The regulation of desire by bodily state. Many experiences, like food, wine and sex, are pleasurable. These experiences are also desired, but less so when sated. The aim of this proposal is to understand how satiation regulates desire. We propose two memory-based models, and test them using several new experimental approaches. This is significant, not only because poorly regulated desire is linked to many social and economic ills (e.g., over-eating), but also because it is a key part of huma ....The regulation of desire by bodily state. Many experiences, like food, wine and sex, are pleasurable. These experiences are also desired, but less so when sated. The aim of this proposal is to understand how satiation regulates desire. We propose two memory-based models, and test them using several new experimental approaches. This is significant, not only because poorly regulated desire is linked to many social and economic ills (e.g., over-eating), but also because it is a key part of human motivation that is poorly understood. The expected outcome is a new theoretical model of how memory processes interact with bodily signals to generate both sated states and desire. The benefits include a new understanding of how desire is regulated and how and why this might break down.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100177
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A flexible high throughput analytical system for psychopharmacology and drug discovery. A sensitive new liquid chromatography mass spectrometer will enable a team of leading researchers to detect drugs of abuse and therapeutic drugs in the brain and body as well as levels of hormones, peptides and neurotransmitters. This will enhance a large number of projects examining new treatments for addictive disorders and mental illness.
Reducing fire deaths - a new approach to smoke alarms. Disturbingly, those most at risk of dying in residential fires are also least likely to awaken to the current smoke alarm signal, now mandatory in Australian residences. This project will develop a new alarm (using Gibsonian, naturalistic sounds and/or a voice signal) and compare its waking efficacy with the current smoke alarm. Testing will involve three vulnerable groups; sleep deprived young adults, children and alcohol intoxicated. The r ....Reducing fire deaths - a new approach to smoke alarms. Disturbingly, those most at risk of dying in residential fires are also least likely to awaken to the current smoke alarm signal, now mandatory in Australian residences. This project will develop a new alarm (using Gibsonian, naturalistic sounds and/or a voice signal) and compare its waking efficacy with the current smoke alarm. Testing will involve three vulnerable groups; sleep deprived young adults, children and alcohol intoxicated. The research is innovative with important implications for community public safety, the national and international smoke alarm industry, performance based models of building safety and our theoretical understanding of cognitive processing during sleep.Read moreRead less
Site-Level Community Engagement Processes in the Australian Minerals Industry: A Comparative Analysis. A key principle of corporate social responsibility is that companies should endeavour to engage with, and be responsive to, the concerns of affected local communities. With the support of four industry partners, this study will compare how community engagement has been practised at seven Australian minerals operations. The study will assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of existing enga ....Site-Level Community Engagement Processes in the Australian Minerals Industry: A Comparative Analysis. A key principle of corporate social responsibility is that companies should endeavour to engage with, and be responsive to, the concerns of affected local communities. With the support of four industry partners, this study will compare how community engagement has been practised at seven Australian minerals operations. The study will assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of existing engagement processes, account for significant differences between sites, and identify opportunities for improving how companies engage with communities. Social Identity Theory will be utilised to structure the research and inform the development of advice to industry on effective engagement strategies.Read moreRead less
Establishing safe driving practice: Improving young learner driver training. This project plans to develop a best-practice model to enable professional instructors to teach essential higher-order skills (e.g. hazard perception) to young learner drivers to establish safe driving behaviours. Australian young drivers aged 17–25 years comprise 13 per cent of the population but 22 per cent of road deaths. More effective teaching models are expected to reduce young drivers’ crash risk when they drive ....Establishing safe driving practice: Improving young learner driver training. This project plans to develop a best-practice model to enable professional instructors to teach essential higher-order skills (e.g. hazard perception) to young learner drivers to establish safe driving behaviours. Australian young drivers aged 17–25 years comprise 13 per cent of the population but 22 per cent of road deaths. More effective teaching models are expected to reduce young drivers’ crash risk when they drive unsupervised. The project aims to develop and assess the effectiveness of the model including the impact on instructor teaching practices, and changes in young driver skills, attitudes, and driving behaviours including crashes and offences. It also aims to assess instructor and young driver perceptions of the model.Read moreRead less
Outcome Trust: An Experimental Validation. Scholars have studied trust from a host of disciplinary perspectives. With such a diversity of scholarship, we find both a conflict over approaches and methods as well as the inevitable differences about the fundamental nature of the concept of trust. Bhattacharya, Devinney & Pillutla develop a remarkably robust operational model of trust that is a function of two factors, the uncertainty faced by the parties to a relationship and the conjectures they ....Outcome Trust: An Experimental Validation. Scholars have studied trust from a host of disciplinary perspectives. With such a diversity of scholarship, we find both a conflict over approaches and methods as well as the inevitable differences about the fundamental nature of the concept of trust. Bhattacharya, Devinney & Pillutla develop a remarkably robust operational model of trust that is a function of two factors, the uncertainty faced by the parties to a relationship and the conjectures they form about each other's actions. We propose to test this formulation rigorously, using experimental methods, thereby allowing us to broaden our understanding of the critical concept of trust.Read moreRead less
How do people make uncertain predictions? Exemplar-based and category-based approaches to inductive inference. This project is an innovative experimental and field study of how people reason under uncertainty. The project will broaden our understanding of human reasoning and enhance the reputation of Australian cognitive science.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100814
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Hypnotic illusions and clinical delusions: how closely and usefully can hypnosis model delusional beliefs? Hypnosis has been used to recreate 'temporary delusions' in the laboratory but there has been controversy about the value of this approach. The purpose of this project is to examine how closely and usefully hypnosis models clinical delusions and its outcomes may guide the development of more effective treatments.
Poor social functioning in schizophrenia: understanding its causes and developing better treatments. This project will advance knowledge of the thinking processes and the associated neural changes that cause the lifelong social disability which characterises schizophrenia. Findings will, in turn, contribute to better identifying young people, at risk of developing schizophrenia, and inform the design of new interventions and treatments.
Moral reasoning and mental illness: towards a model of moral judgment and moral accountability. This research examines capacities for moral judgment in people with schizophrenia, some of whom act on their delusional beliefs and commit crimes. Findings will, in turn, inform legal and philosophical consideration of the moral accountability of mentally ill defendants, and advance theoretical knowledge of healthy moral decision making.