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
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.
Can the relational account of attention explain search in natural environments and inattentional blindness? This project aims to further extend the relational theory of attention to account for visual search and inattentional blindness in natural environments. In addition, the neuronal correlates for inattentional blindness will be investigated with the use of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The research has fundamental implications for theories of visual attention and awareness, a ....Can the relational account of attention explain search in natural environments and inattentional blindness? This project aims to further extend the relational theory of attention to account for visual search and inattentional blindness in natural environments. In addition, the neuronal correlates for inattentional blindness will be investigated with the use of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The research has fundamental implications for theories of visual attention and awareness, and will advance understandings of how and why we frequently fail to notice potentially important objects and events in the environment.Read moreRead less
Testing a relational account for visual working memory. This project aims to test whether Becker's relational theory of attention can explain visual working memory performance, the ability to remember visual items over brief time periods. According to the relational account, elementary features such as colours are encoded relative to other features in the context (e.g. as redder, larger, darker). Our ability to detect a change in a feature would depend on the features in the context, and on whet ....Testing a relational account for visual working memory. This project aims to test whether Becker's relational theory of attention can explain visual working memory performance, the ability to remember visual items over brief time periods. According to the relational account, elementary features such as colours are encoded relative to other features in the context (e.g. as redder, larger, darker). Our ability to detect a change in a feature would depend on the features in the context, and on whether the context remains constant. This project expects to provide insights into how features are represented in memory, and to predict which items will be remembered. This could help to develop interactions and therapies for the ageing population and in clinical disorders.Read moreRead less
The Control of Memory Access. The topic of control processes in memory access is central to most of the big questions about human memory such as; why we forget, what produces spectacular and tragic memory failures (e.g.,lighting a match to check the level of petrol in a tank) and the role of context in familiarity and recollection. Because of the centrality of the problems addressed there will be many applications for the results. The long term results will include better models for human ope ....The Control of Memory Access. The topic of control processes in memory access is central to most of the big questions about human memory such as; why we forget, what produces spectacular and tragic memory failures (e.g.,lighting a match to check the level of petrol in a tank) and the role of context in familiarity and recollection. Because of the centrality of the problems addressed there will be many applications for the results. The long term results will include better models for human operators which can be used in both civilian (e.g., air traffic control) and military applications. Other areas of application will include how we measure memory impairment, why we make errors in industrial settings, and the nature of memory deficits as we age. 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
The many faces of threat: An investigation of animal, interpersonal and intergroup threat. Threat to personal safety can take a number of guises, a snake in the grass, an angry neighbour or, increasingly often in our modern world, a stranger who looks different. The present project will investigate the manner in which we respond to these threats, whether these responses can be modulated and what determines the threatening nature of an event. A better understanding of how we react to real or p ....The many faces of threat: An investigation of animal, interpersonal and intergroup threat. Threat to personal safety can take a number of guises, a snake in the grass, an angry neighbour or, increasingly often in our modern world, a stranger who looks different. The present project will investigate the manner in which we respond to these threats, whether these responses can be modulated and what determines the threatening nature of an event. A better understanding of how we react to real or perceived threats, in particular those involving other humans, will aid our understanding of human behaviour in an ever faster changing environment, both in our region and more broadly. Read moreRead less
Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
The recognition of human body shape in infancy. Newborn infants have expectations about human faces and it is hypothesised that this early knowledge allows them to identify and begin to engage with other humans. While faces are central to identification of and communication with others, human bodies are also highly informative and expressive, yet to date there is almost no research on infants? expectations about human bodies. This proposal details six studies that will systematically explore a ....The recognition of human body shape in infancy. Newborn infants have expectations about human faces and it is hypothesised that this early knowledge allows them to identify and begin to engage with other humans. While faces are central to identification of and communication with others, human bodies are also highly informative and expressive, yet to date there is almost no research on infants? expectations about human bodies. This proposal details six studies that will systematically explore and document the development of infants? expectations about human bodies, and will further test the theory that infants? earliest social interactions are dependent upon representations of the human face and body.Read moreRead less
Maternal input and theory of mind development in infancy and early childhood. When parents talk to their children, they influence their development both by what they say and how they say it. Building on previous ARC-funded work, this project will examine how and to what extent parents converse about mental states with their children, as well as investigating the influence of such parental talk on the child's socio-cognitive understanding of others' minds and emotions. Results promise to supply ....Maternal input and theory of mind development in infancy and early childhood. When parents talk to their children, they influence their development both by what they say and how they say it. Building on previous ARC-funded work, this project will examine how and to what extent parents converse about mental states with their children, as well as investigating the influence of such parental talk on the child's socio-cognitive understanding of others' minds and emotions. Results promise to supply important insights into the complex interaction of biology and socialisation in normal development, and will also serve as a foundation for future interventions to help children who are at risk for social problems.Read moreRead less