Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes. This research is the first systematic investigation into the mental capacity of gibbons. These apes are one of our closest genetic relatives. Results of the research will inform human-animal comparisons and investigations into the evolution of the human mind. More appropriate enrichment measures for captive apes could be developed as a result. It is hoped that this work will ....Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes. This research is the first systematic investigation into the mental capacity of gibbons. These apes are one of our closest genetic relatives. Results of the research will inform human-animal comparisons and investigations into the evolution of the human mind. More appropriate enrichment measures for captive apes could be developed as a result. It is hoped that this work will also lead to new collaborations with Indonesia, home of many gibbon species. The proposed research continues Australia's outstanding tradition of excellence in basic research. Read moreRead less
The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the ....The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the project will answer a question critical to workplace safety - how much time off between shifts is needed to be alert and safe at work? The project will also produce tools to help industry design fatigue-friendly rosters, improving the safety, productivity and general well-being of shiftworkers in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Sleeping for Gold: The Influence of Sleep on the Sports Performance of Elite Athletes. The aim of this project is to improve the performance of Australia's elite athletes by enhancing the amount and quality of sleep that they obtain. This project will have three major benefits. First, successful role models will encourage more Australian children and adults to participate in sport. This is critical given that the incidence of obesity (a major risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and ....Sleeping for Gold: The Influence of Sleep on the Sports Performance of Elite Athletes. The aim of this project is to improve the performance of Australia's elite athletes by enhancing the amount and quality of sleep that they obtain. This project will have three major benefits. First, successful role models will encourage more Australian children and adults to participate in sport. This is critical given that the incidence of obesity (a major risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers) has doubled in Australia in the last 15 years as participation in sport has dropped. Second, the success of our elite athletes will provide a source of pride in our achievements as a nation. Third, this research will enable the Australian Institute of Sport to remain as an international leader in sports science research.Read moreRead less
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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HIDE AND SPEAK - COLOUR COMMUNICATION IN REEF FISH. Fish play an important role in many Australian's lives, they are a source of recreation for scuba divers, snorkelers and fishermen, they are a draw card for tourists as well as a healthy source of food. This project will investigate the visual world of fish, unravelling their use of colour communication, thereby identifying environmental factors affecting successful communication. Such a study will provide insight into the impact on reef fish o ....HIDE AND SPEAK - COLOUR COMMUNICATION IN REEF FISH. Fish play an important role in many Australian's lives, they are a source of recreation for scuba divers, snorkelers and fishermen, they are a draw card for tourists as well as a healthy source of food. This project will investigate the visual world of fish, unravelling their use of colour communication, thereby identifying environmental factors affecting successful communication. Such a study will provide insight into the impact on reef fish of changes in water quality (e.g. river runoff) and temperature (e.g. bleaching events), as well as factors that affect the successful rearing of fish in aquaculture.
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Colour vision and photoreceptors in reef fish: a model system to discover the function of double cones. Humans are visual animals and as lucky Australians we love to look at The Great Barrier Reef. This project, while rooted in the complexities of visual neurobiology, uses a recently discovered set of 4 different reef fish from the GBR to teach us more about fundamental principles in vision. These fish, diverse as damselfish and snappers, will help solve a mystery centuries old. Double cones are ....Colour vision and photoreceptors in reef fish: a model system to discover the function of double cones. Humans are visual animals and as lucky Australians we love to look at The Great Barrier Reef. This project, while rooted in the complexities of visual neurobiology, uses a recently discovered set of 4 different reef fish from the GBR to teach us more about fundamental principles in vision. These fish, diverse as damselfish and snappers, will help solve a mystery centuries old. Double cones are the commonest daytime photoreceptor in the eyes of almost all vertebrates (humans without them are exceptions) and yet nobody knows what they do. Reef fish have them, so let's ask them what they see!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
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
Thinking Systems: Navigating Through Real and Conceptual Spaces. The project will provide fundamental insights into physical and conceptual spaces and develop applications in robotics and information systems. The project brings together national and international researchers to study how humans and other animals navigate: how trajectories through space are used to build maps, the neural bases of these mapping processes and how to use maps to achieve goals. The project will develop a new generati ....Thinking Systems: Navigating Through Real and Conceptual Spaces. The project will provide fundamental insights into physical and conceptual spaces and develop applications in robotics and information systems. The project brings together national and international researchers to study how humans and other animals navigate: how trajectories through space are used to build maps, the neural bases of these mapping processes and how to use maps to achieve goals. The project will develop a new generation of robots that can learn about the physical spaces they work in, and create concept-mapping systems that can map and navigate information spaces. Also, it will provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating human cognition and mental dysfunctions.Read moreRead less