emergency service personnel, such as fire fighters, police officers and paramedics provide an essential service, but as a result of their work are at increased risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In an attempt to protect against PTSD many personnel are required to attend group debriefings following exposure to traumatic events. However, there is evidence that these group debriefings may actually increase the risk of PTSD and also permanently distort the participants' memory for the events they witnessed. We will work with NSW Fire Brigade to develop an effective PTSD intervention for emergency service personnel which also preserves the integrity of the participants' memory for critical events.Read moreRead less
Parents as Partners: Getting children off to a healthy start in literacy. Our nation is best served by children getting off to a healthy start in literacy. However, almost one in six children fails to do so. This group has reduced academic and vocational options, increased social, emotional and mental health problems, higher youth unemployment, and is significantly over-represented among offenders. The nation bears the costs of these problems through reduced productivity and expenditure on unemp ....Parents as Partners: Getting children off to a healthy start in literacy. Our nation is best served by children getting off to a healthy start in literacy. However, almost one in six children fails to do so. This group has reduced academic and vocational options, increased social, emotional and mental health problems, higher youth unemployment, and is significantly over-represented among offenders. The nation bears the costs of these problems through reduced productivity and expenditure on unemployment benefits, social programs, mental health services, and incarceration. This project targets both these sources of loss to the nation by utilising a hitherto untapped community resource: Training parents of preschoolers to develop critical pre-literacy skills in their children at home before they begin to fail. Read moreRead less
Training for Adaptability: The role of errors, exceptions and rules of thumb. This project involving collaboration among three fire services across two states and two universities aims to develop theoretical and evidenced-based error and exceptions training in the prediction of fire behaviour among novices and experts. The project will advance significantly our understanding of ways of adapting knowledge and updating and improving rules of thumb for complex decision-making. An innovative new cri ....Training for Adaptability: The role of errors, exceptions and rules of thumb. This project involving collaboration among three fire services across two states and two universities aims to develop theoretical and evidenced-based error and exceptions training in the prediction of fire behaviour among novices and experts. The project will advance significantly our understanding of ways of adapting knowledge and updating and improving rules of thumb for complex decision-making. An innovative new critical incident recording system will be developed that identifies the cognitive determinants of errors. Tightly controlled laboratory studies will be combined with field studies leading to improved theoretical understanding as well as practical outcomes for the fire services.Read moreRead less